Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-11-21
,LOOKER.ON IN IOWA

Denison, Nov 20-In one of our Iowa
banks the other day the writer learned
something. He had supposed that the
latest preventives against raised drafts
or checks, !. e., the perforating stamp,
cutting out figures of the amount OF a
draft and the stamp tina. plainly prints
mot for over dollars" were
positive and sure checks against the
criminal practices of the professional
draft raiser. And so thought the cash
Ter of the visited bank, when he re-
Gently received circular from some
concern that had an ink TO sell. Their
proposition was for the bank to send
them $50 draft punched and stamped
as usual. and the ink concern would
raise II to $500 and return it. Then II
the bank was convinced that the raised
draft was successfully altered so as to
defy ordinary detection. the bank was
to buy some ink that can not be erased
or scratched out. And the cashier
showed the Looker-On the new $500
draft, and 1t must be confessed that with
glasses on that enable the writer to
easily read the smallest New Tesla
ment type he could not see where and
how the alterations were made. The
banker bought some ink So will the
writer when he starts bank!
Recent in Sioux City the writer met
a manager OF a new store soon to be
opened in that busting town. (Com-
positor, please be careful and not set
this as busted" town. for they have a
very sensitive editor on the Journal)
Said manager inserted "a want ad" in
the daily papers there to the effect that
an all-round man accustomed to duties
required in a department store was
wanted" apply from to IL a. m at
10000 One Hundred and Forty fifth
street" And the first day there were
forty applications for the desirable
place, none of the applicants backing
out when told 1.-The situation" paid the
munificent salary of 50 per week. In
the crowd, nearly all well-dre ssed men,
was an sx-hookkeeper who said he had
received 800 month till Ill health lost
him the Job. There were rich mems
sons, who wanted to learn the business
and salary was no object" A college
graduate WAS WILING " SSSAAl IA a. w
a week. as he could board at home.
There was street car conductor, who
had been in department store in Chi.
cago, had been a hotel clerk, had
worked In a railroad office, and altho
now "broke" still wore patent leather
shoes and an irreproachable pair OF kid
gloves Nearly all offered to produce
good references from former employers.
What about it? Only this. that at that
time there were other lads" in the paper
Offering 81 day for men to work on
public improvements, streets and build
ings. Men were wanted in the harvest
fields at $3.50 to So day and board.
But so seductive are the attractions of
Sioux City that these forty impecuni-
osities were willing to kill time at 80
per week in department store rather
than work at larger prices elsewhere.
We hear and notice much of the taxi
ing off trains on the railroads, dis
charging telegraph operators where II
Is possible to get along without them.
and many other little economies prac-
ticed by the big corporations. And the
public can rest assured these things
are necessary or the railroads would
not try and save" in this way. The
writer was told the other day this story
which shows how closely the manage
ment watches all the departments OF
their business. 1t seems that on the
Sun & Moon Air Line passenger traffic
between Oldtown and Newtown fell off
tremendously. and so an expert from
Chicago came out to inquire into It, AS
he told the writer's informant. ITO see
whether the conductors were Knocking
down or what was the matter" And
this is what he found out: That while
thru traffic was as good as ever. and
the local sale OF tickets between towns
about as usual. the credential ticket
business was way off. In other words.