Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-09
Looker-On In Iona

operation in any town in Iowa, and the
room wherein the entertainment Il
given. is not provided with numerous
exits both on the side and rear, suci
a. SHOW" should not be allowed TO open
Its doors once more till those exits
are made. Within the past year 1ne
writer has been In a store buildlns
now changed into theater, sixty 1907
deep, solid brick walls on each SIDE,
the rear opening only door eight feel
by four and the front an ordinary
double door store entrance. Immediate
| ly back of the front door was the US
ual arrangement for these moving pic
| ture shows. There was wooden par
| tition clear across the width of the
room, with two openings, the width of
the aisles. The room was filed with
loose chairs and the chairs were filed
with over hundred children. In tho
| front part of the room, the moving
picture apparatus on q platform SIX
| feet high. Almost a duplicate OF inls
"theater" was in Connecticut town
last week. 1T isn't there now. The fol-
| lowing is the Courant's account of what
happened Cut it out for use In our pa
pers, for it will do for copy" when
it happens in Iowa.
THE fire started in the moving pic
/, ture house, James Ryan, the proprie-
tor also conducts. a moving picture
show in Rockville and the Imperial
was In charge of George Anderson, a
boy about IS years old There were
forty two people at the show. mostly
children. According to the story told
The Courant reporter by George An
derson, he was just about to replace a
film when 1t fell across the flame
and in a second all was afire. The
moving picture machine was located
just inside the door and so rapidly did
the fire spread that the main exit was
soon closed by the fire. Miss Margaret
Ryan, the ticket seller. was next TO
the fire and she and George Anderson
We're the only ones to get out thru
the front door Those inside made
their escape thru the windows, while
several went thru a back door which
led to the second floor of the hotel and
then down the front stairs to he
street The knights of Columbus were
holding meeting in the next building
and heard the cries of the people in
the burning building and all rushed
out to give aid"
The films used in all of these NOV
ing picture shows burn like gunpow-
der. Once started they burn till all m
the vicinity is destroyed. Nothing has
ever equalled this criminal careless
ness on the part of our city authorities
that allow such fire traps to be used
for such purposes. and equal criminal
carelessness on the part of parents
that allow their children to attend such
shows in such So called theaters.
If the general satisfaction" over the
outcome of the Winters murder trial
at Eldora, is the same in Hardin coun-
ty as it is in adjoining counties, it Is
matter of congratulation to all con-
cerned In the trial. Here in Butler
county, readers of the trial and all Of
the revolving circumstances that led
up to it, contrast it to the Busse MUIR
der case at Allison some years ago.
They notice that a murder was COM
mitted at Union on Saturday night.
Two weeks and five days afterwards
the. murderer was sentenced to im-
prisonment for life. Much of this
credit is given to Judge Albrook for
his actions in the matter. The people
hereabouts remark on his calling i'm
mediately special session Oh the
grand jury, and also his refusal to en-
terrain a motion for verdict
of murder in the second de-
gree. The lawyers on both sides also
come in for their share of praise. Dil2-
tory actipn was not observable. The
jury acpted promptly. And while
there is a e.anerai regret verdict of
hanging was not given, still the big
jury of Iowa citizens feel very MUCH
as probably the jury of twelve did,
Iowa Is not ready yet to hang crazy
murderers or even those known to be
demented.
This column is always used during
the session of our legislature to give
pointers" to the members thereof,
sometimes "on request" sometimes by
the writer. The following is along this
line:
A recommendation that the teeth OF
dairy cows be cleaned twice daily an
pears in a paragraph on ",The Dangers
of Milk" printed in The Daily Tele-
graph Gondon, Dec. 25). This is
based on advice given by DR.. Tanner,
of Los Angeles, Cal, who, we are told,
is now conducting a health campaign
i'm that city Says the paper just
named:
CDR. Tanner is convinced that bo-
vine teeth farbor many germs hitherto
unsupported, and that these frequent
Ily contaninate childreh's- milk, pro-
duoinp all kinds of com plants which
his fellow practitioners have talked
wisely about but do not in the least
understand. He recommends that the
teeth of all dairy cows should be
cleaned twice daily, and says that this
law should be compulsory"
Ever since as boy, the writer had
to do chores on a Connecticut farm,
and since has had some experience
with town cows, he has noticed the
breath Of even "our pet Jersey was
not exactly as one might say, sweet.
Reading this paragraph explains mat
tiers. Old Bossy had microbes in her
I teeth. One of the medical journals OF
London suggests throat gargle to be
used three times a day. That ought
to help some, When the legislature
takes this matter up, the state board OF
health should be compelled to order
used a prophylactic cows tooth brush,
bristles two inches long, and set in
ivory. These brushes must be cleaned
three times a day, and bear an In
spector's stamp to that effect. Every
retail dealer of milk should be obliged
to carry one of these brushes and to
show to all purchasers of milk the