Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-03-05

railroad companies are giving to the
opposition. One exposure after anoth-
er follows, having reference to the use
of railroad passes by LaFollette office
holders, and recently copy of tele
gram was printed in which Governor
LaFollette asked the Burlington road
to appoint Mr.. Cheynoweth as it's at
torney for Wisconsin. This was early
in his term as governor. Withal the
campaign may be said to be warming
up and there will be things doing be-
fore the meeting Of the state conven-
ton. The stalwarts have for years en-
deavored to get the railway companies
anti-LaFollette material they had, but
only recently have they consented.
Cold Weather Birds.
These long cold weeks are hard on
animal life Anyone who thinks life
is one sweet song to the birds of the
air and the beasts of the field does
not know nature. It is a struggle,
constant tragedy. This was also true
of the Indian in his native days, as
anyone can see by reading the reports
of the missionaries, 200 AID 300 years
ago. But speaking Of birds, the ducks
of Milwaukee are having 1t easier
thanks to kind hearts. Mrs Ingar Oh
son, wife of Captain Olson, who is in
charge of the life saving station, has
found way to circumvent the greedy
gulls that have been driving the ducks
away from their food in the harbor at
Jones island The ducks are almost
exhausted from lack Of food, caused
by the freezing of the lakes. When
grain was thrown upon the ice the
gulls at once swOOped down upon it,
and the ducks had little chance at
the feast Then Mrs. Olson threw
some of the grain into a patch of open
water, where it sank to the bottom.
This baffied the gulls, but the ducks
dived for it. Boys and men have
killed many of them with stones and
clubs.
Traction Companies of the State.
The street railway companies of the
state make a report to the state treas
urer every year. The Madison COM
pany has about nine miles Of track and
it's receipts were S92,975, with dis
bursements of $S6,6S2, of which $S,2S3
was for construction. Thus the nickels
coming in every day aggregate in the
neighborhood of $500 per day, and s.
200 people take a ride-a large part
of the population. Surely many
nickel made nickel. ShebOygan is
city of nearly as much population, yet
the income of the company, including
light and power, was not nearly as
much. 1t is no easy task to finance
these lighting and traction companies
in the early years in the smaller cities.
The reports show that disbursements
in number of cases exceed the re-
ceipts, showing that stockholders are
putting up their good money in the
hopes that some day the plant will
prove a revenue producer. 1t is fact
that many of these so-called quasi-pub
lie enterprises are begun with courage
self-sacrifice and risk: they usually
lose great deal of money in the early
years and these things would not be
forgotten i'll the days of their prospect.
ty. I believe in municipal ownership.
and do not forget that there is usual
ly good deal of water pumped into
these companies when it is time to
begin to earn and to let the public
"in''; nor is to be forgotten that the
laws pretty we'll protect these monop
olies, even if the public get angry and
wish to reduce the rates or start
rival plant or buy them out. BY the
way, the Illinois Central Railway COM
pany did not earn as much in WiscOn-
sin last year as it did the preceding
year. 1t has 91.31 miles of road in
Wisconsin. The earnings last year
were S1O6.9O7 So against $1O7,49615
the year before AS it's earnings do
not amount to $500 a mile, its state
tax is only S. mile. or $456.55 alto
gether.
Wood to Burn, but Alas!
Why would it not be feasible to
| bring the fuel which is worth nothing
in northern Wisconsin to the southern
cities of the state where it is costly?
; 1t can be had for the cutting, for in
|