Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-18
ARBIE GARDNER SHARP USES
MODERN METHOD TO RELATE
ANCIENT TALE.
HEROINE OF SPIRIT LAKE
FEELING RAvAGES OF YEARS
Has Gained Competency From Sale Of
Book-seeretary Shaw Makes a Hit
With Iowa Bankers-state May In
vest in Coal stokers-severaI Suits
To Be Commenced Against Rates.

Special to Times-Republican.
Des Moines, June 1S.-AlI the way
from being kidnapped by the Indians
and carried away to be ransomex
by state to having the story
of her life canned and doled out thru
photograph for the delectation of
visitors to her log cabin-this is the
span covered by the life Of Abbie Gard
ner-Sharp.
Mrs. Sharp owns the cabin which
was the scene Of the last Indian raid
and massacre in Iowa, at Spirit Lake.
She has found her failing strength I'M
equal to the task Of repeating for the
benefit Of the hundreds of visitors at
the cabin the story of hardships and
terrors of the pioneers. She has there
fore put her story upon Photographic
records and while she takes her ease
the machines recite Iowa history
Il would not be able to tell to all
who come the story Of the Spirit Lake
massacre" she said while sitting in the
office of Secretary John C. Simpson Of
the state board of agriculture. The
photograph record had become q
necessity, and visitors to the cabin are
entertained by the story whether am
there OF not"
Mrs. Sharp is here to supervise the
printing of the sixth edition of her
book. She also came to consult in re-
gard to the historic pageant that will
be put on at the stae fair with the
Spirit Lake incident as the central
idea She is in excellent health. She
bought the old log cabin and the
ground surrounding from the proceeds
of her book and is able to live COM
fortably now.
Ex-Secretary Shaw made quite hit
in his talk on the central bank before
the Iowa bankers yesterday He per-
haps did more than any other one to
put the quietus on the movement to
have Iowa indorse a central bank
scheme. The presentation Of the plan
for an elastic currency seemed to meet
with a generally favorable response.
From the view point Of the western
banker this eesms the most feasible
and the Iowa bankers are generally
for some banking reform along these
lines.
A considerable part Of the time Of the
superintendents Of the state institu-
tfons was taken up at the conference
this week discussing an unreasonable
topic, that of coal stokers and smoke
consumers At Cherokee smoke con-
sumers have been tried but they are
not success. At Clarinda an expert
ment with underfeed stokers has been
going ON and the superintendent re-
ports that they effect a saving Of about
nine per cent in the coal. AS the coal
bill for the institutions averages thirty
or tnirty-fve thousand dollars year
this saving is worth while. It Is prob
able that the state will invest largely in
modern stocking devices for the big
furnaces. :,
Suits will be commenced soon to
compel the railroads to comply with
the order Of the railroad commission
with reference to abandoning the pre-
tense of an interstate shipment on
goods transferred at Davenport. The
commission ordered the milwaukee,
road to accept and transport cars offer
ed at Davenport which had come from
over in Illinois. The company has
refused claiming that the state com
mission has no Jurisdiction The
courts will have to decide.
The contemplated and ordered ac-
lions in federal court to prevent the
collection Of the increased freight ri ties
on material shipped to Iowa points
have been held up to see If the roads
will really abandon their higher sched-
ule. But the preparation Of the cases
is under way and they will be proceed
ed with unless the roads make good on
their Informal promise to yield as to
these higher rates. Thus far there
has been nothing done officially to in
dictate that the increase % rates is to
be abandoned.