Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-07-02
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines. June 27. 1eo,


find parallel in fight against the
dice rollers. Following up the policy
to speak softly but carry big stick,
Justice Iris. who started things with
the machines, has given a gentle ad.
monition to one or two cigar men
that gambling with dice would not be
tolerated as a substitute for the
abolished machines. 81 am not an
angel among cigar men. l smoke and
use tobacco myself" said the justice
to one of the dealers who had come
to his Office to protest against the
edict laid down, but will not have
gambling going on where | can help
it." The fight against the slot ma
chimes was one which started in just
such a manner. Justice Iris called
the attention of few to the objection
OF their use, then he notified all of
them and finally caused their sup
preston by conyicting one man and
fining him $50.
F. w. Cherry has confirmed the
published statement that the Rock
Island has secured the Des Moines &
Southern railway property, for
which it paid $4,000. He further
states that the requirement of the
property by the Rock Island voids
the taxes which were voted between
Winterset and Greenfield These
amounted to between $4,000 and
100000. Half of them have already
been collected. Under the law, the
taxes voted for the construction of a
railroad cannot be turned over to the
promoters, after they have been col
lected by the county treasurer, until
after the road has been built, Il ex-
pect to get some of the Rock Island
officials here in a few days" said Mr..
Cherry, "and together we will 90 to
Winterset and Greenfield and form
ally release the taxes which already
have been collected, so that they
may be turned back to the property
owners. The Rock Island has given
assurances that it will make no eff
fort whatever to retain or collect the
additional taxes. The fact OF the mat
ter is that when the property passed
into the hands of the Rock Island,
that very transaction voided the
taxes. The law provides that when
the promoter or an officer of a new
railroad makes any statement to i'm
duce voters at the polls to vote a tax.
and that statement proves false, the
tax is voided and cannot be collected.
Personally, went to the polls on the
new route and told the people far
and near that the property would
never pass into the hands of the
Rock Island" The Rock Island will
make a new survey. 1t will not fol-
low the route laid out by Mr.. Cherry
and his engineers. Ii will build
much further south. This is for the
purpose of getting the road as far
from its main line as possible.
The report from Polk county to the
executive council. showing the as
sessed values and the selling values
of farm property that changed hands
in the last half of 1902, has reached
the Office of Secretary Dawson. There
were not large number of transfers.
but the report shows the farm prop
erty In the county is assessed at a
pretty good figure. The sale values
are 80 per cent of the assessment
II is likely this showing will have con-
siderable weight with the council
when 1t comes to sit as state board
of review and equalize the assessment
on town lots and 1t is not improbable
ment on these. Mr.. Dawson has re.
ceived reports from about seventy
counties.
E. c. Musgrave, secretary OF the
Midland Chautauqua. states that
judging from the number of tickets
sold and from the number of inquir-
les received from out of town parties
who expect to camp on the grounds,
the coming meeting will be the most
successful ever held. The attract
ions are superior In every respect,
and it is expected that 10000 will be
in attendance on Music day. Every
day is to be big one. Reduced rates
have been granted by all railroads,
and the out of town attendance will
undoubtedly be large.
A corps of eleven engineers are sur
yeying route for new line for the
Burlington from Tracy, where the
proposed line from Oskaloosa will
connect with the Abba branch. The
new route will follow along the high
ridge from Tracy to Charlton and thus
avoid expensive construction like the
old gradients at Abba and Russell.
the latter only eight miles east OF
Charlton. The new line will 10; APP
proach nearer than ten miles to the
main line until nearing Charlton
Polk county has appealed from tho
decision of Judge McHenry that the
county treasurer John Mckay, and
the tax ferrets cannot coll9ct the
taxes against the telephone company
for 1897. which was a time prior to
the adoption of the present code. The
decision of the Judge applied TO
number of insurance companies as
well as the telephone company, and
the reason for his decision was that
previous to the adoption of the code
taxes were paid to the state treasurer
and the county could not collect. It
II a decision of considerable import
ance.
Work on the survey of the Council
Bluffs-Des Moines interurban line has
begun. Two gangs have started from
this city. 1t is proposed to survey
two lines near Des Moines, one for the
freight service to connect with the
belt line and the other for the passen-
ger service TO connect with the Col
fax line.
The doctors wife went to the door.
She and the woman next door were
not on friendly terms, but the tramp
didn't know that DE lady next door,"
ne said, give me a piece of her home
made pie an fought" I'm sor-
ry," interrupted the doctors wife,
"but the doctor isn't at home just
now However. there is a physician
in the next block, and II you hurry he
n. IL. ~. 1ri,..n nan ,.nlinf hnfnnc.