Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-12-15
DESCRIBES OF WIFE AND FAMILY.
One-HaH o. the Paupers of Iowa Become State
or County Charges Because of This Crime
Use of Public Funds-Other Notes.
Especial Correspondence

lie pace WneTe they are to be stored,
thus saving much time and labor. Rules
have been adopted by the executive
council regarding the keys to the capt.
toll and the offices therein. There hay
ing been no regulations governing the
possession of keys, hundreds were mis-
placed or lost. But henceforth anyone
entitled to an outer key to the capitol
will be obliged to deposit the sum Of one
dollar. The keys to the inner oh3ces
Will be given out upon request Of the
heads OF departments. who will be held
responsible in the sum OF one dollar
for their return.
Won First Prize.
]. E. Campbell won first prize in the
corn exhibit contest recently held at
Ames.. The contest was open to the
farmers Of Story county, and resulted
In the collection of samples Of unusually
good quality for this year. Will Rooms
was given second place In the contest.
The winning corn was later sold at auc-
ton. The first prize sample Of 100 ears
bringing $40, while the second prize
sample sold for half as much. Both
samples of premium corn will be en-
tered in contests for premiums and
trophies offered by the Iowa Corn Grow
ers' association at short course in corn
judging this winter at the college at
Ames.
Oratorical Contest.
The ninth annual oratorical contest
of the Interstate League of the Normal
Schools Of Illinois, Wisconsin, Kansas,
Missouri and Iowa will be held at Cedar
Falls May 6, 1904. The names of the
contestants and titles of the orations
will be announced February first. Tho
first prize in the oratorical contest will
be $50 and medal, the second, $50 and
a medal The third annual field meet
between the track teams of the five con-
testing states will occur on the day
preceding the oratorical contest. The
winner in the athletic field receives no
prize. The order upon the programme
is as follows: Iowa, Wisconsin, Mis-
souri,, Kansas, Illinois.
Not Satisfied.
Many of the fire insurance companies
Of Iowa are by no means satisfied with
the business done by them during the
last IL months. The severe electrical
storms during the summer coupled with
the heavy windstorms of May and June
resulted in unusually heavy losses, and
further, the amount of business written
did not equal the expectations of the
companies. With few exceptions all the
insurance on live stock in the state is
held by the Iowa lightning and fire in
surance companies. They state that in
many instances the animals crowd into
fence corners, where one bolt of light
ming can destroy them in large num-
bers, the wires of the fence acting as
conductors. AS means of guarding
against these heavy losses it is proposed
by the companies that the farmers shall
attach wire to the whole fence every
few rods and run it into the ground, thus
grounding" the electrical current. The
expense of this precautionary measure
would be slight, while the process is not
difficult.
The Lumber Industry.
A subject for interesting study is that
of the lumber industry Of Iowa. 1t ia
shown that in 1880 there were 2.312,65
acres of natural timber In the state.
while the number Of acres of planted
timber was 65.549. The following items
appear as to the amount of capital In.
vested and value of nroducts.