Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1905-01-05

before the engine could De stopped.
He can not live. He had jus. entered
the employ of the road.
Three g.afters have visited the town
of Little Rock in as many weeks, and
each found victims. A fruit tree man
started the ball rolling, and secured
| the signatures of responsible farmers
| on supposed contracts for over 5000.
| The contracts turned out to be notes.
| A few days after, stock food man
caught unsuspecting agriculturists for
about SIS on the same graft. Still
later, a short change artist swindled
the editor-postmaster out Of $40.
In his address before the State
Teachers association, State Superin.
tendent JonngF Riggs urged strongly
| the consolidation of the district
! schools. He believes this to be the
| only method which will bring the coun-
try schools up to what they should be,
| and he now considers them very poor,
| indeed. He also sees a llme coming
when more taxes will be paid to the
| country schools. He says that only
through consolidation can the high
school be given to the country chill
dren.
Fire at Baskerville a few days ago
destroyed the Coon block and
is estimated at 100000. The Coon
block was one of the finest buildings
in northern Iowa and was erected at
a cost of about $4,000 by Henry
Coon. 1t is well insured. There were
in the building the Bank of Esther.
Iyi1ln ChaI1n
Robinson's grocery and the indicator
printing and binding establishment,
representing a loss of perhaps 100000.
On the upper floors were a large num-
Der of extensively fitted Office suites,
which were ruined.
The house of Lars Peter Christian.
sen, section man for the Illinois Cen.
trail at Cedar Fans, was entered and
the savings of several years, amount.
ing to between $500 and $500 in gold
AMI currency, was taken from a bak-
ing powder can, hidden in the cellar
Christensen was afraid of banks, be-
cause he lost several hundred dollars
in bank failures here several years
ago. He intended to use the funds in
erecting a new home this summer.
This is the third time within nine
weeks that money has been taken
from his home. The theft was evi.
IDENTIFY done by one familiar with the
surroundings.
r. w Butler, an aged citizen Of
Vail was frozen to death three miles
west of Vail. He was returning from
a visit to his son Clarence at Orchard,
tpfn nnnicnn the
Illinois Central. Not being able to
get train out for Vail, the old gen.
tleman started out to walk. A team
going to Vail picked up valise and
took it into town and upon eXamina-
ton it was identified by son Of the
deceased and a searching party was
Immediately formed and the body Of
the old man was found. 1t is sup
posed that he became exhausted and
sat down and was frozen. He leaves
two sons. one at Vail and one at Or.
chard, Neb.
Fire of unknown origin completely
destroyed the building occupied by
the Batavia Mercantile company at
Batavia, a small town east of OF
tumwa The loss will reach about
$4,000. The fire was discovered
about o'clock a. m, and had gained
such Roadway that the small fire de-
partment was unable to stay the
flames. The Batavia Mercantile con-
pany carried general line of mer-
chandise, all of which was destroyed.
The upper part of the building was
occupied by Nelson's Opera house,
and it was also, entirely destroyed.
There was but little insurance on
either the building or the contents.
Because the Iowa tax ferret law has
resulted in his assessment for taxa
ton on nearly half million dollars
of valuation. w. F. Seibold, probably
the wealthiest man in Woodbury. coun-
ty, has shaken its dust from his feet
and gone to Indian Territory. Sci
bold was not known to be very
wealthy until, under the ferret law,
the inquisitors began to develop the
records of his mortgages. 1t then be-
came known that he held not less than
100000 of fine securities in Wood
bury county. Unable to avoid paying
taxes on them, he decided to leave the
state. He declares that II he paid
taxes on the legal valuation 1t would
force him to loan money on a net re-
turn of less than 3 per cent.
Another big implement ware
house will replace that of Fuller 4
Johnson-Shugart, at Council Bluffs,
which was destroyed by fire a few
days ago, at loss of $l25.000 on
building and stock. Stockholders of
the Warehouse, company met and de.
cided to at once begin the construc-
ton of new building. The burned
building was erected only last year at
cost of S42, 900, and was insured for
! $4,000. The implement and buggy
| stock destroyed is estimated to have
| been worth fully $4,000, while the
| insurance on it amounted to S59,750
| as follows: Fuller & Johnson-Shu-
CART company, $4,000: Peru Pillow &
implement company, $4,000; Ameri.
can Radiator company, $4,000; Lilly
White Washer company. $3.50.
A gang of men entered the store
of James Leach, at Creston, and while
| one of them engaged the attention Of
the only clerk in the store at the
| time. the other men succeeded In
! stealing five valuable leather dress.
| ing cases. The theft was not noticed,
and Mr.. Leach was at loss to &C
count for the absence OF the articles
until reports from the employees of the
steel gang came to the effect that
several men had been peddling such
articles and others to them at greatly
/ reduced prices. 1t is supposed that
these men are responsible for the
| dressing cases