davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Iowa Editor Dead.

Byron Webster, former editor of the
Marshalltown Statesman, is dead He
was the first editor to suggest the
name of Grover Cleveland for the
presidency upon the election of Mr..
Cleveland as governor of New York
In 1884. Mr.. Webster was prominent
In state and national politics for many
years. and upon Cleveland's election
was rewarded with the appointment
of internal revenue collector for the
Third Iowa district, which he held till
1889. Webster was the first man to
name and urge the candidacy of
Horace Boies for governor, and helped
draft the platform on which he was
elected. One of his greatest achieve
ments was as district chairman in the
election of Ben T. Frederick, congress
man of the Fifth district, in 1882, over
"Tama Jim" Wilson, now United
States secretary of agriculture. The
district but two years before went
1000 Republican. Webster reelected
Frederick in 1884 over Milo P. Smith.
He was also prominent in the Masonic
fraternity, member of the city coun-
Gil four years, until the spring of 1905.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
MUST SHOOT LIKE IN BATTLE.
Orders Issued to Regulars Changing
Target Practice.

Washington.-In practice firing of
soldiers with the rife or pistol in the
future the war department will insist
that it be under conditions similar to
those which obtain in battle. 1t will
not do for the men to do the firing
from sheds or shelters, but it shall be
conducted "in the open" and with the
weapons with which each arm of the
service is regularly equipped.
Infantry and artillery, except field
batteries, are required to practice
with the rifle, cavalry with rifle and
pistol, and field artillery with the pis-
toll
In general orders issued by the war
department it is declared the object
of all instructions, of which range fir
ing merely forms one of the final
steps. is to increase the soldiers &C
! curacy of fire with the small arm as
he will take it into action. 1t is there
fore held to be requisite that his prac-
tice should be conducted with the rifle
or pistol exactly as it is supplied by
the department having charge of the
fabrication of arms, except that the
sights may be blackened if desired.
Temporary shades for the sights, de-
tachable spirit levels, and other de-
vices, which in the field would prac-
tically never be applied to the rifle
or used in aiming, will not be used in
practice
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
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20 cents per gallon to 45 and 40, which
facts prove beyond all question that
their opposition to the original de-
natured alcohol bill at the last session
was blu6f-merely that and nothing
more.
1t will be remembered that when
jim Mckenzie of Kentucky had qui-
nine placed on the free list. thereby
earning the sobriquet of "Quinine
JIM" it was opposed on the ground
that it would put American manufac-
turers of quinine out of business. In
stead of that, however, there is ten
times as much quinine manufactured
in America now as when there was an
eXorbitant tariff on it, and all of it is
furnished to the consumer at about
one-tenth of the price at which it sold
before Mckenzie got in his work.
Folks suffering from chills will pro-
nounce "Quinine JIM blessed. Per-
haps the consumers of denatured alco-
hol may sometimes think kindly of us
who have made it possible for them
to have an abundance of cheaper and
better light and fuel and who pulled
the fangs of the wood alcohol trust
and beat the Standard Oil in at least
one fight. Even if they forget US we
will all our days bear with us the
pleasing consciousness of having fought
a good fight.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Continues Crime Career.

Five years in Minnesota penitenti-
airy at Saltwater has apparently had
no reformatory effect on r. w. Kniss,
formerly of Lyon county, Iowa. The
Sioux City police are looking for Kniss
for forgery, and he has been out of
prison but a few weeks. His nerve
seems to be unimpaired, for he re-
turned to Sioux City to indulge his
propensities for crime, notwithstand-
ing that several years ago he swindled
several of his old acquaintance out
of total of several hundred dollars.
He has changed his system slightly.
now he draws checks payable to him
self, and FORCES the name of some one
with funds in the bank. His latest
victim is M. c. Beaver, cashier of the
Cudahy Packing company, who has
complained to the police.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Mr.. Lamar,s Bill.

Representative William Bailey La
mar of Florida has ideas touching the
public veal which he is by no means
mealy mouthed about expressing. He
was attorney general of his state
long time, and his experience in that
office caused him to study much con-
corning the proper treatment of public
service corporations, and he has re-
peatedly stated his views OH that sub
ject in most trenchant English on the
floor of the house. The conduct of MI.
Justice Swayne of the Florida district
court caused General Lamar to intro
duce articles of impeachment against
Swayne into the house, and he was
tried upon them in the senate and ac-
quilted, though many senators voted
Tor conviction. Lamar's speeches in
the house against Swayne were as Wig
orous as any heard within those his
toric walls for years.
Recently he has introduced Joint
resolution providing for the election of
I federal Judges and postmasters by the
people-that is, the country is to be
divided into nine districts to elect nine
justices of the supreme court, who
shall elect chief justice, etc.
Some high and mighty corporation
ridden metropolitan papers refer to it
as Lamar's freak resolution" which
will probably cause thousands of what
Lincoln called 1.-THE plain people, and
what Bryan denominates "the common
na0n0oS fN {1,o yp1..
who poster their heads about such
things will remember that one Of
Thomas Jefferson's criticisms Of the
federal constitution was on the life
tenure Of federal judges, criticism
Which experience proves to have been
grounded in wisdom. So that in his
resolution touching federal judges Cen
eral Lamar finds himself in the excel
lent company Of the great founder of
Democracy. So far as the election of
postmasters goes, there is no earthly
reason against it except habit and love
Of power.
In passing it may be apropos to state
that General Lamar is a close kins-
man to the late Justice Lamar of the
supreme court of the United States,
who before going on the bench was a
representative and senator in congress
and secretary of the interior. He was
universally conceded to be one of the
ablest and most brilliant men of his
time-scholar, orator, philosopher.
With his fine figure, youthful face
and abundant hair, prematurely white,
General Lamar is one of the most at
tractive figures in the house, no doubt
destined for a long and eminent career
on the national stage
Being resolute man, he will press
his resolution for all it is worth He
may fail to secure it's passage, but the
chances are that he will expose many
abuses pertaining to our judiciary and
postal systems.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
SAVES HIS TWO COMPANIONS.
Volunteer Fireman Performs Brave
Act at Scranton,

In the face of death, Everett Butler,
a volunteer fireman, made three as
CENTS of an ice-incrusted ladder, ITO
feet to the top of the city water tower
at Scranton, Ia, and successfully res.
cucd two companions who had been
sent to the top to fight fire and
whose escape had been cut off. The
thrilling rescue was witnessed by hun
dreds of people, vino wept and sobbed
landing his companions safely upon
the ground. Ten minutes after But
Ter had decended the ladder for the
third time the tower fell to the ground,
the fire having eaten away it's sup
ports. The fire, which is supposed to
have originated from bonfire started
by an engineerr to keep the tank from
freezing, was discovered by Mayor
Quinn. When the volunteer depart
ment arrived it was found that the
water pressure was not sufficiently
strong to reach the blaze and it was
decided to send men to the top to
fight the flames from better point
of vantage. Butler, Charles Goodyear
and Vernon Dyer assembled the ladder.
dragging after them by rope line
of hose. Goodyear and Dyer remained
at the top of the tower, while Butler
decended to turn on the water The
thermometer stood at zero and there
was a sharp northwest wind The
/ men at the top of the tower soon be-
came benumbed and shouted for help,
they being unable to make the de-
scent. Butler assembled the ladder,
| but found that he could not rescue
| his comrades without rope. He
:. shouted to some OF the spectators to
! bring up rope, but none had sufi-
cient nerve to make the perilous as
cent. Butler decended, secured the
rope and started up the icy ladder.
Meanwhile the fire had eaten it's way
to the platform where the two men
stood and they were enveloped in
smoke and almost completely en-
shrouded in flame, being compelled to
creep to the farthermost corner of the
platform in order to avoid being
burned to death. Butler toiled up the
ladder with the rope, fought his way
| through the fire and smoke and fast
ened the rope about the waist of Good
year. He slowly lowered him to the
ground, where the rope was Embossed
and again drawn up. Next Dyer was
lowered in safety, and then Butler
himself decended
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Denatured Alcohol.

Alcohol has been making men drunk
so long that most people think that
that is its only function, when, as a
matter of fact, it can be made one of
the greatest industrial instruments
known among men. For purposes Of
lighting, heating and driving machin-
cry it has no competitor except cleo
tricity, and there is no way to repro
duce the coal consumed in generating
electricity, while there is no end prac-
tically to the quantity of alcohol that
can be made and used industrially
This is the only civilized country under
the sun which has not for years been
using alcohol for the purposes above
mentioned. We have walked up at last
on the subject, and, overriding the op-
position of the wood alcohol and coal
Oil trusts, congress at the last session
passed law which will enable the
American people to catch up with the
procession. BY trip to Europe for
purposes of investigation Judge John
w. Yerkes, internal revenue commits
sioner, and Hon. Ebenezer Hill, repre-
sentative from Connecticut, one Of the
most industrious men living, discovered
several ways in which the original bill
could be improved, and they have en-
bodied their ideas in new bill which
will probably pass the house before
this letter is in print, because they
made their views so plain to the COM
mittee on ways and means that there
will be no opposition to it on the floor
Of the house, every feature of the new
bill making 1t easier for farmers to
make denatured alcohol.
The ordinary alcohol of commerce
must in this country be denatured for
two reasohs-frst, because the govern
ment raises a quarter billion dollars
per annum by the internal revenue tax
on alcohol, not one dollar of which the
government officials think can be
spared; second, because denatured al
cohol cannot be used as beverage
being deadly poison, and congress was
unwilling to increase drunkenness by
making it easier to procure intoxicants
An amusing feature of the situation
is this: When at the last session the
bill was considered the representatives
of the wood alcohol trust made long
learned and tear compelling arguments
that is, they would have been tear
compelling if anybody had believed
them-to show that the denatured al.
cohol bill would utterly destroy the
wood alcohol industry. Nobody with
two ideas above a Hottentot believed
any such stuff, because wood alcohol
is simply byproduct of charcoal burn
ing, SO they were laughed out of court
so to speak.
! Here's the sequel: Instead of destroy
ing the wood alcohol industry, new
furnaces have been started in which Il
/. burn charcoal, .tlloreby making more
wood alcohol and more acetate bf lime
the two byproducts Of charcoal making
! Not only that, but denatured alcohp
having been on the market since the
first Of the year at about 33 cents pei
gallon the wood alcohol trust reduced
, the prize e yvpca cleo Ua gEya e ems
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Traffic in Girls.

Working on the theory that there is
gigantic traffic in French girls in
this county, M. F. Mcguire. a special
officer of the United States bureau of
immigration, has arrived in Sioux
City, to investigate reports of strong
branch of the enterprise there. He
has already taken from the resort of
L1selle Denuce beautiful girl, aged
twenty, known as Marie Louise. The
latter has been placed in the Home
of the Good Shepherd Inspector Ma
guire has received from the girl valu-
able information which he refuses to
divulge concerning the methods en-
ployed in this slave traffic in French
girls. She came from st. Louis.
Smuggling is part of the graft and
several French women at Sioux City
are under suspicion of smuggling dia-
mcnds and silks there by way Of the
Canadian border.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Women Vote to Get Library.

In spite of the opposition of the
bankers and other heavy taxpayers,
the citizens of Humboldt, by a sub
stantial majority, voted to accept the
offer of Andrew Carnegie to give $780,
900 for library building on condition
that the town raise $1,000 annually
for its support. The campaign in
favor of the library was of whirlwind
character, sweeping the opposition
aside. For the first time in the his
tory of the county, women had a
chance to vote under the state law,
which gives them the right of fran.
chise upon questions of this kind.
They entered enthusiastically into the
fight, came early to the polls and vot-
ed almost unanimously in favor Of
accepting the offer.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Cab is pynamited.

Deep mystery surrounds an explo.
sion which took place in the cab of a
locomotive waiting to be coupled to
an Illinois Central passenger train at
Waterloo and the police are inclined
to believe that the explosion was
caused by nitroglycerin or dynamite
which had been placed in the cab by
an enemy of some of the trainmen.
Fireman A. r. Troutman was alone in
the cab at the time the explosion oc-
Cured, and he was blown backward
into the coal bin, being considerably
stunned and otherwise injured. The
cab was badly shattered and set on
fire but the fire was quickly eXtin-
guished.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
A Courageous Arkansan.

1t is said that all the world loves
lover. 1t might also be truly said that
rybody admires man Of courage.
Such q one is Joseph Taylor Robinson,
representative from Arkansas He is
a handsome, bright young man, only
thirty-fiye years old. He has q fine
future unless all signs fail He does
not speak often, but when he takes the
floor he challenges the attention of
both house and galleries by the ear
nestness and evident sincerity Of his
remarks. When the bill to prevent
corporations from contributing to cam
paign funds was being discussed, he
made splendid speech, from which I
make the following extracts, which I
am sure will interest my readers:
l would like to see this bill amended,
II II were possible, so as to become retro
active and provide that both political par
ties should make an accounting to the
people of the United States for the money
which has been diverted and misappro-
priated during the last national campaign.
would like to see my friends of the
other side of this chamber come squarely
up to the rack and say to the people OF
the United States that during the last
presidential campaign they took several
hundred thousand dollars from the wild.
ows and orphans of this country whose
ancestors had contributed in the way OF
premiums to insurance companies and
misused them in illegitimate political ex.
penditure and that they are now willing
to come up to the altar of repentance ant
not only do right in the future, but dc
right by paying back what has been taker
from them wrongfully in the past.
Mr.. Speaker, 1t is an undisputed fact
today that some of the great corporations
Of this country. in order to corrupt the
celebrates of this republic, took from
their treasures in the last national cam.
paign many thousands Of dollars 1t is q
fact that the money had been contributed
by men who had desired to provide q
means Of support and maintenance tic
their widows and orphans when Their
strong arms had been paralyzed by the
power of death. It is fact. Mr.. Speaker
ihSst evidence has disclosed indisputably
to the satisfact;s- of this body that the
msney was impr6psrG Ssts.Ssa ana Inn
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Man Lynched Leaves Will.

The filing of will left by James
Cullen, who was lynched by mob at
Charles City after having murdered
his wife and son, created some sur
prise, as it was not known that the
deceased had left will. The will
was filed by Mrs. Maude e. Hutchin-
son of OLA Mich, a daughter of Cullen
by former marriage, who arrived at
Charles City to look after her fathers
estate. Martin Wilbur was appointed
special administrator of the estate,
which is estimated at $4,000, and the
bulk of which is left to his daughter.
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
THE RAINY DAY"

In everybody's life the pro-
verbal rainy day" is pretty
sure to come, sooner or later.
Fortunate indeed is the
person who, when it arrives,
is prepared for it.
The way for persons of
moderate means to guard
against the needs of. the
"rainy day." is to inaugrrate
now a systematic plan of
saving. Most persons who
are improvident do not mean
to be so. They either do not
understand the Importance
of small economies or they
have neglected to save
because they have never tried
practical system.
Building up a Savings
Account in bank is the
greatest incentive to system
attic saving.
And when you save a little
as you go, you are ever pre-
/ pairing for the demands of
that future "rainy day.
Start a Savings Account
TODAY in the
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
Coal Under a School.

A seam of coal has been found under
portion Of the Kirkby-in-Ashtield
East Council school, Nottingham, Eng
yapd, and it has been decided by the
Eotts educational committees, subject
to the approval of the board Of edu-
cation, to sell this to the Butterley
rolliery for ee5.. The liability for any
settlement of the buildings in conse-
nuence Of the taking Of the coal will
Il IL stAted, liz with tho gunlAnH
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08

FHN1E Democrats in congress are
D beginning to sit up and take no
"a tice. Already Hon. Robert L.
Henry Of Texas has notified
all concerned that he will not be
candidate for reelection as chairman
of the Democratic house caucus, though
the election in the regular course of
events will not occur till next Deem
per. He has made a most excellent
presiding officer, graceful, courteous,
hrm, fair and prompt. Had he desired
the position for another term the
chances are that he would have met
with no opposition whatever. He is
recognized as one of the ablest lawyers
and one Of the best Democrats in con-
gress.
On dit that he will be succeeded by
his bosom crony, Hon. Henry D. Clay
ton of Alabama, also one of the ablest
lawyers and enc of the best Democrats
in congress. No doubt he will make a
tiptop chairman of the caucus, much
more important position than mostpeo
pie suppose. At the next session there
will in all human probability be much
Of politicalwork and talk Some people
may hold up their hands in holy horror
at this statement, but it Is true never
theless, and the politics will be both
general and personal. What's more
both parties will play the fascinating
game for all it is worth; hence the
Craftsmanship Of the caucus will be of
prime importance. An incompetent
chairman can do much to muddle
things, whereas a competent one can
accomplish much in the way of har-
mony and wise action. AS brother
Clayton has had large experience in
both law and politics, as we'll as in
legislation, he ought to make an ideal
chairman.
The friendship between these two
splendid young Democrats is one of the
closest in the annals Of congress, rival
ing that of David and Jonathan or that
of Damon and Pythias. 1t may well be
| doubted whether the three Washburn
brothers who sat in the same congress
| for Maine. Illinois and Wisconsin were
! really fonder of each other than Bob
Henry and Henry Clayton. They are
both on the judiciary committee, one
of the most important in the house.
They fight in pairs and are inseparable
companions. To use an old smile,
''they are as thick with each other as
the Siamese twins" To use another
expression which some folks will I'M
derstand, "they are good pair to
draw to-" They are not only well
equipped mentally, but are well set up
physically, being tall, strapping, big
men Of commanding presence. Both
have served continuously in the house
since the beginning Of the Fifty fifth
congress, and both have been elected
to the Sfxtieth, so that while still in
their prime they are what Colonel
Charles Fremont Cochran Of ST. Jo-
seph, Mo-, was wont to denominate
'old and experienced members"
Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-02-08
copiey is Exonerated.

After only a few minutes of DELHI
GRAFTON a coroner's jury in the case Of
William G. Copley, who was held by
the police of Washington. d. c., in con.
nection with the death of his wife and
infant child, which occurred from pis-
toll ehot wounds, rendered verdict
generating him from any blame.
This leaves the official version of the
affair to be that Mrs. Copley killed
her child and herself. The Copleys
formerly lived in Walnut, la.