Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1903-02-13
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL


A Polk county grand jury has re-
turned indictments against M. e.
Payton and James Payton, charging
them with keeping gambling houses.
These men are supposed to be the pro.
prietors of the gambling house at
s1sh West Fifth street, raided by dt.
rection of Justice Duncan week ago,
Both were arrested and gave bonds.
This Is the first of batch of gam.
bling house indictments 1t is expected
tie jury will return. Witnesses were
examined as to number of places
other than the one 1t is charged the
Paytons kept but no testimony was
adduced sufficient to warrant an in.
d1ctment. The names of a large MN.
per CT witnesses were produced. how.
ever and subpoenas issued for them
The probabilities are the Joint con.
ference of coal operators and coal
miners to fix the scale for mining in
the state for the year commencing
April l, 1903, will be called next week
10 meet IN Des Moines March 6. The
united Mine Workers will in all likel.
nood hold delegate meeting in Des
MONIES week caller to determine up.
on the demands to be made for the
ensuing year. The expectation is that
an increase o. 10 cents in the price of
mining and of a corresponding in.
crease for all mine workers other than
miners will be made. -
Complaints are coming in to the
office Of State Dairy Commissioner
Wright from heads Of families in diff.
ferent parts of this city that children
are being made sick by milk. Several
samples OF milk have been brought to
the ONCE of the commissioner for
analysis, but thus far none of the
samples examined have disclosed the
presence of any poisonous substance
used as a preservative. Further anal.
ysis OF samples will be made. how.
ever. President F. w. Cherry of the
Des Moines Southern Railroad com
pany, brought In a sample of milk
tnat ne believes contains poisonous
substance. His child, who had par.
taken OF 1t, suffered from sore mouth
and was otherwise indisposed. This
sample will be analysed.
The interurban company has com.
pleted Its first survey into Newton.
Inc line crosses the Rock Island at
Colfax and runs two miles south In
the direction Of Sewers, about three
miles south of Metz and continues
due east until 1t strikes an old railroad
grade five miles southwest of Newton.
This grade is followed into Newton.
The probabilities are that within the
year plant will be put in In Des
Moines for the manufacture of cement
FOR building, concreting etc. Tests
Of chalk stone and lime rock deposits
found in the vicinity OF the city are
cow in progress to determine the quail.
ity of cement that can be made from
them. So far the experiments have
been satisfactory, but it is desired to
prosecute them still further before
making any considerable investment.
The deposits from which it is proposed
to make the cement are found along
the river north of the city in large
quantities. The strata outcrops along
che river bluffs and can be mined by
drifting, and at small expense. s. c..
Lee, of the s. c. Lee Lumber company
and the Iowa Brick company, is cred
tied with having discovered the quail
ties of the material. The movement
has been started because of the for.
nation of combine by cement man
ufacturers at other points to shove up
and govern the price of cement. Local
builders, paving contractors and brick
manufacturers are interested in the
project, and have taken the matter up
as measure of self protection to the
industries they have established.
The United States government
contenplates holding a public road
improvement convention in Des
Moines soon and has written to Pres
ident D. B. Lyons of the Commercial
Exchange about it. President Lyons
in reply to the letter to which he re-
ceived at once wrote, inviting a rep
resentative of the national department
interested in this subject to visit Des
Moines and look over the ground be-
fore fixing date 1or the convention,
with a view to securing the active CO.
operation of the effective influences
necessary to the success of the meet
ing. Mr.. Lyons, expects a represen-
tative to come tothe city sometime
during the month in pursuance of his
suggestion. Probably the convention
Will be held in March.
Memorial services in honor of Judge
N. M. Hubbard of Cedar Rapids were
held before the supreme court on the
9th in the presence Of the full bench
and number of attorneys from Cedar
Rapids and other parts Of the Eigh-
teenth judicial district,
The supreme court has rendered a
decision in the telephone case involv.
ing the right to the use of the streets
and alleys of cities without q fran.
chise. The case was that Of Chamber.
lain against the Iowa Telephone com.
pany, appealed from Judge Prouty OF
the Polk county court, which held
against the company's contention.
Now the supreme court in a long opin'
ion decides that the telephone com
pany is right. The suit was to GUST
the company from the streets of Des
Moines because it had no franchise
the old franchise having been allowed
to lapse, but the company answered
by pointing to general law Of the
state which gives telegraph and tele
phone companies a right to occupy
II public highways" Of the state
The court holds that this language re
lates to streets and alleys as well as
rural roads, and If this was not clear