Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-05
Looker-On In Iona

Searsboro, Dec. 5.-The people Of
Iowa, especially the readers Of the
daily papers. welcomed the published
, statement of the state board Of health,
its aims. objects and desired results.
There's vast amount Of work ahead
OF them. Not the least will be the
closing Of public wells at railroad sta
lions. where the privy vault is located
within dangerous proximity. Either
close the wells, remove the out
houses, or insist on a cement vault.
Strangers and travellers are daily ex-
posed to typhoid from using drinking
water from such wells so located. And
the state board Of health will be sur
prised at the number of such public
wells located all over Iowa. There is
no protection for the public for many
OF these oUthouses are part and parcel
OF coal houses, which the travelling
public can not see, and the condition of
many a subject for action on the part
of even the local boards of health.
"Everybody's business is nobody's
business and now tina, we have
state board Of health that proposes to
do things. here's hoping that in this
column the writer Will be able 10 re-
port some active work along this line.
And while they are in the drinking
water business It Will be good thing
TO inquire where the water and ice
comes from which Is used in the water
tanks in the passenger coaches. Also
TO get some positive knowledge of the
emptying Of said tanks, say once
week to get rid OF accumulated sedi-
ment. Since such tanks in some cases
on some railroads. are roillI half an
hour each time they are filed with
fresh CD water or ice. Long live the
new board Of health. When they get
the drinking water business fixed up
other needed work will be indicated.
80
a society woman asks. WHY don't
YOU write UP the tango dance and the
reply ;s ard vas. because this scribe
is not posted on the "ins and outs OF
II. He has seen the tango,-pronounce
lit "tongo"-danced and what he saw
was modest and refined enough for the
state ball at Washington. On the other
hand. he has been told that right here
in Iowa, a tango" is danced that would
almost shock a cabaret audience in the
of districts in New York City. One
thing is sure, the writer Is too wise to
start something on the dance question.
He knows that right here in Iowa for
some reason there has been big
I'm provement in the so called public
dance in the smaller towns. Twenty
five years ago. the average young man
going to a dance, bought quart of
whisky 20 take to the dance. The
dance that did not end with a fight
was the exception rather than the rule.
IN many such public dances young
women with soiled regulations were
present and no effort was made to
keep them off the floor. They went
With the quart bottle Of whisky. and
respectable young men and women
expected both as they do now when
entering hotel or railroad depot Now
this tough crowd and accompaniment
flock by themselves and the tango we
read about is INDUCED in and more
Today nearly every hand bin giving
notice OF a public dance has on 1t
these words: Good order will be
maintained" OF course, If the reader
looks at dancing as Billy Sunday does.
IL all kinds OF dances are bad. then the
tango is worse On the other hand
large percentage of our best Iowa peo-
pie see no harm in the club dance with
the tango included. It's just accord
ing as you're brought up"