Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-20
Looker-On In Iona

Rockwell City, Feb. 19.-One has to
travel over the new double tracked c.,
NJ. & ST. P railroad to get an idea OF
the substantial work being done along
the line in Iowa. For instance. at all
of the stations they have put in &C.
ment platforms At Melbourne there
are two cement pla forms. each 500
feet long, one for the track on the
north side, the same for the south
track. Section men tell the writer
these platforms are from eight inches
to sixteen inches solid concrete work.
There is an overhead bridge west Of
there, all reinforced concrete arches
and pillars. Near M axweN is sixty
foot railroad concrete cement bridge
that cost over 100000, this over COM
paratively small stream. This bridge
has eleven arches. large and small. 1t
is las handsome as a picture, in fact
some Of the pictures OF the old Roman
bridges are almost duplicates OF photo
graphs Of the one in Story county,
Iowa. 1t Is evident the Milwaukee In
tends to run trains over this bridge for
the next thousand years. At Maxwell
andi,n other towns the tracks are ele-
waited ten to twenty feet above the
level CT the streets. and subway for
the street built OF concrete is extensive
enough to allow load of hay to pass
thru. And right here should be mem
toned the uniform cleanliness of the
depots on this system. Either some
inspector attends to it. or the agents
make it matter OF personal pride. NO
road in Iowa compares with it In this
respect. A tobacco splitter endangeIs
his life and liberty # he uses the floor
or stove box. SO much for the taffy
act but when it comes to local pas
senger accommodation. well that Is
different. The management never has
ca tered to local passenger traffic, one
passenger train each way and the way
freigh.s is all except in the larger
towns. So the livery business Is still
paying one along this line in this
part Of Iowa.
The writer is told that one Of the
big jobbing dry goods houses of Chi
cago has over 500 travelling men on its
pay roll These men in Iowa call on
their customers every six to eight
weeks. Garry three to six big sample
trunks and open up" in one, some
times two towns every day Nearly II
of the Iowa men live in some Iowa
town, thus are able to get home every
Sunday But figure up the expense OF
500 travelling men. Hotel bills, excess
baggage, dray bills. car fares and in
cidentals. Then add the salary of 500
men, some Of them earn big money
This concern is the largest in the world
in the matter of numbers Of knights OF
the grip.
The little town CT Rhodes sets an
example to some larger ones In the
way Of good reads. EnterprisinS cltl-
zens in the town and nearby country
have raised over $1,000 to level and
grade some roads entering the town.
One bad" hill. when they get thru
with l., will have only Z per cent
grade. Then too. they have got the
consolidated school house idea WORK
ing, with every prospect of it being
voted in the near future.
A dealer posted on the question says
rs per cent Of all the washing ma
chimes made in the world are made IN
Iowa, and that the outside makes can
not compare with them in price. DUAL
ity or quantity. We are also working
up some export trade It would aston
ish some folks to know Of the power
machines, electric and gasoiene, sold
to the Iowa farmers. 1t is fact many
more Of the power washing machines
are sold in the country than IN the
towns. A $50 or $40 washing machine
is as much q necessity on the farm as a
$50 cream separator. Paraphrasing
little, Of all that Is good the Iowa
farmer has the best.
Wish one could believe all one