Evening times-Republican., 1913-11-25
Looker-On In Iov a

Grundy Center. Nov. 25.-There Is
pirobably no better job Of paving IN
Iowa than is now being finisheo mere
The streets were rolled WIKI a ten ton
machine. then there came hve lhches
of concrete, this covered with two
inches of sand, all covered with WIZ
fed vitrifed brick four inches thick
and wide. The cost is s1.e7A per
square yard. A committee OF proml :
nent citizens visited other towns ana
thoroughly inspected all kinds OF paw
ing, came home and reported IN laEos
Of the above described paving. AS W..
D. Wilson said, I'VE could nave hau
a number of kinds much cheaper. We
found some bithulic paving only oeen
in use a few years that now is cut
thru to the concrete IN some places.
We saw asphaltum SO called now need
ing repairs Some streets paved WITH
cyoncrete were bulged because OF not
expansion room enough, and SO we oe-
cided on nothing in the way of expert
ment. We've put down paving tnat
will be good for fifty years and with
very little repairs during that time
ACCOrQlGX
2roprietors in the smaller towns, there
is very little profit now IN running
butcher shop. This especially Is true
where all meat handled are packing
house products. Since prices have
gone up, nearly all customers are using
smaller quantities. in other words are
spending as much money ss heretofore
for fresh meat, but buying smaller
pieces which Of course means more
cutting for each carcass. And every
time they cut slice 1t means some
waste and down weight. Then too'
salt meats are sold on close margin.
Where some shops do their own outch-
ering such proprietors say they can
only keep in the business by selling
their own butchered meat at the same
price per pound as the lacking house
meat and no reason Why they shouio
sell it cheaper. for the quality Is the
same One market man admitted there
was good money IN buy!Is sheep at
$3.50 to 81 per hundred and selling 1t
out at 16 to % cents, but they can not
sell enough Of it only to help pay ex-
penses simply because they can sell
ton Of beef or pork to 100 pounds OF
mutton. The people OF Iowa would
not greatly increase the sale OF mutton
if prices were reduced one half. When
it comes to fresh Ash there's only one
day in the week when people seem to
want fresh fish. and frequently they
get stuck on the small quantity they
ship in. Several butchers say since
pork became high priced they sell more
pounds In a week than ever before
And all dealers agree that it's only the
farmers patronage that keeps open the
shops in ma ny small towns. They buy
chunks not slices, and they buy several
dollars worth at one time during the
winter season.
The other day the writer heard OF a
cooperative deal in buying meat. 1t
seems in a postoffice where many
heads of families are working for Uncle
Sam. they are punching up" their or
ders and sending off to Nextown orders
for several days necessary supplies. 1t
is received in one package by express.
each mans kind and quantity tied up
separately. They claim TO save 80 to 40
per cent at regular local prices ana
quality satisfactory. The NeAto"n
dealed claims he can afford to make
such low prices because he gets spot
cash and saves expenses of delivery
and bookkeeping and bad debts. AS
these postoffice employees allow some OF
their aunts and cousins 20 order with
them the size of the express package
is increasing monthly. And exactly
that amount is the sales OF the local
dealers decreasing. Right in this
line is curious state Of az
fairs if correctly reported. A Ger
man. who was over to the old coun-
try. the Fatherland. three years ago.
says that fresh meat Of all kinds retaiis
cheaper in Germany than in Grunoy
Center, Iowa. So does beer and whis-
ky. Two big schooners for cents is
the regular thing, and whisky, just
think OF 1t, pure rye whisky govern
ment inspected, for Is cents quart or
three drinks for nickel in our money.
Still the said German did not mention
he was going back to live in Germany.
The failure Of the potato crop IN
Iowa is illustrated by conditions here.
AS high as $50 car loads OF potatoes
have been shipped out OF here in one
year. This year only forty car loads.
Probably this loss is true the state
over. Only tremendous crop In Min
nesota has prevented starvation prices
in Iowa. Dealers all over, however, are
afraid to stock up for 80 many families
are buying their winters supply direct
from the shipped in cars. that there
will be a cry light retail demand from
the stores. And the average store
keeper does not expect high prices next
spring Says there Is thousands OF
bushels in pits in Minnesota
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