Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-27

:LOoKER-ON in IOWA:
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s..........i... 81. 49,.
| Lake Park, Dec 26.--Our railroad
companies are paternalistic in so far
that they insist on their employees car
rying a certain make of a watch and
having 1t examined by the company APP
pointed jeweler once IN so often. They
Ialso say that other employees shall wear
coats, vests and caps of a prescribed
cloth. cut and make. Now the writer
(and many others) wishes to have the
railroads that do business in Iowa issue
an order at once that all passenger
train conductors and brakemen shall
wear wooden under certain weight.
There's no other way to cure the evil
Under the present arrangements evil
IDENTIFY these brakemen, especially those
|of the Slim Jim variety, are still wear
ing gauze underwear. The consequence
is they keep the temperature of the
|steam-heated cars up to about 100 de-
grees. AS soon as they feel this gentle
heat they are obliged to rush out on a
cold platform and stand there till the
train moves. Then they come in and
turn on more steam and generally man
age to warm up before the next station
is reached. This is a little rough on the
thru passengers, but they continue to
swelter and perspire, plying the poor
brakemen and conductor whose OPEN
work gauze underwear does not retain
the necessary animal heat to keep them
warm only when the storm windows are
oil oil nf ba yyi
and the doors hurfiedly closed. And
these abused employees of the soulless
corporations, owing to their lack of I'M
derwear, get SO accustomed to the odor
OF some Of the steam cheated. stewed
emigrants that fresh air seems to them
like cold water in Kentucky. Only to
be used for certain purposes. During
their 15O-mile daily trips they must
absorb the microbes and bacilh from
the Turkish baths given in these cars.
thus taking many to early graves or a
lingering diseased old age. All this can
be avoided by the railroads compelling
them to wear wooden underwear.
An academic discussion of tariff and
reciprocity questions, brought out by
Governor Cummins' Detroit speech, is
now going on between Editor Perkins,
OF the Sioux City Journal. and Editor
Funk, of the Spirit Lake Beacon. Only
a few weeks ago the Journal and the
Beacon were members of mutual adj
miration society, agreeing nicely on the
Iowa idea and backing up the utter
ances of Governor Cummins. Now the
Beacon remains faithful, but the Jour-
nal is "wobbling," much to the delight
of the editorial talent at Des Moines,
Cedar Rapids and Burlington. Some of
the fine points brought out in the Jour-
nal are too abstruse for the ordinary
newspaper reader and consequently one
hears along the line, Whats Perkins
driving at now?" This from many of
his subscribers. They can not under
stand that Editor Perkins is discussing
these questions on their merits, perfect
ly regardless of who is to be the next
governor OF Iowa or the successor to
Mr.. Allison in the United States senate.
Whether man occupying the position
of Mr.. Perkins as editor of daily pa
per not excelIed in Iowa has a duty to
perform in educating his subscribers
will not be discussed here. but one VINO
travels at least three months in the
wear in the Eleventh congressional dis
trict can assure him that 80 per cent or
the readers of his editorials do favor
the Iowa idea as expounded and
preached by Governor Cummins.
Viewed from the standpoint OF the
Cedar Rapids Republican, the Capital
and the Hawkeye, this rank heresy.
which is to be the undoing of Governor
cunmins, has a continued stronghold
in northwest Iowa, no where more so
than In the Eleventh district. And so
when the readers of The Journal view
with alarm" the apparent inconsistency
Of late editorials with those Of three
months ago. no wonder in their inabil-
ity to see the new fine points they ASK
whats hurting Perkins,?
Not everybody knows that on our
statute books is a law concerning nfe
escapes on hotels and other pubic
buildings. And many Of our incorpo-
rated towns have passed ordinances IN
conformity with this law. But certain
u 10 NOT one hotel in a hundred In Iowa
has ever paid the slightest attention TO
this law. and hundreds Of travelling men
and all of the travelling public are every
night exposed to an awful dealh, al lliis
because of a lack of public sentlmene 10
enforce such laws. 1t seems tnat otler
etates are lust as lax in enforcing this
low h,,t here is a new feature that may
oousa some action on the part OF hotei
owners and proprietors. the writer
asks the publisher Of the T.-R. TO run
the following press dispatch, scare
heads" and all:
HOTEL KEEPER TO PAY FOR
= : DEATH BY FIRE.
Widow of Guest Awarded $o,ooo AT ot'