Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-07
yARIoIis BROCHURES.
Hardin County Citizenl.


a few years ago on q summer even
ing, as the night was gathering. the
writer was passing along the street or
a typical Iowa town i'll another part OF
the state, when we were stopped by
one-time resident of Iowa Falls. We
had almost forgotten him. The fellow
looked forsaken and forlorn, and in the
course OF our conversation we drew out
OF him much of the trouble of the
years. He was then in deep affliction.
Like men that you have seen. he
worked but never had anything. He
complained that his trade left him
without employment so much OF the
time that he had not been able TO make
both ends meet At that time he was
tending mason to fill in between jobs.
His wife had been sick for years and
was then hedfast. The doctor bills had
grown and the longer they ran the big
ger they grew. The mans creditors
We're pushing him. perhaps had been
for long time. until he was considered
more or less Of a deadbeat
The man had not been born or reared
right and he was without sufficient
chara cter to Withstand the waves Of
adversely and the storms Of life. He
knew his life was proving failure and
in the twilight of that evening he was
desperate. He had figured 1t out in the
days gone by that the fight was useless
and it became somewhat as Hamlet
said: ITO be or not to be-" But hope
springs eternal in the human breast
and the thought had come TO him that
if he could Just get enough money to
arpease his creditors and remove his
wife and children to another climate
and anothe: land there would be
health, and love. ard money. and sun
shine in this new land of promise. And
he told us to raise this money he had
become a bootlegger.
At any rate, at that Very moment.
learned. that the ministers and good
people of the town. the government in
terna! revenue officers, and the anti!
saloon league were in hot pursuit of his
trail. just how much evidence they
had asains: him. he did not know. He
knew that they were after him. To his
mind he was beng pursued by pack
pursuers. they We're after laWbreaker
and vulture feeding on the life blood
of men. women and children.
1t isn't our purpose 10 discuss the
merits or dement's of his case.
About the same time in town
something less than thousand miles
away. young man. for reasons not
well here to set down, had by means
somewhat suspicious. put his wife away
in an insane asylum, and later took
unto himself another wife. A good
minister of the town. man of virtue
strength, and righteousness. undertook
to make wrong right-and he promptly
lost his job.
;. little later along the pathwa. of
life. midd!eaged man with a we'll
respected family, accomplished the ruin
Of young woman. carrying he- life
to destruction. pushes dagger thru the
heart Of her mother. and corrupts the
whole community. yes more. He poll
lutes the house Of God. He occupies an
established pew and the preacher hav-
lag eyes. sees not. and the membership
Is both deaf and dumb, palsied perhaps
The reptile in the human thicket goes
on and on. with oily tongue and ever
present smile. or inscrutable. sphinx
like visage. No, it can not be- Impos-
sible. 1t is the work OF scandal-mon-
gers, scayengers feeding on human
kind He is of the annointed holy,
sanctified. ready 10 fy-only waiting
for the wings.
The libertine.
The bootlegger!
Between the two-which?
What tangled webs,