Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-06-14
MOWRY STANDS PAT
FIFTH DISTRICT CANDIDATE FOR
COMMISSIONER WILL NOT
WITHDRAW,
Voting Machines are In Favor In D.s
Moines and May Soon be Used All
Over lcWa--Bis Map of'lowa is Ship.
ped to the Worlds Fair.
[BY LEON BROWN
Des Moines Bureau of the Courier.

[BY LEON BROWN
Des Moines Bureau Of the Courier.
Des Moines, June 13,
There are constant rumors that Col,
Mowry of the fifth district will with
draw from the race of railroad COM
missioner before the state convention
lis held. Mr.. Mowry's friends deny
this and he was at work at the G. A.
R. encampment at Mason City, this
year, as was also his opponent N. S.
Ketchum. While at Mason City, Col.
| Mowry received word of the death of
his son-in-law and was forced to leave
when the meeting was half over. His
opponent had just arrived on the
ground
The other candidates for commits
sioner do not want Mr.. Mowry to
withdraw. 1t is pretty well understood
among the politicians that Ketchum
has the lead in the race, but if his
district can be divided one of his OPP
ponents might stand better show.
Hence the opposing candidates are
urging and encouraging him to re-
main in the race.
1t is said that Mr.. Ketchum has two
flfths of his district pledged to him
self, solidly. He has Linn and his
own, Marshall county, instructed and
/ 1t is said that he will be able to split
even with Mowry on the other count
| les.
Voting Machine In Favor.
When Mr.. Ketchum was here few
days ago he inspected the voting
machine which has been offered to the
authorities of Polk county and the
city of Des Moines and whose purch-
ase has been considered. He is much
impressed with the idea Of the
machine. When he axarained it he
i was accompanied by Banker Allen, of
4 Pocahontas, who also was IMPRESSED
with the simplicity and plain as,
surance against fraud which the
machine demonstrated to them on
their first inspection of it.
May Be Widely Adopted.
i Two machines have been in exhibit
ton here during the past three or
four weeks. The city has contracted
to buy sixteen and the county thirty
six of one of these. They will be
installed ready for voting next fall
There will be one machine for each
OF the precincts of the city and county
as we'll. 1t is expected by the local
authorities that the result will be that
other communities In the state will
buy at once, or that the Legislature
will pass a law which will make II
compulsory upon counties to install
voting machines, as has been done ir
New York. Local politicians believe
that they will supplant the tissue bal
lot and other election matters in thi.
: locality which formerly have dis
tinguished capital city politics.
Big Map of Iowa.
The magnificent map made in Dav
export which will be exhibited at the
st. Louis exposition as best designed
to give an adequate idea Of the extern
of the domain Of Iowa, was exhibited
at the state house Saturday and ship
Iped to st. Louis that night under the
5 direction Of the executive council
where 1t will be hung in the Iowa
building to instruct and entertain al
!. visitors.
The map covered all of one side o
!. one of the rooms of the governor ant
! before 1t was sent forward was view
| ed by all of the attaches of the capita
Cilu lllGt oLdIc IL was lhuSi
D admired. 1t is so large that 1t is Xix,
r taking birds eye view of the state
5 The points of interest in Iowa ar,
well defined on the map.
An appropriation for this exhibi
was engineered at the legislature las
winter 1t is understood under the ad
= vice of the executive council. Probat
ly afterwards the map will be secures
e.. <>e4 I, o@c,, - ,{ot
or for the state historical building. /
: will be of greater value every veal
: Incidentally, 1t illustrates the eyten
' to which the art of map making IA
i been followed In this state.
No File of Official Registers.
!, It is interesting to know that tn
y secretary of state has not complet
: file of the official registers of tn
state This is rather remarkabl
thing in view of the fact that the
are issued from that Office. But som
lof the early copies are missing.
4 The early volumes are almost in
possible to obtain. Probably Their
are hundreds of them in the librarie
). of lawyers and public officers throug
4 the state, but they are inaccessible
q practically.
I There are only one or two full set
!. in the state house The library ha
q set and the treasurer of state, alst
y This was gathered by years of har
: work by James Wilson, when he wa
a member Of the state treasury d.
partment force He has been tryin
to do the same service for the Office {
the secretary Of state, but has bee
!. unable to do so.
First Register Was Unofficial.
The first official" register was Ill
!. official, being issued by young lawye
i in Des Moines. ]. A. T. Hull, the
j. secretary of state, saw that it was> a
excellent idea and he issued the fir!
g one in 1882. In, 1886 their regular al
nual publication was undertaken.
. las been continued steadily since an
the book is of immense value to ever
man who has to do with public a
fairs If would we'll he made ta,