davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23

. The work of erecting the new
water tower is progressing rapidly
and the workmen expect to have 1t
all completed in two weeks If the
weather will permit them to work.
The work of laying the mains is also
drawing to a close and the men in
charge of this work expect to be
finished by the time the tower ID
cOmpleted. There. has been much
apecplatton indulg ii by Soar citif.
,sensls sas sto the height 81 the water
tower. The foreman of the con-
struction gang tells us that the tower
and tank complete will weight right
around thirty tons. Each of the
sections of the tank weighs just two
tons, and something over 5000 rivets
are used in riveting the, sections of
the tank together. The rivets are all
heated red hot before being put in
so as to make the holes water tight.
The height of the tower to the bal
cony at the bottom of the tank is
just 100 feet. and the tank will
tower rs feet above this, making the
total heighth from the ground to the
top of the tank 1875 feet. The tank
will hold $4,000 gallons of water,
and it will not freeze as the action
of the water which is kept in circu-
lation prevents freezing. All kinds
of stories as to the big wages which
the workmen who erect the tower
are paid have been circulated, but
the facts are that the iron workers
receive just 40 cents per hour for
their work. Would you like to have
their Job? All of the work on the
tower has been done by the foreman
and four men.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Fire Department Reorganized.

The Leon fire department has
been completely reorganized, the in
stallation of the waterworks system
making it necessary to have differ
ent organization The new company
will consist of only sixteen members,
but they will all be active workers
who will be on hand whenever an
alarm is given. r. o. Allen has been
elected chief of the fire department
and he is taking right hold with the
work of reorganization. The de-
partment will give a big public ball
On Thanksgiving night and it is ex-
pected that the public will patronize
it literally as the boys give it for the
purpose of raising funds with which
to purchase rubber coats and other
apparatus needed in fighting fires.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Mrs. G. f. Roberts.

Lucy, youngest daughter of Uriah
and Mary Mitten, was born near De-
catur City, Iowa, August Is, 1869,
and departed this life at the hospital
in St. Joseph, Missouri, November
18, 1911, aged AZ years, 2 months
and % days.
Although the deceased had been
| in poor health for some months her
death was unexpected, and came as
a great shock to her relatives and
friends.
She was married to c. E. Roberts
October II, 1898, at Leon, Iowa.
She leaves besides her husband, one
son, Cleo, aged II years, an aged
father and four sisters, Miss Mantle
Mitten, of Leon, Mrs. Florence Mil
ler, of Des Moines, Mrs. Alice STAN
ley, of Springfield, Mo-, and Mrs. Ida
Jenree, of St. Joseph, Mo, and a
large circle of friends to mourn her
departure.
The funeral was held from the M.
E. church in Leon on Sunday at 3
O'Clock, conducted by the pastor,
Rev. E. M. Hoff, assisted by Rev. J.
S. Coffin, of the Christian church,
interment being in the Leon ceme-
tery -
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
IS Ht Ben CRAvfNS ?
Convict Supposed to be Notorious
Outlaw Is Taken to Oklahoma
to be Tried for Murder.

Charles Maust, who is supposed to
be the famous outlaw, Ben Cravens.
was last week taken from the Mis-
souri, penitentiary, where he was
serving a sentence for horse-steal-
ing, to Guthrie, OKLA, for trial for
crimes committed in that state, says
the Lineville Tribune. Pictures OF
the supposed Ben Cravens which
have been printed in the newspapers
recently bear little if any resem-
blance to the Ben Cravens known to
the people of this section where he
was born and raised and his aged
and respected father, B. B. Cravens
and other relatives of the real Ben
Cravens are confident that the Okla
homa authorities have the wrong
man. The true Ben Cravens left
here 21 years ago and is now AZ
years of age. His career of crime
and outlawry in Kansas, Oklahoma
and the southwest, and his bold and
sensational escape from the Kansas
penitentiary at Lansing are familiar
to the public and need not be re-
peated. If his identity should be
clearly established at the trial which
is to take place in January, there
will be little chance OF his escaping
the gallows.
The following Associated Press
dispatch from Guthrie is taken from
the X. G. Star:
Guthrie, Okla, Nov. 13.-Adjt.
Gen. Frank Canton visited the fed
eral Jail here today with deputy
marshal, Chris Madison. He is sat
isfed that Charles Maust, who was
released five days ago from the Mis-
souri, state penitentiary, is Ben
Cravens, the Oklahoma outlaw, un-
der indictment here since 1900 for
the murder of Alvin Bateman, post
master at Red Rock. Many persons
wish to see Cravens, most of them
out of curiosity, but he is kept in
solitary confinement. The prisoner
remains stolidly silent.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Patrick Flynn.

Patrick Flynn, one of the rugged
old pioneers of Decatur county, died
at his home 9 miles southeast of
Leon on Saturday morning, Novem-
ber 18th, at the advanced age of 80
years, 4 months and 21 days.
The subject of this sketch was
born in Kerryquite, Waterford coun-
ty, Ireland, June 20, 1881. He came
to America in 1843, landing at Phil
adelphia. He engaged in railroad
construction work in which he was
quite successful, and on January II,
1854, he was united in marriage to
Miss Elizabeth Wallace, who sur
wives him. In 1869 Mr.. Flynn pur-
chased a farm in Woodland town
ship, Decatur county, Iowa, and two
years later with his wife located on
the farm, where they continued to
reside until his death, Mr.. Flynn be-
ing one of our most successful farm
ers, To their union were born nine
children, four of whom survive him,
two sons, James and John Flynn,
and two daughters, Mary and Alice.
Three grandchildren, Martin, Anna
bel and Margaret Atkins also mourn
his death.
Inc deceased was man OIL SOunO
business judgment, and many ster-
ling qualities. He was a good citi-
zen in every sense of the word, a
splendid neighbor and kind and af-
fectionate husband and father. The
community in general suffers a loss
in his demise.
Funeral services were held at St.
Mary's church in Woodland township
at 10 o'clock, Monday morning, Mo-
vember 18th, High Mass being cele-
brated for his repose by Rev. Father
MCCLELLAN, interment being in the
Catholic cemetery adjoining the
church.
A Card.-We wish to thank the
friends and neighbors for their kind
ness and sympathy shown US in our
late bereavement.
Mrs. Patrick Flynn
and Children
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
1912 IS A LEAP YEAR
The Maidens who are Seeking a Man
Will Have Greater Privileges
Than in Ordinary Years.

The open season for bachelors and
Widowers is again drawing near.
In the years divisible by four the
marriageble woman has extraordin-
ary privileges and the lot of the
man, who is not matrimonially in
clined, is not a happy one. 1t is
rumored that these privileges have
long since been claimed by a major
ity of the fair sex, for each and every
year, but old and young can get
in the game next year and it prom
ises to be fierce, indeed.
But there is always an "offset"
for every trouble. The bachelor or
the widower who happens to have
been born on the 10th day of Febru-
ary will have an opportunity to cel-
ebrate his anniversary next year, and
the man whose birthday comes once
in four years only, ought to have the
privilege of celebrating somewhat
elaborately.
The new calendars will be ready
for distribution ere long. Some of
them contain pages of November and
December, 1911, as we'll as for the
months in 1912. These pages re-
mind the reader that Thanksgiving
this year will be on Thursday, No.
vember 80, in accordance with Pres
ident Taft's recent proclamation.
Christmas, December 25, 1911, will
be on Monday.
One week later, Monday will be
New Years day, January 1, 1912.
Ground hog day or candlemas
day, February 2, is on Friday.
Lincoln's birthday, February 12,
is on a Monday.
Washington's birthday, Febru-
ary %, falls on a Thursday.
Carnation day, February 20, the
anniversary of the birth of the late
President William Mckinley, is on a
Monday.
St. Patrick's day, March II, comes
on Sunday.
April FOOLS day, April 1, will be
Monday.
Easter Sunday falls on April Z
next year. Holy week beginning the
week preceding.
Decoration day, May 80, will be on
a Thursday.
independence day, July 4, will be
on a Thursday.
Labor day, the first Monday in
September, will be on September 2.
Thanksgiving, the last Thursday
in. November, will be=on November
Christmas, December 25, will be
on Wednesday.
| Two Fridays, the 18th, appear in
the calendar. They are Friday, Sep
tember 13, and Friday, December
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
When the Murcury Drops.

When the mercury drops to zero
and the northwest wind shaves the
earth like sword. when hurried
search is made for heavy clothing
and the fur coats 60 about the
streets; when the coal dealers tel
ephone shrills sixty times an hour
and the clothing stores are crowded;
when the rush of hot air from the
registers, the kissing steam in the
radiators and the ruddy stoves
scarcely suffice to keep the house
comfortable;" it is we'll to remember
the poor and sick, the weak and the
helpless.
Our own children comfortably
clad and kept. ought to remind that
that other children shiver in half
heated homes and tremble with cold
on the street. To enjoy comfort
needless of the plight of other less
ness. To be warm and we'll fed and
swinish satisfaction.
Somewhere women and children
were cold and hungry last night
And perhaps in the same block were
those who might and would have re-
lieved want had they known its ex-
tremity. 1t is not suit Gent excuse
that they did not know. They
should have known. That is the
burden humanity puts on success.
1t is what He meant by that admon-
ition which carries it's cwn penalty
''If ye did it not"
When the north wind is out aid
the trees crack with frost, when
women and children hunger and
freeze let none think the excuse that
he did not know will hold. Who
should know if not those who have
power to relieve? Meu with that
power become as gods holding the
keys OF hope and despair. 1t is their
responsibility as it is their oppor-
tun:tV
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
IMPORTANT notice TO SUBSCRIBERS.

The newspapers of Leon will adopt a new rule
on January I, 1912. On and after that date all sub
scriptions will be stopped at expiration of the time
for which the same has been paid The present re-
quirements of the postof6ce department regarding
subscription accounts is such that deem it advisa
bic and fully in accord with the desires of majority
of readers to adopt the rule of requiring that all
subscriptions be paid in advance. Papers will be
promptly discontinued at the date of expiration
unless the subscriber has renewed by paying in ad
vance for another year such portion thereof it
is desired that the paper continue to them We urge
all readers to carefully note the address label
their papers which show the date to which subscrp
tions are paid. If you not paid in advance and
desire your paper to continue to your address attend
to this matter without delay. The subscription rate
to the Leon Reporter is $1.5o year. Pay up your
arrearages and in advance to the date that you wish
your paper to continue to you.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Turn on the Depot Lights.

The city authorities, the CONNER
cial Club, or some one ought to take
up the matter of having the depot
and depot platform in this city
properly lighted. There is much
complaint from persons who go to
the depot to take the night train
because the platform is not lighted
up, and passengers have to stumble
and plod over obstacles in the dark
When the new depot was erected in
this city, it was literally equipped
with electric lights, both inside and
on the platforms. but for some rea-
son the lights, especially those OUT
side, are rarely turned on. Let Us
have the depot lighted up.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Decatur County Historical Meeting.

By agreement between the Vice
President and Secretary of the So
ciety, Lamont was selected as the
place for the annual meeting of
1911. The first session will convene
at the Saints church, Tuesday, Nov.
%, at 10 a. m.
1t is earnestly urged that as full
an attendance as possible assemble
at that time. There has no business
been done for two years, as there
were not enough members to form a
quorum at the Leon meeting year
ago. Important business including
election of officers will come before
the meeting. We invite not only
those who are enrolled as members,
but also all citizens interested in
preserving the history of our county
to meet and become identified with
us. Heman C. Smith,
Secretary.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Supplying Commercial Steam.

The Leon Electric Co. last week
finished their main on Main street
and turned on steam to heat num-
Der of the business houses and Of
fees, They are now supplying steam
to the NJ. E. church, the city library,
Hotel Leon, Farmers & Traders
State Bank building, The Reporter
Office, Van Werden & Kopp, Kraft
Clothing Co.. Exchange National
Bank, DR.. J. w. Rowell, c. w. Hoff-
man, and the Sigler building will
put in steam at once. 1t is a fine
thing and has to be used to be fully
appreciated.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Realized $48.6O at Box Supper.

The box supper at Welcome Ridge
school house last Friday night was a
grand financial and social success.
The supper was given to raise funds
for the literary society and the total
proceeds amounted to $4S.60, being
an average of over $500 per box,
there being sixteen boxes sold. Bid
ding for the boxes was quite lively,
the highest single box selling for
$3.50 and the highest double box
for $6.25. Pretty high priced sup
pers but they say they were worth it.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Big Foot Ball Game Thanksgiving.

There will be big foot ball game
in Leon on Thanksgiving afternoon
when the Des Moines West High
team will meet the Leon High School
team. West High has one of the
strongest teams in the state and
Leon has cleaned up all the High
School teams in this part of the
state. Contracts for the game we're
forwarded to Des Moines Tuesday,
and unless there is some hitch the
big game will be played in this city
on Thanksgiving.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Court Again Monday.

Judge Maxwell will return to Leon
again next Monday to complete the
trial of Tom Young, which was ad-
journed last week on account of the
illness of the judge, who was COM
PEELED to return to- his home at Cres-
ton. Word from Judge Maxwell is
that he is much improved and will be
on hands next Monday. Judge Evans
is holding holding court for Judge
Maxwell at Mt. AYR this week.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23

DR.. James B. Owens, an old Leon
boy, who graduated from the State
University of Iowa, has located at
Mt. Ayr for the practice of his pro-
fession, making a speciality of dis
eases of the eye, ear, nose and
throat. After graduating at Iowa
City DR.. Owen was in the hospital
at Louisville, KY, for year and re-
Gently has been practicing at Jen-
nings, Oklahoma.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Jasper Dale Died Saturday.

w. J. Dale. former we'll known
farmer of Hamilton township, died
at his home near Nashville, Okla
homa, Saturday morning at 3
o'clock. No particulars have been
received by relatives here aside from
the telegram announcing his death.
His brothers, John and Sam left Sun
day for Oklahoma to attend the
funeral
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
At the Nj. f. Church.

On last Sabbath very fine and en-
couraging audiences greeted the
pastor. Come again.
Glass No. 3 entertained last Tues
day evening. A most pleasant time
was had.
On next Sabbath morning Mrs, O.
S. Dow, field worker of the Woman's
Foreign Missionary Society will oc-
cupy the pulpit. She is speaker of
rare ability. Do not fail to hear her.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
II. A. NJ. Officers.

At the regular meeting of the
Royal Arch Masons last week the
following officers for the ensuing
year were elected:
H. Pm. A. Gammill.
XIV. A. Poush.
S.-H. L. Long.
Secy.-S. Varga.
Treas.--H. Farquhar.
c.. H.-Win Cash.
P. S.-W. G. Stempel.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
Marriage Licenses.

Lawrence M. Frost, Lamont. -. g.
Edith v. Evans. Decatur: 80. q
Clifford Lloyd, Lamont. :. ...A.. q
Rose Negley, Lamont. Il
c., M. Banks, Leon. 2.
Lucinda Brantwait, Lamont 4 2:
Horace A. Johnston, Grand River 24
Martha ]. Young, Grand River n
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
BankS-BrantWait.

Carl NJ. Banks, of this city and
Miss Lucinda Brantwait, of La
moni, were married by Justice a. r.
Warford in this city last Saturday.
They will make their home on a
farm near this city. n. ss 4. 5Ess vs.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23

H. V. Calhoun, of Leroy, is can
didate for one of the autos given
away in the Des Moines Register and
Leader contest. He asks that any
Decatur county people subscribing
for the Register and Leader or Even
ing Tribune, send their subscriptions
to- him sAt Leroy OF. leave them at
The Reporter once.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
New X. II. Officers.

At the regular meeting of Tripolis
Commandery No. 60, Knights Temp
lar, held last week, the following Of
ficers for the coming year were
elected:
E. C.-H. Farquhar
G.-F. A. Gardner
c. CDR. J. w. Rowell.
S. W.-Dr. H. R. Layton.
J. VIII. L. Long.
Treas.-Dr. o. w. Foxworthy.
Recorder.-J. A. Caster.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23
At the Christian Church.

Splendid audiences greeted the
pastor Lords day. The Bible school
was we'll attended, but not quite up
to the regular number. The pastor
is to preach the Thanksgiving SER
mon and the union service will be
held this time at the Baptist church.
All the regular services of the church
next Lords day. Every one invited.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-23

i Every man, thinks he can plan his
own house better than an architect.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-10
THE ALDRICH SYSTEM
UP.FOR ACTION SOON

disfavor and alarm by the small
bankers and the people of the country
does not discourage him. He has
passed tariff bills loaded down with
jokers for the tariff trusts in the past,
in the very teeth OF the opposition Of
the entire country. Apparently he
thinks he can do the same thing with
the currency plan, which he rewards
as the crowning glory of his achieve
mentS as a statesman. But he may
be disappointed, as he is reckoning
without the progressive democrats and
republicans in both houses who will
begin a campaign of education of the
public to the tremendous menace of
his scheme the moment an opportunity
is presented for debate.
any of those who have carefully an
alyzed it to possess many of the
vicious features of a. central govern
fne11t bank. The United States had
one experience with a central govern
ment bank. It was manned by poll
ticians and brought on panies and
bank failures all over the land.
One feature Of the Aidrich plan
which has been largely overlooked by
the public. but will be brought into
the spotlight when congress starts to
discuss the subject, is SO characteristic
of the author that 1t may discredit
the whole program. 1t virtually per-
mits the central reserve association to
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-10
"reminiscences of the Alabama Conference
BY Judge Chas. H. Laney.

recently been missionaries to Japan,
attended this conference.
Harriet Cross was the brightest
woman in the Methodist church She
wrote books and poetry, contributed to
magazines and edited Sunday school
religious work.
The guests at our home during this
conference were DR.. William Ellison,
DR.. McCarty, w. K. Norton and the
Reverend Mr.. Selman, one of the best
men I ever saw. DR.. Ellison was the
first president of the Wesleyan Female
College. VIM. A. McCarty was the
great theologian of the Methodist
church, and perhaps the finest parlia-
mentarian that this denomination ever
had. y
]. w. Solomon was the great hu-
morist of the Methodist church at this
time. In fact, I have never seen a
man in or out of the pulpit who was
his equal. He was the originator of
the Sam Jones. style of preaching and
was far more original and eloquent
than Sam Jones ever was.
The great preacher of the Methodist
denomination at that time was c. P.
Nicely. In my opinion Nicely was the
greatest orator his church has ever
had before or since his day. He was
at this conference and preached a
sermon on the subject: The Lord
God Omnipotent Reigneth." Although
child at this time, l remember this
sermon quite distinctly because it
made quite an impression on me.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-10

This conference was held right on
the eve of the civil war and a great
many questions came up for discus
sion at that time that subsequently
became national issues. The Metho-
dist church has been accused of di-
viding the Union. However this may
be, the southern church We're certainly
patriotic men and stood up at all
times for the rights of their section.
The Alabama conference as then Or
~anized had furnished three bishops
for the Methodist church, Wightman
Hargrove and Mccoy. Hargrove was
not member Of the conference al
the time he was elected bishop, but
he had been, and was Alabama raised
I think the Methodist church then had
only five bishops. Payne, Soule, Capers
and Pierce and Kavanaghs I may be
mistaken about this, however as I am
writing purely from memory.
What a race of giants this old con-
ference was. McFeFrin and Nicely and
Cottrell and Motley and McCarty and
Simon Peter Richardson and a long
list of names l have forgotten.
Many of the preachers who attended
this conference afterwards went into
the Confederate army. Some of them
died in northern prisons and some on
the battlefields of Virginia and Ten
neSSee.
You can say what you viii about
the Methodist preacher, but he has
ever been patriot in all periods of his
countrys history.
The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-10

The first conference ever saw was
at Eufaula, Alabama, in 1850. At that
time the Alabama Conference had not
been divided and it extended from the
Tennessee line to the Gulf of Mexico.
This was a conference exclusively of
preachers. They had no lay represen-
tatiVes. Eufaula was inaccessible and
hard to reach. Many of the preachers
who went to that conference had long
distances of several hundred miles to
travel by private conveyance. The
Montgomery and Eufaula Railroad had
not been built west and the only way
to reach the capital was to travel
eighty-one miles by stage coach.
The Nashville and Decatur Railroad,
now the L. & NJ, stopped at Decatur
and there was no railroad south of that
point. to Montgomery. Birmingham
was not then on the map. I remem-
Der one preacher who attended that
conference travelled on horseback from
the Tennessee river to Eufaula, a dis
lance of over three hundred miles.
Bishop Kavanagh presided over this
conference. S. F. Pilley was presiding
elder of the Eufaula district and j. L.
Cotton preacher in charge. There is
only one member of this Alabama Con-
ference living today who was a mem
Der of that conference, as far as I
know, that is DR.. J. w. Shores.
Dr. Lovick Pierce, father of the
bishop and one of the greatest preach
ers of his day, also DR.. Joseph Cross
and his wife, Harriet Cross, who had