The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-08-02
On This
; Occasion
Just few thoughts by the Editor on things
Material and Immaterial

Barnes had stated in his paper tina
in addition to his regular salary o
81, 500 for devoting all his time to sup
cruising the road work. the highwa!
engineer had received $3.50 for acting
as an expert witness for the state. Thu
engineer charged that the paper init
mated that he was obtaining money
dishonesty. When the case was calleC
for a trial a motion to dismiss wa:
granted by Judge Graham NJ Torrance
This was one of these cases wherE
it was shown that the newspaper knew
what it was talking about. The fact:
disclosed that Lesueur did not receive
$6250 for extras. It showed that hs
received $3.50 for extras and that the
paper was 800 of. 1t also showed
that the editor, in common with Other
editors, did not tell things he knew
nothing about Barnes, like many OF
us, complacently let things slip by in
order not attract attention to public
affairs and in order to prevent COM
munity stigma in such matters TO the
outside world. When it became toe
hot to stand any longer and the double
barreled Office holders became too ego
tistical, he told what he knew and thus
became embroiled in mess.
The newspaper was indicated in this
case as well in several hundred other
cases that have brought in like man
ner. When the facts were actually
sifted out, the newspaper was right and
all the bluSter Of libel damage suit
failed to change the authenticy of the
statements made. This fellow who was
milking the taxpayers is only one.
There are dozens who are doing the
same thing under the assumption that
get the money" is the proper slogan.
Some day the newspapers viii open
up and then there will be all kinds of
publicity for the city or county-prin-
cipally bad.
Official egos are the worst of these
things and official egoS "faw down and
go boom" with a much louder boom
than any other kind of ego. In the
old country burgomaster, policeman,
alderman or school director are mon
archS whose will is law and to whom
you lift your hat They can hang or
quarter you by reason Of their power
to which they were appointed by God S
Amounted kings. queens or potentates
In this country they are servants of the
people-from the president down to the
most humble constable When the egos
get so pondercGs that decency is lost
sight of, just a little pin prick, such
as q little publicity, causes them to go
boom, pronto.
A few friends of ours are breathing
easier these days. An eastern Judge
has decided that a man cannot be
arrested for having a red nose and
that this is no sure sign of his being
guilty of violating the prohibition laws
And now Charley Forepaugh who
was the first to put his head in lions
mouth is dead. Chas was circus man
and created sensation when he first
performed the feat as d drawing card
for his show. And now he is dead and
some one will say, II told you so, the
lion will get him some day" He was
81 years of age when natural death
overlook him. However as an aid to
long life, the putting your head into a
lions mouth cannot be highly recon-
mended.
The news that the former Kaiser Is
the richest German in the world should
be very filling to the hungry people of
Germany who are being taxed to star
by this same Wilhelm who had emblaz-
oned on his escutcheon Me Unit Col"
1t should have read Me Unit L"
The population of the state is de-
creasing say figures compiled the fore
part Of the month Minnesota had
fewer births and more deaths in 1928
than in 1927 However this does not
indicate anything and only goes to
prove that figures can made to mean
most anything The report shows that
during the past year there were
1924 births and deaths to the num-
Der of 25,955. But. there was a de-
crease of births to the number of
1.645 over last year and an increase in
the number Of deaths of 1928 over
1927. The report further goes on to
state that the birth rate declined from
1896 per 1000 people in 1927 to 1912
in 1923, while the death rate increased
from 90 to 9.53 in the same time.
Friend Dave H Cargill, who has
been a frequent and regular visitor TO
this city during the past twenty years
of service for the American Tobacco
Z Co. as sales agent in charge of the
merchandising Of the Roi Tan and
Creme cigars through the Rust-Parker
Company. has resigned and says he
will take a well-earned rest. Dave Is
one Of the old timers on the road who
are gradually disappearing with the
consolidation and chain store schemes
One by one, the travelling statesmen
are gradually disappearing from the
interior cities and towns Always
provided with good new story and
news CT important merchandising
events, the travelling man was a well
come visitor to Ely and other cities
of this kind. There are only few
Of the old timers now on the road and
only a very few who are making their
homes at the hotels. The others travel
in cars and get in and out of town
as rapidly as possible. At one time
hotels were run almost exclusively for
travelling men With Dave CargiIl.
and many others we could name, on
the beaten path. the merchandising
game has lost some of its high lights.
They are missed