The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-12-16
Knockers are Retired and leon will
Have Waterw0rks. The Boost
ers Won a Great Victory.
On Issuing Bonds.
On Establishing Waterworks.

Second Ward +. .. 81 20
Third Ward. ...... 100 81
Total 1886 1870
.dajority -. .2O6
"a Better Leon" has won the day.
The boosters have triumphed over
the knockers. The citizens of Leon
have decided that they will be pro-
gressive, and leave nothing undone
to make real Better Leon"
At last the spirit of progress and
fairness has triumphed, and at the
election held on Tuesday, the. prop
osition to establish system OF water
works and issue bonds IN payment for
the same carried by an overwhelming
majority, and the boosters won the
day 1t marks a new era in the his
tory of Leon, for it means that in
the future Leon will take her right
full place in the list of progressive
cities of Iowa.
There was plenty of excitement in
Leon Tuesday, and men and women
were working all day long getting
out the vote on the waterworks prop
osition, the result being that there
was a large vote cast, and we are
pleased to announce that the propo-
sition carried by great big major
ity. In the entire city there were
949 votes registered, of which 494
we're men and 455 women. The
women took very active part in the
voting, and in the third ward they
cast four more votes than the men.
When the first returns were re-
ceived the streets were crowded with
IN,
minutes the returns from the other
wards were received and it was seen
that the boosters had carried the
day. Then everybody went wild sex-
cept a few of the fellows who had
not worn the booster tags. In
twinkle of an eye the K. P band was
out on the street, playing "ThereIl
be Hot Time in the Old Town To-
night and other popular airs.
Everybody was congratulating every
body else and the big siren whistle
at the light house carried the news to
all parts of the city that the battle
had been won. A bon fire made its
appearance on the west side of the
square, and say, it really looked like
an old time political jollification of
years ago. Then the band and hun
dreds of followers started out and
serenaded the houses of the workers
on both sides playing lively tunes at
the homes of the boosters and funer-
al dirges at the homes of those who
have been fighting waterworks for
Leon 1t was not until the lights
went out at l O'Clock that the happy
people retired to their homes.
The last few days of the campaign
were strenuous ones, both sides
striving to the utmost. On Friday a
circular signed by Citizens Commit
tee" was circulated all over the town,
the purpose being to persuade the
people to vote against the water
works, but the 'Bootsers" issued a
reply Monday, and from the returns
it seems that the people took but lit
tie stock in the arguments of the
Citizens Committee" On Monday red
booster tags made their appearance
and nearly everybody in Leon, men,
women and children wore them.
Tuesday morning the boosters were
busy from the time the polls opened
until they closed, and well were they
repaid for their efforts. Teams and
carriages and sleds were used to haul
many of the voters to the polls, on
account of the slippery condition OF
the walks and streets, but neverthe-
less there was slightly larger vote
cast this time than at the election
last June when the proposition was
defeated, lacking few votes of hay'
ing the required two-thirds major
ity. But this time the majority in
favor of the waterworks is so great
that it is pretty hard to find anyone
who will admit that they voted
against having them.
The question is now settled, sc
let's all forget the differences, the
arguments, the hard feelings which
all take hold and boost good anG
hard for not only waterworks but fol
everything else that is good for Leon
That is the spirit which makes {
good town.
The boosters are all wearing tha
smile that wont come off.
Many farmers were in Leon elec
tion day, and they were all boosters
If that Citizen Committee" hat
just issued another circular the vott
would have been unanimous.
The official vote does not show th'
entire vote, as there were a numbe
of spoiled ballots in each ward, ant
quite number only voted on one o
the propositions.
Under the law women could onl.
vote on the question of issuing bonds
while the men voted on both th
bond question and the question o
establishing a waterworks system.
The next time there is contro
versy over public question thos
who fight public improvement shoul,
remember that misrepresentation