davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Kept Their Marriage Secret.

News of the marriage of Miss Nal
lie Caster, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
J. NJ. Caster of this city, to Mr..
Ralph A. Kicker, of Des Moines, has
just leaked out. Miss Caster for
some time has been employed in an
insurance Office at Des Moines, and
her husband is employed by the same
company. The young folks planned
a surprise on their friends SO they
slipped quietly away to Waterloo,
Iowa, on September 1st, and were
married. They let none of ther rela-
tives or friends into their secret, al
though they surmised that we'd
ding was going to follow. The young
folks expect to go to housekeeping
in Waterloo about the 1st of May.
The bride is one of Icons most
popular young ladies and has many
friends in this city who extend con-
gratulations.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Big New Engine is Here.

The monster Ali horse power en-
gine recently purchaser by the Leon
Electric Co., arrived Monday, and if
they just had it up to the plant and
installed they would be mighty hap
py. The engine is so heavy that
there is no wagon here which will
carry it, and house moving trucks
will have to be used The engine
will be brought up from the depot
this week, and it will take about ten
days to install it. When it is placed
in position there will be no engine
it's equal in this part of Iowa, and
when all the new improvements are
made there will not be an electric
plant in southern Iowa, in cities
large or small, which will be as we'll
equipped as the Leon plant. Just
wait until it is all installed and we
will tell you all about it.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Everett Vaughn Goes Up for Five
Years.

Everett Vaughn, young man who
formerly resided in, Leon, was last
week sentenced at Clarinda to serve
an indeterminate sentence of not to
exceed five years in the reformatory
at Anomosa, for stabbing VIM. Sim
mons, an aged resident Of that city,
some weeks ago. Vaughn had en-
tered a plea of not guilty and the
case had been on trial for two days,
When seeing that the evidence was
overwhelming and yielding to the
advice of LIs attorney he decided to
plead guilty to the charge of attempt
ed manslaughter. At the time of
the trouble young Vaughn had been
drinking and was creating disturb
ance in front of the home of Mr..
Simmons, ana when he requested him
to move on he assaulted him and
stabbed him with knife.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Clean Up The City.

If the, mayor or the city council
wants to do something which will
be appreciated by all good citizens,
they will Immediately take steps to
clean up the city. A trip over the
streets and alleys of the city shows
that many of them, especially the al
leys are in filthy condition. They
should be cleaned up at once, and #
the owners fail to do so, the city
should do it.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Received Fresh Vegetables and
Strawberries.

Uncle Bob Bowsher received by
parcel post Tuesday package con-
tanning fresh strawberries, green
peas, beans, radishes and other gar
den truck, which was sent to him by
his son, J. r. Bowsher, who with his
family are making an extensive trip
through the south. A letter from
Mr.. Bowsher said they were at Ham
let, N. c., but were only stopping
one day at a place, in order to see
as much of the country as possible,
and were having delightful trip.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
City Federation Meeting.

The City Federation Of Clubs will
hold it's regular meeting at the P. =.
o. hall Friday, March 14th, at 2:30.
The program is under the direc-
ton of the Fifteen, Priscilla and
Magazine clubs.
Any lady whether a member OF
any club or not is cordially invited.
Program.
Greetings from State President,
Mrs. Hoffhines.
Song, Mrs. Cline.
What our State Federation is Do
ing, Mrs Emma Long and Miss Hi
mena Hoffman.
Piano solo, Miss Freda Teale.
Reading, Miss Horner.
Song, Miss Hutchinson.
Reading, Miss Shontz.
Piano solo, Mrs. Wagner.
Song, Mr.. Manley.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
The Breckenridge Stock Co.

The Charles Breckenridge Stock
Stock Co. are appearing. each even
ing this week at the opera house, pre-
senting a repertoire OF the new and
most popular plays of the season.
They are receiving a we'll merited
patronage, for they please everyone
in the house. The company is COM
pose OF nice appearing ladies and
gentlemen, who have made friends
since coming to this city, and they
are all actors and actresses of abil-
ity. You are missing seeing good
thing if you are not attending their
performances.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13

.cifications. The enhancement of the
land values alone will pay for it. One
effect will be to put the farm now 3
miles from town within two or three
miles. Farming could be intensi-
fed, by dairying, and raising crops
that will yield much more per acre
than present crops. This kind OF
farming depends on good roads all
the time to get to market. Why you
will pay out alone in WOrnout wagons
and harness and horses and loss Of
time on bad roads what would be a
good sized tax for maintainance of
good roads. Another thing good
roads will do is to vastly improve the
educational advantages. OF the 25
million school children in the United
States only Is million are in school.
Many are out because of bad roads.
1T is not the rule to see good
roads built where taxes are worked
out 1t takes the cash. And it takes
supervision. You are probably do
ing the best you can under plan
that makes three county supervisors
and 81 township trustees and a lot
of road supervisors in each township
the road builders. One of the most
important things to be done is to put
one man at the head. we will have
uniform specifications, uniform
grades, uniform drainage systems,
and maze your roads something to
be proud Of And when thinking of
permanent roads built under such
supervision don't get the erroneous
notion that this means necessarily
expensive roads. The only real per-
manent road work is done with dirt
and concrete bridges. When you
grade hill or build such bridge
it is done to stay. When you put
on concrete it will not last forever.
You see the necessity OF having some
body in charge of such work as knows
his job The present road builders
have made something else their
business too long to make the best
road men. Township trustees and
others have other duties. They are
good men, but they need the work
that a man who makes road building
a business can do. You wouldn't
think of paying out your millions for
schools and letting anybody go in
and teach without training or certi-
fcate. You ought to be just as care
Ol tuS luIllloho Sou SpSi1u VA L1i'I
roads"
A fine lot of pictures was shown,
roads OF ancient times
and of today, the changes in method
of construction, and the contrast
between good roads and bad roads.
AS the pictures were shown Mr.. Ed
ridge commented on various points.
In many instances a road was shown
with mudholes and then year later
after it had proper drainage, or per-
haps had been surfaced with con-
crete or some other material: He
showed in a southern town where
two farmers came in with cotton
bales the day cotton went up ten
points. One was on a good road and
brought in half dozen bales to take
Of the raise, another was
on poor road and had only one
500 pound bale. He showed the kind
of home often found along bad roads
and how with better roads homes i'm
prove in appearance. Modern ce-
ment culverts were shown and some
Iowa mudholes in the old days be-
fore the road drag. 1t was a splen-
did object lesson that proved very
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
FLOYD COZad Married.

Deputy treasurer Floyd H. Cozad
quietly slipped away Monday morn
ing and went to Little Sioux, Iowa,
where he was married on Tuesday ev-
ening, to Miss Lois M. Stewart, at
the home of her parents in Little
Sioux. The bride is a popular young
lady of that city. They formed an
acquaintance while in college, and
the result is that we lose Floyd from
the roll of the eligible bachelor boys,
of Leon. Mr.. and Mrs. COzad are
expected to arrive home today, and
the court house rats are preparing
to give them a warm reception.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Drawn for Jurors in United States
Federal Court.

An unusual large number of De-
catur county citizens have been
drawn for service as grand and petit
jurors of the United States Federal
Court, which convenes at Creston on
March 31st T. B. Abercrombie, of
Weldon and James Howell, of Leon,
were drawn as grand jurors and
Charles Cherrington, H. H. Full
Ter, Joseph Mullins and c, E.
of Leon, Grant
Craig, of Davis City, A. H.
Meter, of Garden Grove, c. A. Man
nasmith, of Bloomington, and Harri-
son Orfield, of Decatur were drawn
as petit jurors.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Millinery Opening March ii and Is.

Pryor & Co. will hold their big
spring millinery opening on Friday
and Saturday, March IA and Is.
They have visited all of the principal
millinery markets, the new styles be-
ing selected by Miss Jessica Pryor
personally, and they will have on
display for the inspection of the
ladies of Leon and vicinity the finest
line of new spring millinery ever
brought to Leon A cordial invita-
ton is extended to every lady in De-
catur county to attend the opening
and see the many pretty new styles.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Marriage Licenses.

VIM. e. Smith, Garden Grove. .. "a
Melvia L. Cronin, Garden Grove. .19
Ralph S. Goodman, Leon. :. ..21
Ada Dale, Leon. .............. .22
Fred Burkheimer, Garden Grove .22
Grace Reynolds, Leon. ..... -. .1S
Joseph H. SaBoord, Lamont. ..... IA
Lizzie L. Akers, Grand River 20
Charles E. Trisler, Van Vert 20
Bessie Dotson, Van Vert. :. -. is
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Cholene Medical Co. Moves.

The Cholene Medical Co. have leas-
ed the rooms over Penniwell Bros.
meat market and are moving their
stock and labratory to the new loca-
tion. 1t will be nicely fixed up and
the new company expects to increase
the business considerably within the
next few months.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
March IA and Is is the Date.

We refer of course to the annual
spring millinery opening of Pryor
& Co., the leading milliners of Deca-
;tur county. On these dates they will
SHOW the very latest styles of new
spring millinery and they extend a
cordial invitation to all the ladies'
to call and inspect the new spring
styles. All kinds and prices to suit
every purse.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
X. p. Band to Give Sacred Concert

If the weather is favorable, the K.
P. Band will give special open air
sacred concert in the band stand on
Easter Sunday afternoon, the boys
being busy practicing special music
for the occasion. It will be quite a
treat to hear them give concert
once more.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
We Need More Houses.

Houses were never in greater de-
mand in Leon than at the present
time, and there are a number OF
families looking for houses to rent,
and none to be had. If some of our
monied men will erect some good
modern houses, they could be rented
for good rent.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Mrs. Mary Hall Died in Denver
Colorado.

Miss Eva Rhea received telegram
from Pusey Hall Tuesday with the
sad news of the death of his mother,
Mrs. Mary Hall, at her home in Den
yer, Colorado, that day. Her body
will be brought to her old home at
Charlton for interment, the funeral
being held at Charlton next Sunday
afternoon
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
o. E. S. School of Instruction and
Sic. Inspection.

Mrs. Lucy B. Bullock, of Lorimor,
Iowa, district inspector of the O. E.
S. was in Leon Monday and conduct
ed school Of instruction during the
afternoon. In the evening the work
of the local chapter was inspected,
after which the members enjoyed a
very pleasant social hour, light re-
freshments being served.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
Shetlands for Sale.

Spotted Shetland stallion coming
4 years old, a bay Shetland coming
2 years old and spotted coming
yearling Shetland for sale. Call on
or phone Fred Boyce, Weldon, Iowa.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
None Better.

No better farm policies are sold
than those issued by the pioneer
Iowa company. the Farmers Insur-
ance Co., of Cedar Rapids. Their
policies not only cover loss by fire.
lightning, tornado and high winds,
but any loss occasioned by the ele-
ments. Losses always settled
promptly without discount.
Pease e Pease.
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13
School Election.

There was quite a little interest
taken at the Leon school election
held Monday, there being 265 votes
cast. There were two directors to
be elected for three year terms, and
two tickets were placed in the field,
one with the names Of Capt. J. D.
Brown and Fred Teale, and the other
bearing the names of E. Housh and
J.. w. Long, the present members.
Both of these gentlemen had stated
that they did not want to serve
again, and Mr.. Housh was absent
from the city, being in Illinois on
business. The result was the cleo
ton of Brown and Teale, the vote
The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-03-13

Miss Blanche Marvin returned to
Blockley Thursday after visiting a
few days with relatives in this city.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
TABLES TURNED ON
RAILWAY DETECTIVE

Railway Detective Jones of the Cen
trail of Georgia railroad went through
an exciting experience early last night.
He spotted some car thieves in the
railroad yard and set out after them.
Hiding under a freight car, he waited
until the thieves broke the seal of the
car and started to enter 1t for the pur-
pose of robbery
Detective Jones drew his revolver
and ordered the thieves to surrender.
This request from the special officer
brought some speedy action from the
car robbers, for they both jumped on
Jones before he could fire a shot and
Ia desperate struggle ensued which re-
suited in the robbers securing the Of
ficer's revolver and escaping.
Jones Immediately reported the af-
fair to police headquarters and several
Officers were detailed to the railroad
yards in an effort TO capture the car
thieves, but at a late hour none had
been caught Jones was badly bruised
up, but feels very thankful that he
escaped with his life.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
Shows How Deficits Have
Been Systematically
Reduced
INHERITED DEBTS
THAT WERE BURDEN
Reduced Deficit by $126,000 During
First Year-Has Collected Large
Amounts That Had Escaped
Previous Administrations

Montgomery, April 19-During the four
years preceding the present administra-
ton, there was an annual deficit in Ala
bama of $685. ,s2s.50 or a total four years
deficit of 81, 44S, ,714G3, according to a state
ment which Governor O'Neal late this aft
ernoon gave to the press.
The statement was issued by the chief
executive, as explained by him, because
unfair critics of my administration have
charged that It has been characterized
by a lack of business management"
In his statement the governor refers to
the general improvements that have been
made by the present administration. The
statement shows that deficits have been
Systematically reduced and that expenses
have been cut down to a minimum. He
also refers to large amounts of moneys
that have been collected by him that
escaped previous administrations
Reduction During First Year
During the first year of his adminis-
tration, the governor shows that he re-
duced the states deficit by $126, 1888. 'If
the receipts this year are what we ex-
pect," he adds, II hope at the end of the
present fiscal year, to make the receipts
equal the disbursements
His statement which is a careful COM
pilation of facts, follows:
Unfair critics. of my administration
have charged that it has been character
lied by lack of business management. L
answer this criticism by an unvarn1shed
statement of the facts as they really
exist.
..The reports of the auditor and treas
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20

Confronted with these conditions
made extraordinary efforts by every pos
sible means to increase the revenues of
the state and avoid the necessity of con-
vening the legislature in extraordinary
session.
Convict Receipts
During two years of my adninis-s
tration the gross receipts of the con-
Wet department reached s2,0SO,469. I
have collected from the sixteenth sec
ton lands S77,14496 an increase over
the two previous years of $57,157, and
these lands were sold from 200 to 900
per cent higher than ever before in
the history of the state Through my.
examiners l discovered a defalcation in
the department of education which had
occurred in each of the three admin
istrations prior TO the term of office
Of Hon. II. J. Willingham, and prior
to my term of office of $3061260.
The larger proportion of this amount
accrued during the term of IL. j. Gun
nells as superintendent of education
and the remainder was embezzled by
a clerk during the administration of
Mr. Isaac Hill and by the same clerk
during the administration of Mr.. Abb
ercrombie. These defalcations were not
discovered until my administration was
in effect, and it has been during my
administration that, according to re-
port of Examiner German, a5113.11
OF the amount has been collected and
paid into the treasury and the re-
mainder is now in process of settle
ment and collection.
when Examiner Mccall commenced
the investigation of the accounts of I'll.
]. Gunnells. l instructed him to trace
from the records the sale of each piece
of sixteenth section lands, ascertain the
Price at which 1t was sold and continue
hi fran mt he n
the treasury. 1t is owing to this care
full and thorough examination that the
defalcation was discovered. This was
the policy 1 pursued in the investi-
cation of the cotton mill at Speig-
ners, which resultd in the discovery
of the recent defalcation in the convict
department..
From Foreign Corporations
II have collected from foreign cor
porations who failed to comply with
section 3642, ct seq. of the code, the
following amount of penalties, to- Wit:
s51,650. This is practically the first
time in the history of the state that
there has been an enforcement of this
provision of the law ] discovered last
year that many corporations were fall
ing to pay the franchise tax as re-
quired by law but were only paying
approximately so per cent on the actual
amount due. The statute requires
them to pay a tax upon the full value
of the money invested in this state,
and after making futile efforts through
the back tax commi issioners to collect
these amounts / employed special coun-
sci and they have already recovered
S11, AL 10,
I'm addition there has been collected
total permit fees $1040; total entrance
fees of foreign corporations, $4416.03,
and total amount of entrance fees of
foreign corporations collected under
contract with Daniel w. Troy of Sep
tember :, 1911. $35S4.o4, upon which
compensation at the rate of 10 per
cent was paid the attorneys. In let
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
Jails Had Been Crying Evil

Jails Had Been Crying Evil
1.-THE conditions of our jafls had be-
come a crying evil and disgrace to
our civilization. Through the active ef
forts of the state Jail inspector and
his assistants it can be truthfully said
that the jails of Alabama in SANTA
ton, in hygienic equipment thereof and
In our humane treatment of the pris-
oners will compare favorably to the
most advanced states in the union. In
addition to this during my administra-
ton there has been a most rigid In
spection of every cotton mill in the
state, and every possible effort made
TO prevent the working of children un-
der thu age limit fixed by law, and
to compel their attendance at school
as required by statute.
"In almost every cotton mill in the
state most marked Improvement has
been made in sanitary conditions and
in the health of their employees through
the rigid inspections constantly made
by the inspector of jails and prisons.
There has been more marked improve-
ment made in the last two years In
the sanitary conditions of jails, cotton
mills, convict camps and the peniten-
tiary than any previous period In the
history of the state. While revenue
from the convict department has been
an important consideration, I have not
overlooked the fact that the state owed
a duty to the unfortunate criminals In
Its custody and in addition to the in
spections made by the convict In
spectors l have required the inspector
of jails and prisons to personally ex-
anime every convict camp and peni-
tentiary in the state, and have prompt
" secured compliance with every pro-
posed Improvement he has suggested
looking to better sanitation and more
humane treatment of prisoners"
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20

paid by the respective counties. In adj
dition necessary improvements have
been made in every jail in Alabama.
both in sanitary conditions and the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-20
Inherited Burden of Debt

NotWlths standing the burden of debt
my administration inherited upon my en-
trance into office, burden which was
increased by additional appropriations
made by the legislature then in session
of over one-half million dollars and other
appropriations which | believed that the
demands of the public service and the in
terest of the people required me to re-
lease l have so far been able to meet
all the liabilities of the state, and it is
my hope that by continuing a system of
rigid economy, in the management of
ment, by the Introduction of better meth
ods of bookkeeping, the reduction of ex-
penses and rigid scrutiny of each and
every purchase in the convict department,
by equalizing tax values and preventing
escapes to be able, before the end of my
term to make the receipts exceed the
disbursements
Notwithstanding this heavy burden
of debt, Sall the great departments of
the state government have been in
creased in efficiency and necessary inn
provements in the transaction of pub
lie business inaugurated. The new wing
of the capitol has been completed. the
grounds and buildings have been inn
proved, improvements have been made
IN all the important Institutions of
learning, high schools have been es-
tablished in practically every county in
the state new rural schoolhouses erect
ed IN every part of Alabama, to meet
the popular demand for better high
ways and to foster construction of
good roads, state highway depart
nent was established as one of the
initial measures of my administration.
Through the work of that department
our highways have been improved and
a sentiment in favor of good roads
created and hundreds of thousands of
dollars, through local taxation and
bond issues expended in all parts OF
the state.
The state of Alabama has already
expended from its treasury for good
roads the sum of s142,000 up to the
ist OF April 1913, and this department
alone has cost the state, including the
amount paid the counties for state aid,
$159,T60f5 In addition to this and
In order TO encourage better and more
improved methods of farming, the Leg
islature, at my suggestion. appro-
priated about $4,000 for farm demon
stration work through the agency OF
Whlch each county in the state now
has farm demonstrator.
mo man who is familiar with tbe
wonderful advances made in aericu1-
ture In TINS state in the last few years
can question the wisdom of this action
and the enormous good which it has
brought 10 the state The federal gov
ernment had agreed to Supplement this
sppropriatien with a like sum. In ad-
dition to this $4,000 was appropriated
70 be useu oy the Alabama Polytech-
mic institute for the Suppression OF the
holl weevil, experiments In horticul-
ture. forage plants and other agricul-
tural subjects. During my adminfstra-
tion about sS5oOOO has been paid for
the erection OF new iails and the re-
rair Of old jalls in the various coun-
tics OF the state. this money being