Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-23
Looker-On In Iowa


season opened as usual on the 18th
with big demand Tor boats and boat
men. No phenomenal catches are re-
ported, but good strigs of pike. crap
pies, and perch were brought in. 1t
gives the sportsman an idea Of the
fishing now in the Ol1oboji and Spirit
Lake, when every perch counts one, in
reporting the days catch. Time was
when perch were Thrown back" as
pickerel are in Wisconsin today or II
caught and brought in are not men
toned. Very few bass are taking the
hook and with the usual don't know
why" Crappies are biting freely In
West Okoboji, but not so in Spirit
Lake. They are hungry and biting IN
Spirit Lake. This condition of affairs
is likely to change any day.
They have a boosters club organ
lied here this year and no longer pro-
pose to '1hide the light under a bushel."
A publicity department has been es-
tablished here and from now on look
out for fish stories. Here is one for
starter One man claims to have
caught a buffalo fish weighing twenty
five pounds on a hook and line in East
Okoboii mo, sir, didn't suas him, he
bit"
The saloon business here. that is
present conditions are unusual and in
teresting to students Of prohibition
and the temperance question. For sew
eral years Dickinson county was dry
SO was Spirit Lake. Numerous were
the Joints" around and bootleggers
were prosperous. The Minnesota line
is only six miles away and fishermen
| in Spirit Lake If in dry town when
they started out only had to row
short distance to quench their thirst
Then the Antlers hotel, fine building
was erected and the proprietor offered
| to raw $4,000 a year If he could have
the whole saloon business Of the town.
The necessary names were secured on
a county petition and the town gave
him a monopoly of the business. And
It is generally admitted this monopoly
saloon here has been run as nearly
right" as is possible under the mulct
law Of the state Of Iowa. But on the
! coming July a new county petition is
necessary to continue Dickinson as
"wet" county. To the detriment OF the
saloon men, a few days work on the
new petition among the business men
and residents Of the town brought out
the fact that over 80 per cent Of the
business men do not longer want sa-
! loon in Spirit Lake. Some claim that
larger percentas &c refused to sign the
| new petition. So the work Of securing
names was abandoned. It is reported
another effort is to be made. The ar
gument is made to these business men
| IL we don't have an open saloon taxes
would be higher as we shall lose that
$4,000, besides we shall once more
have around all OF the lakes places"
where beer and liquors viii be sold.
To all this, these business men turn a
deaf ear, even while admitting the
open saloon they have had was a
model one These business men are
not all prohibitionists, not all total alb
stinence men. They simply oppose the
open saloon as a business proposition,
which in their opinion, does not pay.
Lake Park. Superior. and Arnolds
Park win also be dry after July l..
The town Of Milford has been dry for
| quite while.
The boosters club Of Clarion re-
Gently had a street and alley cleaning
day, and it IL an object lesson for
other towns. The amount of rubbish
that was cleaned up and destroyed
astonist1ed the citizens of that slightly
l county seat. lHoy uOI IodliZe uH-
tin they got onto the Job how much
there was to do. It wouldn't do to
give the names Of a number OF Iowa
towns that need to "clean house" much
worse than Clarion did. And II in this
column It was mentioned that Nextown
! seems to have no civic pride, that
Lastown's sidewalks are standing
adjustment to Q. general town sleep
1essness and that other town is dying
Of dry rot, no one seeming to care to
paint their store buildings not even to
run lawn mowers. What warm re-
ception this scribe would have on a
return trip. But the Looker-on 10 not
the only critic. Travelling men men
| ton these things. Strangers notice
the general untfdy appearance Of
Lastown, Nextown, and other towns.
| all in Iowa, this state.
! a%M-..