Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-29
ON THE RURAL LINE.

Last Saturday evening we Wisieu "
have talk with our wife at Alta so
we proceeded up to Deden's to talk
thru the phone. After the bells mad
made a lot Of racket we were told to
step UP and put our face into the ma
chine and stop up our one ear with
wooden club that was tied to the
phone with a string. First thing we
heard was a noise like rain falling In
to a tub. We were told that this was
on account Of people taking down
their receivers to hear what we had
to saw. We wondered II 1t would
cost anything to talk to all OF them.
II 1t cost twenty cents to talk to each
one we'd be broke up in business In
less than a minute We wouldn't have
cared il they had stopped to listen, but
1t made us mad to have them butt IN
on us. We were paying to talk ana
we wanted to do the talking.
We said "Hello" and our wife at the
other end OF the line also said Hello.
Everything was working smoothly, we
thought, and W.. commenced to tell
what we had to say. All of sudden
some woman butted In and said: Il
have had such time with my teeth
this week. They ached most the time
and"-1ust then some man broke In and
said, II got 85 for my hogs" Our
wife spoke up and asked us what we
had to do with bad teeth and selling
hogs. It took us quite a while to con-
vince Mrs. Roose that we We're not
talking with any one else's wife about
aching teeth. We commenced to get
little warm under the collar. just then
some baby commenced to holler IN
key that was out of tune SO that we
had a big notion to chime In on the
chorus.
1t wouldn't surprise us ii some peo-
ple sat with the phone dn one hand
while eating their meals so they know
what their neighbor has to talk about.
Probably some of them even take tne
instrument to bed with them. Snoring
ought to sound good thru a phone any
wav. but we'd rather reach the snor-
er with club and you can't do that
over the phone. The phone has 1ts
disadvantages and in a case OF uhls
kind it's disadvantages supercede lls
advantages. When an invenuon i
completed that will show whoever tanks
over the phone then down comes the
buttinskys. Another thing that makes
,phonang a nuisance where the line is
infested with buttinskys is the tac'
that every time a receiver IS taken
down the strain on the line becomes
greater, necessi tating larger amour:
of electricity which In time wears GU
the instrument Then there Is klch
made that the line is getting Dummy
etc. Who is to blame?
SHAW AND THE PRESIDENCY
IGlidden Graphic.l
| 1t must be apparent to even
casual observer that there is a grea
| deal of opposition in Iowa to ths
presidential aspirations OF secre'
tary Shaw. On the face Of the prop
osition this seems rude and unous
and doubtless many of Mr.. Shaw:
friends so regard it. However, TINS
is not the purpose Of those who OPP
nose his ambition along these lines.
All men are not constructed exact,
ly alike physically or mentally. II
fact no two are exactly alike.
most naturally follows that we az
not see questions OF governmental
policies and others from the same
point of view. There are homes
differences of opinion. We do think
the nomination of Shaw would bt
wise policy or wise politics from
partisan point of view because 1t APP
pears to US that herepresents an ex-
treme capitalistic view OF govern
mental problems.
To illustrate the thought we have
in mind let us assume that line Of
railway has been constructed at
cost of FIVE million dollars. AT a
certain fixed rate at tariff on freight
and passenger traffic the earnings
pay current rates of interest on the
investment. In the course OF Time
however. business increases, roiilne
stock is improved, grades are GU
down and the income of the ROAD Is
largely increased while the expenses
or cost Of transportation is material
" reduced. The net result Is an IN
crease in the value of the ROAD
stock. At this point there is olV-