Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-01-23
Wayside Notes and Impressions
BY A. d. Scougal.

BY A. d.
An interesting picture of Abraham
Lincoln hangs on II wall in one OF the
banks at Rowan. 1t Is the property OF
NJ. d. Olson, a citizen of that vicinity.
who used to live near Springfield H..
In Lincolns time. The picture was
taken when the. rail splitter president
was about 33 years OF age, before
Times corroding touch had deepened
the burrows on his brow or his visage
acquired the look OF sorrow that char
acterizes his likenesses taken when he
was in the White House. 1t is a strik-
ing pose. and has more of aggressive
ness in 1t than one u used to seeing in
pictures Of the great martyr.
Fl. I. Christ. bachelor now In his sos.
is Belmonds philanthropist. He
beat Andy Carnegie out of the job of
donating a library to that town n few
years ago. He has lived in Wright
county over thirty-iivc years. He
came there in the early days. made
considerable money and inherited a
snug sum when his bachelor brother
died a few years ago. He is as big
and husky a looking man as one may
see in a weeks travel and he is point
ed to in admiration by his fellow citi-
zens. Sometimes his philanthropy
takes queer streaks. For instance, at
Christmas time year or two ago he
conceived the notion that many of his
married friends were in need OF kitch-
en- cabinets. Accordingly he bought
the supply Of the two local furniture
stores and made Christmas presents
OF them to a half dozen or more
friends. Mr.. Christ also Is a general
favorite among the women of Belmond.
whose only criticism of him Is that he
is bachelor. Belmond's public library
is an enduring editice and is built on
a much grander plan than the average
Carnegie library in towns of Bel
Fmond'S size.
State politics is beginning to perk
up. and the citizens Of the towns thru
out the state arc being reminded that
this is year when complete state
ticket is to be nominated and elected.
DR.. T. S. Waud, Of Mount Vernon. the
past few weeks has been around the
state ting his nomination petit
ton for the position of state railroad
commissioner. Before the doctor
studied medicine and received his d.
ploma from the State University OF
Iowa in 1891 he had all his lifetime
been a railroad man. He came to Iowa
in 1886 as train dispatcher and was
employed by the Illinois Central at
Waterloo. Bebore coming to Iowa he
T r1,-
awanna in New York state. lie was
in the railroad service until he was
nearly 40 years OF age. He now is 50
and in full vigor is the father OF
eleven children. eight Of whom are
now living. and for over quarter OF
a century enjoyed a lucrative medical
practice. He has been a high official
in the knights Of Pythias. and when
he was in New York state held, dis
tinguished place in the state national
guard for many years. He has been
on the stats Of Governors Larrabee,
Boies and Jackson and is an accom-
plished military drill master. The doc
tor. after receiving his diploma. began
practice Of medicine in Radcliffe.
Belmond: "Why do the voters elect
men for the fourth and Nth and sixth
term in the same office?" 1t can not be
for the reason that few are qualified
for the respective offices, else govern
ment Of for and by the people is not
as efficacious for virtue as we Ameri-
cans cozZen ourselves in believing. If
the county offices were rotated oftener
there undoubtedly would be less work
for the examiners Of books Of account.
Woodbury. county has been electing
men for as many as six successive
terms. and there Is where the state
examiners have their hardest work and
the most OF It. Three terms ought to
be the outside limit and not the gen.
eral rule. If water will purify itself
| running down stream at certain rate
| of speed for Ger, in period Of time,
surely the political stream ought like
wise to purify itself under the impetus
OF not to exceed siX-year tenure of
office. The main contention for long
tenure nowadays is the fact that some
| OF the offices do not pay enough so
| that competent men can afford to spend
| the time and nancy necessary to gain
nomination and election. All the more
reason for short tenure in office; after
while spending money among office
seekers vii! 60 out Of fashion. And the
same argument applies to state as well
as county offices: one good term de-
serves another and three terms ought
to be the limit. The party that puts
this rule in its platform is the party
that Is going to become popular in the
near future. The ring service Is all
right for the matrimonial game. but
for the political game it has about, had
| its day."
| Y. K. HOag claims the distinction OF
being the oldest business man OF Iowa
Falls. He came to that city In 1856,
and for forty-one years was in the coal
and lumber business. He came from
New Hampshire and landed in the
Scenic city when there was but one
store building on Main street and but
one line of railroad in the state. that
from Wilton Junction to Muscatine
and from Muscatine to Davenport. He
| arrived in Iowa Falls two years before
Billy" Burgess was pushing the lines
-, Iakn hot 4