Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-01-14
) LOOKER-ON IN IOWA.
Observation-Disclosures

IL L0OKER-ON in IOWA. 8.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
For the Times-Reuublcan.
Rockwell City. Jan. 13-The effect
of the new railroad systems and the
fair prospect of still more railroad
building in here, in the near future,
has had the effect of giving this burg
a more citified appearance. 1t shows
full as much in the new store ar
rangements as in any other way.
Stocks are better arranged, even the
butcher shops are putting on style.
And the fact is, a beefsteak bought
from marble counter somehow
tastes better than when one gets it
from a place where chicken picking,
bologna making and frying out lard"
are all going on in the same room.
There's something in buying meat of
a man with a clean white apron on,
even if one has an inner consciousness
of some of the unpleasant details
connected with country butcher
shop.
AS an indication of how business Is
carried on these days, in Pomeroy one
of the drug stores during holiday
week took in $40. There's moth
ing strange about that, but here is the
fact, that this firm did not charge
on the books, one cents worth of
goods on that day Not but what
Doc" would have been glad to have
sold everything in the store and to
have Charged" 1t to the well-to- do
farmers and town people, but this Is
the statement-during one days sale
of holiday goods in one drug store in
Pomeroy no one asked for credit.
AS sample Of pure cussedness the
following is the boss story" In one
of our Iowa towns they had q post
Office fight. The successful nasby was
a man unacquainted with the details
of the business and his predecessor, a
candidate for denomination, made
short work of turning over the whole
business to the fortunate friend of the
congressman. Naturally things got
mixed and the dear public kicked.
Letters got into the wrong boxes and
the new postmaster was all day dis
tributing the mail" On the second
day when the postmaster didn't really
know whether he was afoot or horse
back, after the mornings mail was
finally laboriously distributed, in front
of the general delivery window a doz
en- or more of the ex-postmaster's
friends lined up, each one asked for
mail, and each one at the same time
asked for and bought postal card or
a two cent stamp. Each gentleman ca
handed out dollar or fifty cents, and
in a few moments all of the small
change in the postoffice was handed
out. The postmaster sent out his as
sistant for change once or twice till
"he caught on to the programme, and
then asked them to get their own
change. Then there was a big roar
from these men because 1.-The new
postmaster didn't have money enough
to change a dollar" Meanwhile the
crowd who got their mail at the gen.
eral delivery were waiting impatient
ly, all of which was fun for the con-
spirators. This was repeated for sew
eral days. Now the Looker-on ought
to give the name of the town where it
occurred, aD4 of the men engaged in
this BUSINESS, for the whole transact
ton was perfectly legitimate, and fif-
teen men have a perfect right to pur-
chase q two cent stamp every morn
ing Furthermore, they have right
for all to go into a postoffice at the
same time and get in line to be waited
upon, only
Here's another story to show a diff
ferrent side of human nature. In an
other of our small towns in Iowa
IN, "a mis-
tune to burn out" His building and
stock Che lived up stairs over the
store) represented all he had in this
world. In settling with the insurance
companies they scaled down his loss
$500, which he accepted rather than
go to law, and the inevitable delay be-
fore getting his money. Now, it so
happened that this small dealer had |
purchased for years goods of a great |
big combine. He had always paid his
bills promptly and so was valued,
though small, customer of the COM
bine. Naturally he told his troubles to
the travelling agent of the combine.
The travelling agent told the state
how the insurance companies
had treated John Smith. And the
state manager found 1t an interesting
story to tell the president of the COM !
bine. All this is an Iowa story so far.
but the scene changes now to an
other state, big city where the presi-
dent of the combine lives and has
headquarters. One day, In that city. |
the general manager of the Eternal
Fire Insurance company received I
letter saying the combine president
would like to have the general man |
ager call when convenient. Visions
of big policy made the convenience
the day after. Received your letter"
said the general manager; what can
can do for. the combine?" was asked"
You can cancel all of our insur-
ance," '.All of it? Why, we're carry
ing s250,O0O for you," said the insur
ance man. What's wrong?" only
this" said the president, "Out in Iowa
you scaled down the insurance of one
of our customers when he met with an
almost total loss, and it's fair reason
ing you will scale us down the first
time we have loss anywhere. We do (
not care to do business with such an
insurance company Then the gener-
al manager caught on There must /
have been some mistake in John
Smiths case," said he; I'll look into
it," Well" said the president. IF
find that inside of ten days your com
pany has paid John Smith $500, as
we'll as all of the extra expense he has