Decorah public opinion., January 18, 1922, Image 1

About Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928

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TWELVE PAGES
C. 0; F. BANQUET
FINE AFFAIR
About 165 Enjoyw'F; Feast of Ora
tory and Good 1 /'r. -* to Eat
Sunday Even
\
TWENTY FIVE IMTIATKb'
IN THE AFTERVV \
f.
Recording Secretary Emil Rosenthal
Presented With Legion of
Honor Badge.
The initiatory banquet given by
the Catholic Order of Foresters of
Decorah Court No. 1240 in the
church basement of St. Benedict’s
Catholic church Sunday evening was
largely attended, about 165 being
present. The banquet coupled with
the excellent after dinner addresses
proved one of the finest affairs held
here in a long time.
The Ladies Aid Society of the
church served the banquet, and they
have been coming in for much praise
for the excellence of the viands
served.
During the afternoon a class of 25
young men were initiated into the
order at the Woodmen hall by a
degree team from Waterloo,
f* At 6:30 a banquet was served in
the basement of the church, to which
about 165 people sat down.
After the banquet a program of
toasts and music was enjoyed.
Atty. E. P. Shea acted as toast
master and as usual acquitted him
self in a capital manner. His witty
introductions and work of carrying
out an interesting program came
in for high commendation by all
present.
Misses Hazel Courtney and Lucile
Rosenthal contributed much to the
program with delightful vocal solos,
and Mrs. Ruth Downey contributed
a most enjoyable violin solo.
Toasts, which v.erc- greatly enJo>ed
were given by O. J. McHugh, of \
Cresco, one of the state court
trustees and Chas. E. Byrnes, state
court secretary, of Cedar Rapids and
Rev. Father Hogan, pastor of St. i
Benedicts Catholic church. Several;
members of the degree team also!
spoke.
Mr. Emil Rosenthal, recording sec
retary of the local court, was given
a big ovation and was called to
the speakers platform by State Sec
retary Byrnes and was highly com
plimented on his work in behalf of
the order.
A
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&
The Foresters were organized in
Decorah nearly 25 years ago and
Mr. Kosenthal was a charter mem
ber, holding the office of Chief
Ranger, and during the life of the
court has officiated in piactically all
the other offices. The local court
never put forth much elfort for new
members for a long time, never
functioning very strongly until late
years.
Last June a membership contest
was inaugurated bv the state court
for new memberships, the member
securing the most candidates to get
a substantial prize. Mr. Rosenthal
entered the contest and proved to
be the highest man, not- only in
lowa, but the United States, in se
curing the highest number of mem
bers. Last June a big initiation of the
local court took place when 2;> mem
bers were taken in. The high court
paid him a bonus of S4O, and this
■money he very geneiously turned
over to the treasury of the local
court. He felt so enthused over his
success in winning the S4O that he
pulled his coat, kept up his spirit,
and started out and secured 25 more
members, who wore initiated 1. st
Sunday. When Sec. Byrnes called
Mr. Ro.'Cnthal to the speakers plat
form, he complimented h m highly
ar.ii on behalf of the state court
pre-ented him with a handsome
Legion of Honor Badge, of which
Vol. XXVIII.
' i 9
MR. EMIL ROSENTHAL
Ht&toxo&f Public CDjj iiu on ♦ twelve pages
C. KNOKE RAISES
MONSTER LEMON
Canoe Township Man Exhibited
Twelve Ounce Lemon of Own
Raising in Decorah
Thursday.
NO CALIFORNIA LEMON
. CAN EQUAL IT
*ould Make Enough Good Lemon
ade For a Big Gathering of
Thirsty People.
The old saying that “in all good
things lowa affords the best,” and
this is true in raising lemons, the
kind that quenches the thirst in
“lemo” at five a glass, and the suc
culent lemon pie. That lowa lemons
raised in Winneshiek county fill the
bill and then some is proven by
Clarence Knoke, of Canoe township,
who brought a lemon of his own
raising to Decorah Thursday. It
measured 11 inches around and
weighed 12 ounces, and was about
as choice looking lemon as one
would wish to see.
The bush it grew on stands about
two feet high and is five years old.
It started to bud last spring and Mr.
Knoke concluded that they would
be able to make lemonade from the
lemons by the Fourth of July, but
the bud fooled them and remained
a bud much longer than they anti
cipated, but finally the fruit formed,
and last Thursday the one lone lemon
on the tree was picked. In size the
ordinary lemon sold in the stores are
mere dwarfs in comparison. The tree
bore two lemons, the other falling off
shortly before.
Mr. Knoke exhibited the lemon to
a number of his friends here and
all were amazed at it.
ROADS ARE SLIGHT BURDEN
Jasper County Highways Coat Farin'!
er Only 20 Cents Per Acre.
Newton, lowa, —Jasper county
farmers are paying less than 20 cents
an acre tax for roads, according to
figures in the olfice of A. E. Hulse,
county auditor.
The average actual assessed valua
tion for Jasper county farm land is
SBS an acre. The taxable valuation
would be one-f<urth of this, which
makes $21.25. The county road tax
is 3 mills, which would make the
amount of tax assessed against an
acre of farm land 6 cents, three and
three-fourth mills. The township
road tax can not exceed 6 mills. As
uming it were placed at the limit of
f> mills, the township tax would
amount to 12 cents, seven and a half
mills per acre, making a total county
and township road tax of 19 cents,
twelve and a half mills against egch
acre of farm land in Jasper county.
Township trustees, if they deem it
necessary may vote a 5 mill tax for
draining roads.
Funds for primary roads are not
obtained from direct taxation, but
are provided thru state moneys, ob
tained from automobile fees, and
from federal aid.
These figures show that the tax
against farm land for roads is not
so exorbitant as has in some cases
been represented.
——o
Care may kill people but don’t
care kills more.
i—o
What is sown in youth is reaped
in middle age.
o
If you think you are a genius,
you aren’t.
only ten have been given out in the
state.
Mr. Rosenthal responded in an
apprecative manner for the honors
conferred upon him, and he receiver!
the congratulations of scores of
friends.
The banquet and feast of oratory
was hugely enjoyed, and the affair
will long be remembered as a most
enjoyable one by all who had the
good fortune to attend.
The Catholic Order of Foresters
has tin insurance membership of over
1(50,000 in the United States and
Canada. There ane 104 subordinate
courts in lowa with membership of
6,700. The order is almost 29 years
old and has disbursed in payment of
death claims over twenty-eight mil
lions of dollars, and more than feur
millions for sick and funeral benefits
and other charitable and benevolent
purposes.
DECORAH, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18,1922
RIG HOMECOMING
NEXT AUGUST
Commercial Club Planning on Big
Homecoming of Former Resi
dents Fair Week.
DATES WILL BE
WEEK OF AUG. 7
Will be One of the Biggest Reunion
Gatherings Ever Held
In Decorah.
The Decorah Commercial Club has
fixed the date for the big homecom
ing of former residents here for the
week of August 7, 1922. It will be
the week of the Winneshiek county
fair also, the dates of the fair being
Aug. 8,9, 10, 11, but the homecom
ing will be on for the entire seven
clays of the week.
Many former residents have al
ready expressed their intentions of
being here, and it looks now like we
will have the biggest crowd of for
mer residents here at one time the
city has witnessed.
Committees will soon start work
planning on the reception to be ac
corded the visitors and a royal time
wiil be in store for all.
A reunion of the old famous De
corah Drum Corps is another feature
planned for this homecoming. Mem
bers are scattered all over the Unit
ed States, but all who are on mother
earth now who belonged to that
famous organization are going to try
and be here again and revive the
spirits of long ago.
Watch the papers for further par
ticulars about this great homecom
ing.
GOV. KENDALL
ATTACKS RATLo
Says Rail Freight Rates Must Come
Down Twenty Five Per
Cent More.
FARM BUREAU MEETING
HELD LAST WEEK
State Farm Bureau Also Takes
Whack at the Des Moines
Farm Paper Methods.
Des Moines, lowa, —Principles un
derlying the formation of the agri
cultural bloc in congress were upheld
and denial was made that the bloc
exists to further class legislation, in
an address delivered .by J. It. Ho
ward, president of the Ameiican
Farm Bureau Federation, in the au
ditorium.
Mr. Howard also defended him
self and other officials of the na
tional farm bureau organization
against recent criticism by Senator
LaFollette directed against their
participation in conferences with
manufacturers and rail executives,
saying he conferred with “big busi
ness” as the representative of the
biggest business in the world, and
without betraying the interests of
the business.
Support of the co-operative plans
of the United States Grain Growers
and the National Live Stock Pro
ducers Association was asked. In
finance the farmers were urged to
join with the bureau federation and
the lowa Bankers’ Association in
making a success of the lowa Farm
Credit Corporation, a concern or
ganized to function under legislation
passed at the last session of the
legislature.
The farm to market method of
road building was advocated by E.
H. Cunningham, secretary of the
lowa organization. He said farm
to market roads, rather than auto
mobile boulevards, are what the
farmers need ar.d what the bureau
organization has always advocated.
It was suggested that a committee
should be named* to draw up a plan
for lowa, calling into consultation
other farm organizations and lead
ing farmers and taxpayers to crys
talize public sentiment on a sound
plan. Mr. Cunningham recomirfend
ed that emphasis should be placed
on the secondary road system; tnat
farm to market roads should bo
drained, graded, and, on approval of
taxpayers, gravelled; that secondary
loads should be constiucted and
Support Asked for Co-ops.
Oppose “Auto Boulevards”
Continued on last page
WHO IS OUR
PRETTIEST GIRL
Most Beautiful Girl in lowa is Going
To Get slooo'and be'Crowned
Queen of Next lowa
State Fair.
WINNESHIEK COUNTY
HAS THAT GIRL
Its the County With More Good look
ing Girls Than All Other Coun
ties in the State Put
Together.
Who is Winneshiek County’s pret
tiest girl? The Des Moines Register
and lowa State Fair wants to find
out, and the girl will be given SIOOO
in gold and be crowned queen of the
next lowa State Fair.
Selection will first be made of
the most beautiful girl in each coun
ty in lowa—and then the most beau
tiful girl in each congressional dis
trict. Prizes will be given the
county winners and the district win
ners. The latter will be brought to
the Fair with all expenses paid,
where they will be feted and honored
and then from among them the most
beautiful girl in the whole state will
be chosen.
This looks like easy money for
some Winneshiek cgunty girl, as we
believe Winneshiek county has more
good looking girls than all the other
counties in the state put together.
All of the 99 counties in the state
have entered contestants with the
exception of three and Winneshiek
is one of the three. Girls look up
those fine photographs of yourselves
and send them to the Beauty Con
test Editor of the Des Moines Regis
ter. Lets put Winneshiek on the
map, for we have the material.
Or, if you prefer, send the photo
graph to Public Opinion with your
name and address plainly written on
ailed we will forward them
tp Lfci Moines. 'J-
Rules for the $1,006 Beauty Contest
To enter:
Remove picture of entrant from
folder.
Write on back of picture name
and address (including county)
of girl.
Mail to SI,OOO Beauty Contest
Editor. The Des Moines Regi
ter.
The contest program:
The prettiest girl in each cf
the ninety-nine counties will be
chosen from photographs sent to
the SI,OOO Beauty Contest Edi
tor.
From the county winners, the
prettiest girl in each congres
sional district will be chosen.
Des Moines will count as a
sepaiate district, making twelve
in all.
The twelve in the finals will be
brought to the lowa State Fair,
with all expenses paid, and en
tertained by the lowa state fair
board. At the fair, the most
beautiful will be chosen, crowned
queen of the fair and given The
Register’s cash prize of SI,OOO.
Prizes will also be given the
county and district winners.
Married women and girls un
der 16 are not eligible to the
contest.
Where Does Our Corn Go To?
The following item in the Daily
Trade Bulletin published in Chicago,
devoted to financial and commercial
news will be of interest in showing
something of the corn situation over
in Russia:
“Argentine shipments show 9,000
bu. corn as coining to America, and
also Russia is shipping 56,000 bu.
wheat and 215,000 bu. corn. The
wheat goes to the Continent and the
corn to the United States and the
Continent. These Russian shipments
will cause some interest, no doubt.”
What Kansas Women Can Do
Here are some of the things a
woman can legally do in Kansas.
She can take her maiden name af
ter her husband dies, without legal
process or legislative acts.
She can retain her own name af
ter she is married.
She may persuade her hu.-band to
take her name and give up his fam
ily name if she does not like it.
She can keep her maiden name
and he can keep his name.
She can keep her maiden name
for business transactions and use her
hu band’s for social affairs.
If the wife does not like either her
name or the husband’s they can take
a name that suits them better.
A woman can wear men's clothing
without restrictions, except she must
iot pose as a man.
She can hold any office in the
state and ruiv for congress. >
1
DRILL FOR OIL
HERE VERY SOON
Decorah Oil and Gas Co. Getting
Ready to Drill. Many People
Are Buying Stock.
DERRICK HAS
BEEN ERECTED
Oil Recently Struck in Texas Town
And Town is Feeling Effects
Of the Developments.
The Decorah Oil and Gas Co. is
progressing nicely with its prelimin
ary work in getting ready to drill
for oil. The big derrick has been
erected, but a few preliminaries are
uncompleted but will soon be com
plete and actual drilling operations
will commence.
A great many of our people have
purchased stock, but there is still
a small amount of stock to be dis
posed of, and the company will
gladly explain the proposition ‘to
any prospective purchaser by a call
at their offices in the Winneshiek
hotel block.
What the striking of oil means to
a town can readily be seen by the
following from a Texas town where
oil was recently struck:
Overnight a tented city arose.
From an apparently sleepy little
town of 3,000 population in October
1921, where old settlers farmed for
a living and eked out a bare exist
ence from their lands; where they
rode cow horses to ‘town” and hitch
ed them to a hitching post and where
even the Town Hall bell had not
tolled for years because of the cobb
webs and birds nests —to a bustling
city of 30,000 people, and all in a
few months, this is the recent record
of Mexia, an old time Texas town,
which is feeling the effects of one
jnf the nmr,erous oil developments m
' v /C southwest.
The population now consists of an
assortment of oil field followers and
thousands of men and women seek
ing employment, leaving an old
field for the new, coming on trains
from all parts of the United States,
or in wagons, trucks or “horseback,”
some bringing their assortment of
household goods and camping out
fits and finding from ten to a hund
red men for every job, and no place
available for spending the night.
Consequently because of the ex
orbitant prices charged for a room,
if one were lucky enough to secure
one, hundreds of men, favored by
the long continued mild winter are
sleeping on the grass along railroad
tracks, public parking places and,
in fact, any where they could. Over
night a bed in a tent marked “A
place to flop” soared from 50 cents
a night to $3. A night in a crude
plank structure where one didn’t
know his bed-follow or the hundreds
of others in the the single room cost
$5. Prices charged the few who were
lucky enough to get in one of the
few private dwellings vary, but all
| were high enough to satisfy the
j most fastidious millionaire. But
men are glad to get a bed at any
price and many could not find shelt
! er except that provided by nature.
Rail traffic jumped hundreds of
j per cent. There are two trunk lines,
' the Houston & Texas Central and
, the Trinity and Brazos Valley, lead
ing through here and passenger traf
• fic is very heavy while freight trains
i are frequently seen running three
! abreast, so heavy is the demand for
| oil machinery. One road is said to
j liave spent $600,000 in enlarging its
facilities.
The water situation is not alto
gether what could be desired. The
water was procured from a spring a
short distance from town, and al
though good water, it was nearly as
high in price as gasoline. Some oil
man, however, came along and drill
ed an oil well right side by side
I with the spring, ‘tapping’’ the water
supply so badly that lately it has
been entirely stopped. Water wagons
have been requisitioned and al
though they are busy all day and
night hauling water to homes, res
taurants ami improvised “bunking”
houses, they are not sufficient to
cover the field.
Consequently the town has been
declared “very unsanitary” by citi
zens in heated arguments at the
meetings of the city council, which
is making every etl’ort to remedy
the situation. Mayor Riddle inform
(Continued on page G)
CITY PLANNING
ON MORE PAVING
East Water Street and Montgomery
Street included in Resolution
To Pave This Year.
PROVIDING THE
Property Owners May Appear on
Feb. 9 to Make Objections to
The Contemplated
Improvements.
At the last meeting of the city
council a proposed resolution of nec
essity for more paving in Decorah
was introduced, a copy of the re
solution being printed on another
page of this issue of Public Opinion.
The contemplated paving will be
on East Water street from the
bridge at the Milwaukee depot east
to the turn at the creamery and then
south on Montgomery street to the
south line of the Decorah hospital.
The block of paving on Washing
ton street from Mott & Co.’s corner
south to the bridge on Main street is
contemplated to be repaved. Also
the alley in the rear of Rasmussen,
Kjome and Sons .'♦tore to the pave
ment in the rear of Decorah Posten.
Whether the council will actually
go ahead with the work this year,
or not, we understand depends
wholly on the price offered by the
paving contractors. Some of the
aldeimen have expressed themselves
that the price must be right, or
the project will not go through,
which sounds sensible, if they will
only take due and just deliberation
on what a just price is. Cement is
down and labor is down and it looks
like the h’igh priced paving of the
past several years should come down,
down to where the ordinary citizen
can pay it with very little embar
assment.
Some 20 yeaH, <igrr-'n,ieii the briifc
paving was laid on Washington
street it cost the insignificant sum
of $125 for a full sized lot. We
presume now it would cost 6 or 7
times that much. A 53 foot lot on
Broadway cost $487.10 last year.
Paving is coming and when the
prices get within reason, if they ever
do, practically all the principal
streets in all the small towns of the
country wil enjoy their concrete,
asphalt or brick drives.
Water street being on the primary
road, should come in for some state
help. We understand that it will,
but the assistance offered is very
insignificant But even so every dol
lar should be secured, no matter how
small the amount.
The price of the concrete paving
on Broadway last year was $3.76 a
square yard. Of course these figures
have been lowered materially since
last year, and 1922 prices should be
way lower, as cement, labor, etc.
has copre down.
In the pavement of future streets
if the entire city council takes the
matter in a firm grip, looks to die
matter of surveying and see that no
unnecessary tax is put on in this
respect, by surveying and resurvey
ing, and that the work be done with
out any unnecessary red tape, it
will save the city and taxpayers
hundreds of dollars, no doubt.
Sioux City Journal—The contract
for one mile of paving through the
town of Moville, awarded by the
Woodbury county board of super
visors at a pifice of $2.51 per
square yard, or $27,385.16 for the
mile, is almost a duplicate of a
contract recently let by the Kos
suth county board of supervisors.
The Kossuth county contract calls
for the construction of eleven and
one-half miles of eighteen foot con-
crete pavement at $2.51) per square
yard, or $27,350.40 per mile.
These prices are but slightly higher
than the price established on a
contract recently awarded by the
Illinois division of highways, as
cited in the Journal the other day.
The Illinois price was $26,524.21 per
mile. The Kossuth county price i 3
reported to be the lowest in lowa
since 1017.
o
Cheap Mule
“Want to buy a mule, Ra-tus?”
“What ails de mule, Sam?”
“Nothin’.”
“Den what do you wunt to sell
him for?”
“Nothin’.”
“I’ll take him.’’
NO. 3
PRICE IS RIGHT
Paving Prices Down
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