Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-02-23
Looker-On In Iona

Gearing, Feb. 23--One hears these
J days many tales of woe concerning the
cattle and hog business. \ number OF
cases are reported where at present
prices Of cattle feeders will lose all the
corn they have fed their steers. One
case is told where today feeder $
steers are worth only half a cent more
than ne paid for them last fall AT
the present prices of torn and hogs.
it is everywhere claimed hogs are not
earning their board. one feeder ship
ped recently his cattle to Omaha ana
was SO disguised he shipped them back
to his farm in Story county And one
hears of Iowa farmers shipping hogs
10 Chicago and prices not suitinS
them the day of receipt. holding them
three days in the yards, feeding them
corn at 81 per bushel. All OF Whicn
shows even farming in Iowa is not
one continual round of pleasure and
profit.
The broken rail" on many branch
, railroads seems TO be a common thing
, this winter Just why. unless too
heavy engines are run on too light
weight rails no one seems 10 know, for
up 10 the present February thaw the
road bed has been in good order. Not
long ago the section men on branch
road found a broken rail just after a
freight train had passed over, and q
Week after on the same branch line a
passenger train ran on the ties for five
feet. the broken rail lying several feet
away It's useless for the travelling
public to complain of this dangerous
condition of affairs. Our railroad COM
miss!oners either do not have the pow
er or fail to use H. to end this dan
gerous railroad travel. A few years
ago readers of the Hartford. Conn,
Courant, saw a notice issued by their
railroad corn missioners. o repair
railroad bridge inside OF ten days, or
not 10 run trains over il. The bridge
was repaired. Have our railroad COM
missioners power to compel railroad
COMPANIES 70 put their roadbeds, ties
ana rails IN a safe condition.
The garage is evolving. AT first il
was repair shop. generally black
smith shop. Then came the big sor-
age building of cement blocks and ce-
ment hoor. The latest is 20 fit UP re-
ception rooms where travellers find rest
rooms, toilet room accommodations.
etc. In Hampton one garage has ce-
ment painted floor and everything in
the storage room as neat as modern
hotel Another garage there has car
peted office room and so much style"
and comfort the average visitor feels
Ike wiping off his rubbers with his
new silk handkerchief.
The trouble some operators and rail-
road agents have not to know, how
late the train is was illustrated the
other day when the agents wife came
into the depot all logged ont" to 20
10 the big town "a shopping" How
late's the train JIM" she asked her
husband. Haven't heard was the
reply. Wei there is no use OF my
going to ''Nextown' unless / can have
two hours there before No. 9 comes
back wish you'd find out" Five min
utes after she said Jim how's that
train Haven't heard YET said
jim wv ell you get a hustle on your
self and find out. All you've got to
do is TO ask and l want to know. I've
got some work to do at home instead
of sitting around here If I'm not GO
ing Then Jim hustled and told
her it had just left ''Nextown." The
travelling men present by unanimous
vote wished some other agents had
that kind of a positive wife. and that
she would 90 shopping every day.
We read that in England and France
and Germany; the healthy strong
young man over is who does not en-
list, join the army or navy. is despised
( by ALL That he is criticised and his
parents are also blamed and feel the
effects Of public opinion. II occurs to
some OF us that if q similar sentiment
existed here in Iowa concerning young
men of that age. younger and older,
who are living on their parents. loaf
/ ing day after day. and week after week
/ it would result In less loafers in our
stores, depots and hotels II would
very much lessen the number Of loafers
in the pool halls. Young men are
I pointed out to the Looker-On, whose
widowed mothers. are taking in wash :
ing going out sewing, and working
! in stores, to buy food and clothing for
such specimens Of young men. Across
| the water the parents are blamed be-
cause the young men do not enlist. In
Iowa there's a frequent remark, that
such parents have no one to blame but
| themselves.
10 M~7~