Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-05-18
! LOOKER.ON IN IOWA
Observation-Disclosures

Il Nevada, May 1S.-Editor Payne OF
the Representative Is once more hap
py. He is again leading forlorn
hope. He is nursing the Fairbanks
boomlet with all the strength that is
in him. Fairbanks is to be the chosen
one because "he made fine impress
sion before the politicians at Des
Moines," and also impressed the stu
dents and others at Ames as a fine
man. That's all. Payne doesn't claim
in any Of his editorials that Fairbanks
has done anything to entitle him to a
nomination. Payne hasn't anything
against Taft, Foraker, Hughes, (would
that Cummins' name could be added
thereto) or other prominent republic
cans. he is simply for Fairbanks be-
cause Fairbanks has Impressed" him
as a nice man. To this should be add
ed that in Payne's opinion, all this
talk about Fairbanks being cold,
clammy and an icicle, is tommy rot
Even Wentworth backs up this opin-
ion. Fairbanks SIS pretty good fell
low"
Nevada is now talking new hotel,
that may result in something. For
wears Nevada in common with many
ether county seats in Iowa, has lacked
modern hotel accommodation. No one
goes hungry. but when night comes
travelling men figure on getting out
simply because other towns offer bet
ter accommodations The owner Of the
Aiurrie House, a resident Of Minnesota.
~ expected soon, and is understood to
ne favorable to a stock company, the
site to be the present Murrie Hotel
lots. The lpresent building will be
either torn down, or moved back and
q modern forty room hotel is among
the possibilities. The writer, however,
remembers hearing something Of this
nature for the past fifteen years.
So
The Hall system of automatic block
signals on the G. & N. w. railroad is
gradually being installed thru the state.
The reported cost to the company,
S2o0000o, sounds big, but so does the
cost Of telegraph poles, $3.50 to $40
each. Six heavy copper wires are
strung on the poles, and this is worth
20 cents a pound before insulated. The
system is, simple in method of working.
On the side Of the track that the en-
glneer sits in his engine is erected
something like large clock dials. In
this dial at night are lights that show
red when another train is in the block.
When a train enters the block an au-
tomato electric apparatus sets the red
signal, a light at night, and red glass
by day. When this train enters an
other block ahead 1t not only sets the
danger sign, but releases the signs IN
the block behind it. Another safety
arrangement is, that il for any causse
the system, i. e.. the electrical current.
fails properly to do its work all dials,
automatically show the, red signal.
The care of this system requires the
services of three men Dr every fifteen
miles of railroad, one of the men being
an expert electrician, the others to-
care for the lights and the apparatus.
After this system Is installed the oper-
ators will not be expected to report
trainsa as the system automatically
does this work. but of course some
train orders will have to be given and
received frequently. It would seem to
an outsider and evidently does to the
railway company, tndL
if an engineer will look at these sig
nails and observe them, rear-end coll
lisions on, a double track are impos-
sible. And head collisions only pos
sible when for some reason, an east
bound train Is travelling on the west
bound track or vice versa.
sAss
The rain and snow in northern Iowa
earlyN in the week was a godsend for
the pastures and hay crop. It is
hazardous job to touch the weather
business this year, but-if from now on
we have the usual May and June
weather, very little damage will result
to Iowa soil products. The ground
was never in better condition for corn
planting Oats are late, but coming
we'll and from the car windows appar-
emily are uninjured. All kinds of
reports are heard regarding fruit. 1t
would seem, however, less damage has
occurred in the northern half of the
state than south Of the central line,
where more fruit is grown and mar
keted.
hp Ma1-1/