Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-11-24
Looker-On In Iona

Traer, Nov o4.-The town OF Dysart.
just east of here, has put In practice a
rev plan for increasing the corpora
ton revenue. The writer Is informed
that the city council ordered vacated
some twenty or more public streets,
doing this by vote and exercising
power vested in such bodies. Several
Of the streets so vacated have been
sold and buildings are to be and are in
process of being erected. The money
obtained from such sales is to be in
vested in a deep well for public use.
But some of the citizens owning
property feel their are seriously dam
aged by such vacations" and many
law suits will follow. The writer's in
formant Of the above says one woman
now finds herself with a $4,000 resi-
dance lying in COW pasture.
while ago this town vacated a
street for an enlargement OF the ath-
letic grounds adjoining the school
house. A short time before his death
Mr.. ]. q. Dennis presented the city
with nearly an acre OF valuable town
lots on condition the ground was used
| forever for a playground for the school
children. He many times talked over
! the subject of leaving in his will sum
of money for library, but finally con-
| Guided to give the children play
| ground adjoining one Of the finest and
largest school houses in the state OF
| Iowa. One observing citizen here who
is generally on hand when game CT
baseball or football is in progress, SAYS
4 where the games were played formerly
| in a pasture east Of town. the swear
| language INDUCED in was simply aw-
full. Now such games played in sound
/ Of the school teachers and residents OF
| property adjoining the Fairgrounds. are
remarkable for the absence Of profan-
ity. All of which suggests something
to will makers.
It is no wonder the people Of Iowa
are against the railroads" 1t is no.
strange the people of Iowa have near.
Nv lost faith in our board Of railroad
commissioners as board possessing
/ power and interest to use It for thu
public welfare. Abbott's crossing Is thu
junction Of the Iowa Central and thu
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail
road. Abbott's crossing consists OF ont
building-the depot. mile from an!
other building, mile from where foot
and shelter can be had by the travelling
public. From twenty-five to 100 peo
pie change cars there every twenty
four hours. These two big corpora
lions refuse to put IN telephone be
, cause the law says, railroads "shall
install telephone where there Is a
exchange. ETC., and there Is no ex
change in Abbott's crossing. They re
fnae to hire telegraph operators. alth
the wires are in the depot, and instru
lments were there until removed. be
cause they can thus save the differ
/ ence paid an agent and an operate,
Thus many passengers get OF tn
, trains OF one road or the other. an
, might as well be on the prairie for a
. they can find out about the TRAIN
they expect to take. The writer ono
waited there six hours ana only foun
! there WAS a wreck" by an incomin
: train from the north. And It 70 fae
that men, women and children nearl
every day are obliged to 20 withou
, food because they do not dare to 80 t
I town q mile away for q lunch. for Tea
!, their trail. will come and 90 while the
are up town. But this - not al. o
the Iowa Central train going north o
q recent Monday. twenty-five passen
gers got of at Abbott's crossing - 9
: :c-4h the Roclk Island some eve
: going up into Canada.3 The Centrl
J. was 30 late these passengers W0ul