The Oskaloosa herald., 1910-01-20
DRAINAGE LAWS I Y
U. TO BE REVISED
That They May Meet, the Modern
Conditions. -
ATTENTION 70 THE LIBRARIES
Greater Care To Supervision This
Year Than To Any In the Past
Remarkable Case Of Country
School Classmates.
Bureau Iowa Evening Press.

a.
Des lMoines, Ia, Jan. Is.
81 The time has come when the pres
ent drainage laws of Iowa must be
completely revised in order to meet
modern conditions, according to Sec
rotary George Dobson of the Iowa
Conservation, Waterways and Drain
age commission. He declares that
the present laws are antiquated and
that 1t will be almost impossible to
carry on the drainage work in Iowa,
as outlined, unless the present laws
are changed f.a yt ra.-t
The commission is working for
unified drainage system throughout
the entire state but this even cannot
be successfully done unless the laws
are brought down to date. 1t is
quite probable therefore, that when
the next legislature convenes, the
state commission will have a bill com
pletely revising the present drainage
laws. AS it is a year before the next
legislature convenes, little attention
has been yet given to the drafting of
the bill, though the necessary data to
make a good Showing is now being
collected. -.- .....
This is a proposition which affects
every county in the state and the
promoters OF the idea believe that
when such bill is presented to the
legislature, that little opposition to it
will develop.
The g. 9ts library IF
Iowa will give greater attention to
the supervision of school libraries
this year than for any year past.
This Is following out plan which
was discussed at the recent meeting
OF the League OF Library Commits
sions, where the subject was thor
oughly discussed and it was decided
that state library commissions should
take this subject under their direct
supervision.
- Many of the schools of the state do
not have adequate library facilities, If
they have libraries at all, and thus
they have been called on to furnish
books. Heretofore the question has
received little attention. except that
tDNSSo"Su Wy SuSb oLdIt
movement inaugurated is to have each
state commission give more attention
to the school libraries, assist in the
selection of books, and provided the
suhools which have no libraries with
the materia! for proper research.
IN this method it is hoped to EN-
courage work in libraries and to slim
nllIp tnn ipt fNf nhil1ro,, IN
thorough and more careful prepare
ton o. al subjects which they have
10 deal with during their course of
study. ,. .E,..,.
A remarkable case of old country
school classmates coming together as
members of the same state board was
brought to light with the advent of
DR.. G. III. Sumner as secretary of the
state board of health. He started to
school in the little school house at
Marengo,lll. In his class were George
Deckert and Thomas U. McManus.
Bert /. Eiker was in the next higher
class and young doctor named
iHanchett had just started in practice
there. Today Sumner is secretary of
the state board; DR.. Hanchett of
Council Bluffs, is the president, and
Bert |. Eiker, George Deckert and
Inomas MoManus are members of the
board. All five schoolmates are ply
slcians and the next meeting, of the
board will take the form of a Marengo
school reunion. All members of the
board are therefore looking forward
to the meeting with great interest
John COwnie, chairman of the state
board of control, declared today that
IN Tire institution of feeble minded
children. at Glenwood, lives the great
est spelling prodigy of Iowa, If not of
the entire middle west. This little
Girl, Anna Kestner, lis twelve years of
age and although feeble In mind for
n Grid of that age lin spelling she
t. most remarkable. Given. any word
in the English. on coaImonl usage, and
The spells 1t rapidly and then spells
backwards as fast. First the word
dishpap was given her. Mr.. Cownie
found that this was too easy so she
70 WIS given HdHleS VI EuTbIedHt cam
tn's names of foreign seas and SOME
nj the hardest words of the English
ard not enc of them did she fail to
demonstrate her extraordinary pow.
ers of spelling. Physicians declare
that her brain is normally developed
in this one particular. while deficient
In other things. The deficiency of
her mind generally has produced the
same effect lin regard to spelling that
h''ndness gives many people, 1t de.
..vc'ops a sixth sense, In her the lack
ot good mind has resulted In the
DEVELOPMENT of what might be termed
the sense of spelling. Her case is at
Erecting much attention.
The character of the winter made
the farmer feed all his corn and hay
In the early part OF the winter, and
now some of the farmers are runnine