The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1910-07-28
COL. HEPBURN IN IOWA.

From the Leon Journal we learn
that Col. Hepburn has been a visitor
to that city for the purpose of look
ing over his fine $40 acre farm in
Long Creek township, and that he is
we'll pleased with his Decatur county
possessions.
Col Hepburn also owns large
body of land in Page county, besides
his fine residence property in Clar-
india, and also an elegant home in
Washington. He is computed to be
worth between a quarter and half
million of dollars.
We are always pleased to know
that our country and it's people are
prosperous, and have no desire to pry
into the private affairs of our de-
voted congressman.
During all the money making per-
iod of Col. Hepburn's life he has held
official positions. The most of that
time he has been member of con-
gresS. When first elected to congress
he was very poor man, scarcely able
to buy sack of flour. The salary of
4 congressman during his incumbency
was $4,000 per year, and the Colonel
has always asserted that member of
congress and his family could not
live decently in Washington on that
salary, and during the last congress
OF which he was member, he voted
to pay himself nearly a thousand dol
lars travelling expenses for going
home and coming back between the
extra and the regular sessions of con-
gress, when in fact the congressman
didn't leave their seats between the
time the gavel fell closing the extra
session, and commencing the regular
session, and when they had already
been paid their travelling expenses for
that session. Afterwards he voted to
rise the salary to $500.
OF course we don't know how the
Colonel could make a quarter of a
million on five thousand dollar sal
airy when that was not enough to live
on at Washington, but it shows that
the Colonel is very thrifty, and en-
Titled to rank among the high finan-
ciers.
We are sorry the Colonel went col
or blind during his membership in
congress and could not tell good
trust from bad trust and hence
could not see how to make laws to
punish the bad trusts for fear of hurt
ing the good trusts. That was a
great calamity
And then there was the safety an
pliance for railroads, such as self
couplers, and steam brakes The
Colonel never could see any sense in
putting the railroads to the expense
OF putting these appliances to their
cars just to save the lives of the rail
road men.
The Colonel is of very forgiving
nature The Union Pacific railroad
company owed the government many
millions, for which the government
-sheid a mortgage and the Colonel in
MS generosity said the poor company
which had already stolen an empire of
land from the government, was not
able to pay and he wanted to forgive
The debt and wipe out the mortgage.
put he failed and the government has
since collected every dollar of it, and
Union Pacific stock is away above par
today
The journal informs US that the
Colonel is practicing law in Wash
1ngton and is very successful in the
law business. The dispatches from
Washington leads us to believe that
his practice is principally before pres
ldent Taft, where he is doing what he
can to secure standpat appointments
and thWart the progressive movement
m Iowa, that is headed by Cumm:ns
ana Dolllver.-Creston American