Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-08-31
NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL
Des Moines. Auoust q

Senator G.. M. Titus OF Muscatlne
is sending letters to the county audi
tors of Iowa, asking them to preset
to the board of supervisors at their
September meeting a suggestion that
concerted action be taken to innuce
the Legislature to fix county oiicers'
terms at four years instead of two.
1t is the theory Of Senator Titus
that the official ballot next year will
be a blanket unless something is done
to cut down the size of 1t. He does
not undertake. TO agitate in favor Of
a four year term for state officers,
but Of course that will follow eventu-
ally. He does not mention it in his
letter to the county auditors.
The state mine inspectors predict
an increase of SO per cent in the coal
mined in Polk county the current
year. The product In the year end
Ing June 80, 1905, was 1904, 521 tons.
Not less than 100000 tons are ex-
pected to be mined in the coming
year. More than $500 men have been
employed in the Polk county mines
during the last year.. There were ff-
teen fatal accidents during the bien-
NAL period just ended. The total out
put of coal during that period was
2,070,693 in this county which is an
average of 13S,046 tons to each per-
son fatally injured. The average Is
very low. Nearly all Of the mines
nov under construction, said Mine
Inspector Sweeney of this district, are
going to be large producers. A ma
iority of them will have railroad ia
cilities. Some of these mines have had
to be sunk 275 feet to get to coal
measures of advantageous thickness
and conditions. 1t has take en- an enor-
nous sum Of money to develop them.
James c. Savery, one of Des Moines'
most notable pioneers, is dead. News
of his death was received in a tele-
gram from Mrs. Slavery to w. l..
Brown of the Chamberlain hotel.
Death came suddenly on the 21st, Of
heart failure, while Mr.. Slavery was
in his summer home at Cable, Mont,
where he was actively looking after
his mining interests.
The statehouse is cleared of scat
folds. After three months wandering
amidst the timbers that supported
the platforms on which eastern pain
tiers did the $50, 900 worth of decora-
ton, in pursuance of the contract
with Elmer e. Garnsey, state house
attaches and visitors to that public
temple breathed a sigh of relief as
they stood at one end of the main
corridor and viewed with unobstruct-
ed vision the whole of the imposing
interior. OF the general pleasing et-
feet of the decorations there is no
question. They have been judged
by critics to be worthy of the build
ing. But they are not complete in de-
tail, as yet, though the staging has
been removed altogether. The walls
of the corridor were in bad shape.
Some regret has been expressed that
the plaster was not removed and a
new coat planted SO that the decor
atoms might ppear to better advan-
tage. To the observer who stands in
the rotunda and views the walls Of
the north and south corridors at an
angle the imperfections of the walls
are quite apparent, giving the rich
and lively red an unfortunately ragged
appearance. The work on the main
dome Isl progressing rapidly, now.
The topmost ball has been guided. 1t
will take several weeks to finish this
and other details of the interior.
The suggestion recently made by
City Physician Miller of Des Moines
that legislation be enacted requiring
carbolic acid to be sold only under a
physicians prescription, and under
the signature of the purchaser, has
met with general favor among the
physicians of Des Moines, the great
number of attempts at suicide, deaths
and accidents resulting from the care
less handling of the poison making
some stringent measures almost a ne
cessity. Following his suggestion have
come others looking towards the same
end, although different methods OF
abating the evil have been proposed.
One of these which has received fay-
orable comment is the suggestion of
the New York system which allows
only 5 per cent solutions of the acid
to be sold to any one under any con-
ditions, except to registered physi.
clans. During the last month no less
than thirteen tragedies of all degrees
of seriousness have been due to the
unrestrained sale and subsequent
careless handling of carboiic acid and
other dangerous poisons in Des Moines
alone. Four deaths, all from carbolic
acid poisoning, have been reported,
and in addition to these there were
six unsuccessful attempts to commit
suicide, and no less than three serious
injuries resulting from the careless
handling of the acid. OF the thirteen
cases which have occurred recently,
two were attempts to commit suicide
with laudanum, and one with per-
manganate of potash.
Never before in the history OF the
Iowa state fair have the entries i n'the
speed classes been of as high class
as for this fair. There are three or
more events each day on the pro
gramme and with fair weather and
track the racing will be as good as
ever witnessed at any fair aver given
in the state. Many Of the best
horses in the middle west, as well
as the south, have been named and
will start. The two new classes-the
free for all pace and the 2:22 trot-
which were closed on Monday last,
received a goodly list of nominations
and some well known horses have
been named, especially in the former.
Occasionally a man gets rid of a
bad habit by swapping it for a worse
n e