Evening times-Republican., 1914-02-17
Looker-On In Iona

Maxwell. Feb. 17.-The man who
takes stock in the ground hogs wealth
er representations is a happy man
these days. Perhaps there's nothing
to it, but just notice the weather since
the ground hog saw his shadow Feb. q"
And his friends and neighbors who be-
lieves in retribution, the man who
thinks because we have nice weather
in December and January. we mus.
have bad weather in February ana
March to pay for it," He gleefuly
remarks these days, IT told you So"
And the number of these men in ever.
town is much larger than generally
supposed. When things come their
way then one hears from them in the
corner grocery and grain office.
A travelling man living in Mason
City read the story in the T.-R of the
Greeks in the cement city getting used
to pop in the social gatherings, in
stead of beer, and says you will have
to show me- He has had more or
less to do with the Greeks and says
when by themselves they compare IA
vorably with other nationalities, but
the troubles comes when Slavs, Hun
garians and Greeks get a lot Of fire
water inside of them and their old
grievances assume big proportions
Talking of substitutes for Intoxicating
liquors. there never was time in wes
and dry towns when hop-ale no-tox
and a doze nmore kinds Of drink stuff
had as much consumption as at pres
ent. Nearly all of these drinks have
very little or no intoxicating qualities,
but a glass Of malt extract something
that looks like beer and tastes like
beer" with the addition of three fin
gers Of whisky is better than the real
beer to the man that wants "the drunk
to come quick So is d bottle Of GIN
ger ale poured into a big glass and
generous quantity of gin added. All
this is not an argument for or against
prohibition, merely mentioning what is
going on in Iowa.
Since an item in this column men
tionins the added work on our rural
free delivery carriers caused by the
parcel st, several Of these men have
given the writer their personal expert
ence. Two carriers in one town said
there were many days when SO many
packages were received by parcel pos,
that they hardly had room to put their
feet after the little wagon was loaded.
II is no wonder these men dread the
now probable extension to 100 pound
packages. In the near future it means
larger wagons. slower trips, more
horses and more labor. One bill was in
troduced in congress to increase their
pay and was voted down. Another
one has been prepared and introduced,
and the public generally will be glad
to have these men properly paid for
the work they do.
A well-to-do retired farmer gives his
experience with his boys He has four
grown up boys and owns three fine
farms in Iowa of 100 acres. At a
nominal rent he kept the boys On the
farm. That is, he did till last year,
when two of them, altho they had
cleaned up $4,000 in few years. quit
the farm, one to go into the garage
business and the other bought a mov-
ing picture outfit. The other two are
still on one Of his farms, but he is
worried because they show signs Of un-
rest. He thinks the thing to do is to go
into town ano go into business, altho
they know they are making more
money then their brothers who have
brancned out. All of which grieves the
old man and looks strange to out
siders.
Some Of us who think we have to
work harder and get less for it than
the other feller'' saw the old chap
come into the depot staggering under
the weight OF three big mail sacks.
This was on one Of those blizzardy
days of last week. He is an old SOL
dier and he is old too, over 20. The
penson he receives is $27 month. But
a generous government allows him
s25 a month for carrying the mail to
the depot. To be sure he makes five
trips day and his two wheeled car.
is generally loaded like a hay rack
more parcel post. And 1t is only half
mile from the postoffice to the depot.
And as we saw him bucking the snow
drifts, saw the cart run off the cross
Ing into the ditch, saw him strain and
try to get it back on the sidewalk, saw
the snow cover his shoulders and old
cap. thought of his weary old legs, and
arms, why our ride in the bus even
on such a day, even II 1t was cold in
the bus, even II the train was a hour
late, we'll it is not SO bad.
40 HAAyA>A