Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-19

passengers saw the unusual sight OF
two threshing machine engines at
tached as double headers" dragging a
good-sized house along the road. The
house was not on rollers or wheels, but
a sled arrangement was all that seemed
necessary. And these two engines wen!
putting along, moving that story and
! half house at the rate of four miles all
| hour. Several Of our towns now hire
these engines to drag the road graders
| for several days in the year. One theory
| is, this kind of power does not have to
stop and rest, is wiling to put in full
| time, and requires many hands less to
operate than so many horse power OF
| flesh and blood.
In the city the public expects many
passenger trains daily, but in the little
town of Manly, in northern Iowa, a
town of say 500 people, there are TWEEN
ty-four trains each day that carry pas
sengers Three railroads, the B., G. r
& N, the Iowa Central and the Great
Western are competitors for business
in that burg. And there are probably
many junction points in Iowa where
railroad accommodations are fully as
good, and competition fully as strong.
here's bit of overheard telephone
conversation that explains itself: rs
this the Alaska Lumber Company
Yes" We'll if that car of shingles is
not unloaded this afternoon demurrage
charges will commence at midnight"
eff you charge us ] cent of demurrage
it's the last car of lumber you'll ever
get from us. That car has been five
weeks on the road and 1 have lost sales
from your delay. Now you talk demur-
rage charges. The --------- railroad
wants our business and will get It,
Item. There were two trunk lines do
ing business in that town.
The writer works many towns so
regularly that he becomes familiar
with business conditions. A few
months ago in one of our Iowa towns
there was a successful merchant run
ming big department store. He had
a good business, good wife and COM
Portable home. Across the road was
the bank and banker He was making
money, had a wife and family, who
lived in nice residence. Both families
enjoyed the good will and respect of
the community. The other day the
writer was in the same town. The big
store was vacant, the goods had been
sold by the sheriff, and the building
itself is to be sold by order of the
court The former prosperous business
man fills suicides grave. Across the
street in the bank building is a new
banker. The former proprietor is now
in Kansas with his family, excepting
his wife. She has no home now. She
was in a strange house the other day,
where the other inmates We're arrested
for disturbing the peace. She literally
has no where to lay her head. Not a
family in that town will allow her to
enter their houses Something of q
contrast? Well. yes. The cause? A
very short story. The banker one day
told his wife he was going to Sioux
City. Back tomorrow. And he left
town. AT 10 o'clock that night the
banker and storekeepers wife went TO
the store building. found the storekcep-
err and bankers wife locked in the
darkened room. Tableau. No Greek
fire. Banker whips his wife. divorce
and Kansas. Storekeeper goes to the
river, body found sixteen days after.
Foundation for French novel. Yes and
every one of the incidents strictly true.
Was "the game worth the candle 2"
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