Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-19
RURAL TELEPHONE SERVICE
In Iowa It's Growth 10 Becoming Quite
Phenomenal.
STILL GREATER PLANS NOW ON FOO
Special Meeting ut Mnrshalitown TO
Promote United Action for Ex-
tending the Lines I'm Central
Fart of the state.

lHt tOWnS anu lnt
connecting lines. All northern Iowa is
covered with independent long distance
lines and in central Iowa there has been
the greatest development OF the telephone
lines for the exclusive use OF farmers and
those living in small towns. A meeting
was held at Marshalltown OF the rural
lines in central Iowa to take united action
looking to closer connection with the
cities. The lines represented at the meet
ing were the line from Eldora to Whitten;
from Liscomb TO Conrad, through Grundy
county: from Bangor to Liscomb. and in
surrounding country; the Bethel line, run
ming through the Arney settlement west of
Albion; the line from Liscomb to Marshall
town; the Stanford line from Liscomb to
Union, the Rock Valley line. southeast of
Marshalltown. and the line from New Prov
idence to Edora. Work has been COM
menced on new line from Lscomb to
North Star, four miles east, that will be
patronized by thirteen farmers. COM
pany has been formed to run line from
Hubbard to Gearing. 1t will operate twenty
phones. In that immediate vicinity there
are now in operation about 1000 rural tel
ephones. 1t is proposed that they be con-
nected with the larger cities and towns and
that they operate together all through cen
tral Iowa for exchange OF business among
the farmers and a meeting to effect an
organization to that end will be held on
January 30
No BniI for Woman.
Judge Allegate, in the district court at
Indianola, refused to fix bail for Mrs. John
Hossack, under indictment for the murder
o. her husband near New Virginia. but the
matter OF fixing bail may come up later as
she will not be tried this term. She had
been out on 100000 bail pending the in
vestigation by grand jury. and there Is no
doubt she could secure the same bail now
or even larger sum. Since her arrest
there has not been developed single fact
to connect her with the crime further than
the circumstantial evidence before the cor
oner, nor has anything occurred TO indi-
cate who was the murderer, IL she has
nothing to do with It. Public sentiment in
the county is very much divided as to
her guilt and since her ar-ost she has dis
crctly said nothing about the case.
Fortune Seeking Poor Mnn.
A Scotchman in extreme poverty and old
, Is believed to be somewhere in western
Iowa trying. for some mysterious reason.
TO evade discovery by those who have
charge Of a fortune in the old country
which rightfully belongs to him. His
bdult III htNdDUtF ffutCnPSOn ana ne has
been traced westward along the Burling-
ton railroad comiug"from some place over
in Illinois. The last heard OF him he had
stopped at Red Oak. lie has said he pos
sessed fortune in Aberdeen. Scotland and
he was apparently so sincere in his asger-
| tions that letter was sent to Aberdeen
to find out the facts. This resulted In con-
| hrming the truth OF the old mans state
ment and tracer was sent out to find him
The information from Aberdeen Is that he
Is extremely wealthy and that his rela-
tivcs are trying to find him.
Inheritance Tax Pick-up.
The state treasurer Is making investi-
| CATION or the case of the estate of Frank
! Richardson. who mysteriously disappeared
from his home in Shelby county five years
ago and whose property, valued at about
Sl25,OOO, including 900 acres of fine land
is about to pass to the heirs. Inasmuch
as he was bachelor he had no direct
descendants and the collateral heirs will
have to divide literally with the state The
case was one which attracted great de.
Of attention in 1896 in Shelby county and it
is supposed by many that Richardson was
murdered and his body hidden.
An Iowa's Mans GIFTS.
c. j. A. Ericsson OF Boone, a wealthy
banker and land owner, state senator and
public spirited man. has been making some
splendid gifts to Augustana college and
| theological seminary at Rock Island, Ill.
lie gave $4,000 year ago and paid the debt
on the college campus, and it has just been
announced that few weeks ago he pre-
sented the college with two valuable tracts
or land In Iowa. One tract of 100 acres is
In Wapello county near Eldon and is coal
land, adjoining land on which there is a
hve-foot vein of coal The other tract Is
In Marion county and comprises 100 acres
near Otley under which there Is vein of
coal -FOUR feet thick. II Is believed that the
Two tracts OF land. If leased for the coal
underlying Will yield the college about
Slio'OOO In royalties, and the land itself is
quite valuable for agricultural purposes.
| lhe income from tho land will bo used TO
| found a chair in the Swedish language at
the college. Senator Ericsson has given lib
orally to endow a library at Boone and is
one or the most prominent business men OF
that part of the state.
strange Death of u Nebraska Woman.
Mrs. Louisa Lego OF Hildreth Neb., died
In n mysterious manner in the Burlington
waiting room at Osceola. She had arrived
there on her way from her Nebraska home
to visit relatives in Corydon. She remained
AZ d ho'cl oNeT nlgnt, ATE luncn at a feStau
rant and had lunch put up, after whlcl
she went to the depot to take the train 70
C0rydon. While sitting in the waiting room
she dropped dead. No inquest was held AM
! the funeral occurred in Corydon yesterday
She was about 55 years old.
Registered Package Lost.
A peculiar theft of a package of none
sent by registered letter is reported iron
Hampton. The package was said to con
tain $1,000, and was sent from a Dubuqu
bank to bank in Clarksville. 1t was Il
possession of a mail clerk on the Chicag
Great Western. He did not deliver th
; package at Clarksvile. stating that he for
got TO do so, When he found he had forgo
to deliver it he resolved upon keeping
: until his return trip eastward, but 1t wa
stolen from his desk in his absence. II
says the desk must have been unlocked an
y locked afterward by somebody who had
' key No trace OF the missing package ha
been found.
supreme Court Decisions.
Among the decisions OF the Iowa suprem
court filed this morning was one in a Potta
wattamie county case involving the duty G
, a railroad company in the matter of givin