Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-22
Looker-On In Iona

claims that many miles of our open
drainage bitches have filed in at the
bottom to such an extent that they are
almost useless for the original purpose
ana that it will require much labor ano
expense to place them in condition to
be really serviceable. AS might be
guessed he Is a strong advocate OF the
covered big tile ditch. He clinches his
argument by saying much OF the big
open ditch drainage is on par with
our former system OF road making.
Thousands OF dollars actually wasted
by makeshift work in tho interest Of
So called economy.
There is now being finished in Grun-
dy Center big 5000 building to be
used on the first floor - a, moving pic
ture theater and upstairs for secret So
ciety purposes, which involves the ex-
penditure OF another 5000 or more.
A few years ago this moving picture
theater would have been styled an
opera house and properly so. for there
were few opera houses IN town of
1000 inhabitants equal to It in seating
capacity and general equipment.
Here is another opinion on the sub
families. The quoted individual is q
very religious man. and he sees in this
proposal of bringing those unfortunate
people to Iowa a polite move on the
part of the pope of Rome. to place
right here in Iowa 100000 Roman
Catholics and thus increase the power
of that church in matters both secular
and religious. All OF which is added to
previous published comments on this
subject. and all open for debate.
J Last week talking with an old
Scotchman, he said before ne left the
old country many years ego. they had
the foot and mouth disease there and
experiences similar to those in Iowa
few weeks ago. Sales were prohibited.
stock could not be moved from one
farm to another, and even the talk OF
graft" was heard in the land, only 1t
was not called by that name in those
I days. He said it was not IN incurable
disease at that time, altho 1t was in
fictitious and many fatal cases.
| The following is hard to vouch for.
The reader must take 1t with "a poinch
] Of salt 1t seems in one small Iowa
| town where measles were flourishing
one poor family had a case and were
quarantined So poor were these folks
the county had to keep them in food
supplies. The family was large, and as
soon as one Of the family got over it,
another case developed and thus that
| family continued to have months
of measles quarantine and county food
supplies. He says that family lived on
| measles all winter long and considered
it "a wise dispensation OF providence"
Early Christmas shopping will be
over by the time this Is in print so
what follows Will not be considered as
a clam" on any of our Iowa mer-
chants. But it Is a chance to make a
few remarks about the almost useless
clerks, both puny men and young
women employed as extra help during
the holiday trade season. It's so
strange these extra salespeople do not
make this an opportunity to become
valuable enough to be retained in per-
manent positions. On the contrary not
one in dozen seems to care whether
customer buys anything or not. Ask
ing in one big department store Tor az
article usually for sale, the reply waa
NO" and said clerk walked of to talh
: with a bunch OF other sales ladies'
In another store, Don't know, do w
have 1t, Sadie?" was all one said. MOI
an effort made to hold the would oe
customer Finally In a smaller store
after the clerk said, I'VE don't keep It,
the proprietor came up with some.
thing you want?" was told and sen,
. the clerk into the back end Of the store
where more than hundred dollari
worth were in boxes plainly printed OF
the end Of each box. That clerk viii
not be needed after this week. In con.
trast was the clerk in another store. 1
! permanent clerk who draws good wagel
: and some day will have store OF hi
own. "No. we haven't got that make
we think the x brand much better 3.
we keep II, come back and let me SHOW
> II to you. I've used It myself for tw,
~ years" and the customer became