Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-12-31
Looker-On In Iona

West Bend, Dec. 31.-On Monday,
Dec 81, cold winter day, thirty-two
passengers got off the Iowa Central
train at Abbott Crossing at 1880 a. m
Nearly all wanted to go north on the
Rock Island train due at that time.
Abbott Crossing is the depot-thats
all-on the prairie two miles from
Cleeves, one from Abbott. These two
railroads by strict economy manage to
pay an agent to stay there. also to
keep up a good fire, but can not afford
telegraph operator or to put in
telephone. The result was that thirty
two passengers including four hungry
boys. had to wait in one small room
for over two hours, not knowing when
any train would arrive, and not daring
TO go up town to get something TO eat
for fear the train would come while
they were away. This condition of af-
fairs goes on day after day and is
disgrace to the management of both
of these big railroad companies, as
we'll as a standing reminder of the in
efficiency and Indifference of our rail-
road commissioners. The Iowa Cen
trail when it has passengers going north
on the Rock Island, at Abbott Crossing,
has to notify the joint agent at
Manly. he wires the agent at Vinton,
/ and the Vinton agent telegraphs the
Rock Island passenger train conductor,
who metimes get it. Such a condi-
/ ton OF affairs would not exist an hour
in Connecticut where they have rail-
road commissioners that amount to
something in fact as well as in name.
| of a
utility commission that corrects such
public abuses Meanwhile here in
Iowa, with more miles of railroad tracks
than any other state according to
square miles, we sit down with folded
hands. and because two big railroad
corporations can jointly save $40 a
month by not having telegraph oper-
ator or telephone communication at
Abbott Crossing, meekly submit to an
outrage on the travelling public, that
lis a continuous performance seven
days in the week And yet there is
istrong opposition to a public utilities
commission in Iowa. Why. we could
well afford to pay the salaries of such
commissioners if they did nothing else
but to order our railroad commission
ers to do their duty. The member OF
the last legislature that proposed the
) establishment of the railroad commits
sion of Iowa. was on the right track
, only he failed to provide for something
better.
Here's new business deal that ha:
become a regular feature with at leas
one big Iowa firm. Father and son:
! nj n
conservative, the boys up-to- date. On,
of the latter one day three years ago
traded $4,000 worth of old slow-sellint
goods in stock for $50 acres of Mime
sofa land. The next year he picket
!. out another stock of boots and shoes
/. dry goods, clothing. notions etc, from
their crowded rooms and got a Nortl
Dakota farm for them. The first tim
the boy made trade of this kind, tn
old man was as mad as a wet hen,
the next year he submitted under pro
test, but this year he's in the Ian
business himself. Its big firm i
O Nextown, carries a 100000 stock, an
: they have found out they can TAX
= $4,000 worth of goods-od undesirabl
goods-off their shelves every year an
a not notice it, They have also foun
; out that the two farms they traded TO
q are now worth more than first cost {
i the goods they traded for these farm
! OF course only a big firm can do sue
a "a land office business" sit take
# money to make money" but just til
v same all this is pointer for the small
II er dealer everywhere. Cleaning up
stock of goods is part of successfl
~
1t to store-keep some kinds OF goods.