Decorah public opinion., February 01, 1922, Image 1

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

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa

                
X,
'r ELvtn,MEs Pccorfllj public oj3inior». -
ECORAH'S OLD
DRUM CORPS
Reunion of the Boys of 1876 and
1897 to Take Place in Decorah
At Homcoming in August.
THE CHAMPIONS
WILL MARCH AGAIN
They Are Coming From All Quarters
Of The U. S. For The Grand
Reunion Of Old Decorah
Boys And Girls.
The famous old Decorah Drum
Corps which brought fame to De
corah years ago was one of the finest
organizations of those days, and Mr.
O. 0. Lomen, who was one of its
members has given us data concern
ing it which will be read wjth int
erest now, especially when it is ex
pected that the “old timers” will be
with us again next August at De
corah’s homecoming.
The Corps was organized in 1876
and disbanded in 1897. About 80
members belonged to it at different
times.
In 1909 a reunion was held andi
45 former members were in attend
ance. The record for the longest
service in the corps fs held by Fred
Reum, of Decorah, who was a mem
ber from 1883 until 1897.
The largest number belonging at
any one time was in 1887, when the
world’s championship was won in
Chicago. The Corps at that time
consisted of eight piccolo players,
eigljt snare and two bass drummers,
one durm major and one color bear
er. The prizes won at that time con
sisted of eight Monarch snare
drums, two bass drums and eight
ivory headed piccolos, valued at
$250.
• it v to re arretted that the ele
gant SiiK banner presented to the
drum corps in 1887 by the ladies of
Decorah was later destroyed by the
burning of a dwelling house it was
kept in.
The corps made at least 35 trips
out of Decorah during it* existence
of 21 years.
O. O. Lomen, author of the poem
printed in last week’s issue of Pub
lic Opinion, dedicated to the 1922
reunion of the old Decorah Drum
Corps, joined the organization in
1885 and was with the co/ps on twenty
live trips, serving until its disband
ment in 1897.
The corps never went on a trip
unless all expenses were paid, and
good wages besides, sometimes.
Below will be found a list of the
famous drum majors.
1st —George Scott.
2d—F. M. Coleman.
3d—Loren Miller.
4th—Arthur McKay.
sth—J. F. Cutler.
6th—C. J. Weiser.
7th—F. M. Hughes.
Bth—N. A. Burdick.
9th —E. W. Sjun.
10th—Harry Hitchcock.
The old corps had three different
uniforms as follows:
Ist—Blue National Guard uniform.
i
k
2d—Grey with plush and silver
trimmings, grey helmet, white plume,
plush shoulder straps with letters
D. D. C.
3d—Scarlet red with gilt epaulets
and trimmings, scarlet helmet and
large white plume.
Besides the foregoing, in 1896 the
McKinley Club of Decorah furnished
the boys with white caps and coats
for the election rally campaign.
Total fire losses in the district in
ami around New York City are re
ported to have been about twice as
much in 1921 as they were two
years ago. The underwriters are
asking for a $ 100,000 fund to hunt
down people who commit arson. A
time of declining prices like 1921 is
said to be a temptation to dishonest
men to get rid of high priced stock
in this way.
The man who sets fire to property
to get insurance is the meanest kind
of a creature that modern life de
velops. He not merely steals from
the pockets of everyone who must
pay premiums to cover his loss, but
he endangers life and threatens ruin
to every honest man whose building
may catch fire.
His crime is so great that courts
should impose the limit of the law.
A man who will commit this deed
has reached the point where the only
chance for reformation is the re
flection induced by a very extended
prison sentence.
"y— «r
Vol. XXVIII.
Suspicious Fires
DECORAH, WINNESHIEK COUNTY, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 19
TRIED TO BREAK
OUT OF JAIL
Herbert •% One of Sheriff Elling
son’s s Caught in At
tempt » <L • Way to
Free^
HAD DUG HOLE IN
WEST SIDE WALL
Was Placid in Cell Where He Will
Remain Now Until the Grand
Jury Meets.
Last Friday about the noon hour
Sheriff Ellingson discovered the fact
that one of his prisoners, Herbert
Steinz, in jail since December 12,
charged with the burglarizing of
the Leo Barthelme farm residence
three miles north of Ossian, had
made an attempt to break out of
jail.
There is only one other prisoner in
jail with Steinz. About the noon
hour Friday Dennis Horan, janitor
of the court house and jail took the
other fellow out to assist him around
the court house, then Steinz got busy
, digging a hole in the west side of the
jail. The sheriff’s wife heard the
noise made by Steinz and informed
Sheriff- Ellingson at the dinner hour.
The sheriff went up into the jail and
looked around. He noticed a keg of
sweeping compound standing against
the west wall and moved it out of
its position, discovering a hole in
the plastering about six inches one
way and a foot the other. The hole
wasn’t clear through the wall
though. The sheriff questioned
Steinz on what he had been doing
in digging a hole in the wall. At
first he refused to answer, but finally
said he “wanted to get out.”
The sheriff thought different about
the matter and placed Steinz in a
cell where he will remain until the
grand jury takes care of his case
next week.
Steinz was bound over to the grand
jury by Mayor W. M. Allen, of Os
sian, under bonds of $2,000, which he
was unable to furnish.
If Steinz had been permitted to
work the entire afternoon of Friday,
no doubt he would have had a hole
made large enough by night to let
himself to freedom. Evidently the
old jail is not the strongest bastile
in the country, and it looks as if
it is very easy for prisoners to dig
themselves out, if given freedom of
the corridors.
GRAVEL HUNTING BIG SAVING.
Pits Unearthed in State Save $243,000
on Road Building
Ames, lowa. Gravel hunting
crews in search of coarse gravel for
concrete road building for the 1921
season saved the counties building
such roads and the state approxi
mately $243,000 is the claim made by
the members of the state highway
commission.
Such crews have been part of the
working force of the commission for
the past two years.
Gravel deposits unkown or unde
veloped were located and the materi
al used on eleven of the paving con
tracts in process of building during
the year. Examination was made of
210 different gravel deposits. These
were located in sixty-two of the
sixty-nine counties of the state.
The survey of road building ma
terial is being continued. Wherever
a building project is being considered
the gravel hunters 'at once begin a
search for the most economical source
of materials. In most instances this
supply has been found in each search
during the construction.
Because of the importance of the
work of the gravel hunters the com
mission has effected, according to the
reports, a saving of $243,000 in the
cost of materials which would other
wise have had to be furnished by
contractors.
In the two years of its existence
the cost of maintaining the gravel
hunting department has been $73,-
782.90.
Doctor to See Passion Play.
Waukon, lowa, —Doctor Otto
Svebakken of this city will leave
next week for the holy land. He
will go from New York to Gibraltar
and to Mediterranean sea ports in
southern Europe and northern Africa
including Palestine in Asia. He will
see the Passion play and spend six
weeks in study.
No youth is hopeless unless he
thinks he is a genius.
L. C. SPLENDID
IN EVERY WAY
Luther College Paid High Compli
ment by Mr. Arnett of the
General Education Board.
EXPRESSION MOST
GREATLY RECEIVED
It ' i Good News to the Friends and
Supf .'ters of Luther College
Everywhere.
The following clipping from the
Lutheran Church Herald for January
24 is of more than usual interest to
the friends of Luther College since
it is an expression from the re
presentatives of the General Educa
tion Board, a committee which be
sides being one of the accrediting
agencies in the United States to be
really reckoned with is also in con
trol of the funds of the Rockefeller
Foundation
“Splendid in Every Way
Last October, Dr. Buttrick and Mr.
Arnett x>f the General Education
Board paid Luther College a visit
with a view to determine whether the
board should aid the college finan
cially in case an effort was made to
increase the endowment fund. Re
cently, I received a letter from Dr.
L. Hektoen, a graduate of Luther
College of the class of ’B3 and pro
fessor of pathology in the University
of Chicago, in which Dr. Hektoen
says: “The other day I met Mr.
Arnett, and it was great pleasure to
hear from him >hat Luther College
is just splendid in every way, and
that is what I wanted to tell you
now before I forget the inspiration
to . give you a touch of the genuine
conviction that prompted the state
ment.”
It has always been a matter of
great concern to the faculty and
friends of Luther that the college
should do good work and be recog
nized as a first class college by uni
versity authorities whose duty it is
to inspect colleges and determine
their standing. It is no small matter
to maintain a reputable college in
our day; and it is, therefore, a great
encouragement to learn that after
their visits to the college Dr. Butt
rick and Mr. Arnett think that
“Luther College is just splendid in
every way.” This will be good news
to the friends and supporters of Lu
ther College everywhere. Luther has
reached its sixty-first year and has
already performed a very important
service for Church and State. But
the college is young and vigorous in
spirit, and hopes, by the blessing of
God, to render a service to our
Church that shall amply repay ev
ery effort made by our people to
increase the facilities of the college
and maintain it as an institution of
recognized standing.
It is also an encouragement to
know that Dr. Hektoen continues to
take a lively interest in the welfare
of the college. As already stated in
a former communication to the Lu
theran Church Herald, Dr. Hektoen
is one of the leading authorities in
the world in his field of medicine and
is one of Luther’s most eminent
graduates. He is a very busy man
and was prevented by his duties
from attending the sixtieth anniver
sary of the college and delivering an
address at the alumni banquet; but
has has promised to come to De
corah this school year and deliver a
lecture to the students.
OSCAR L. OLSON.
Signs of Dishonesty
It was noticed at a pubic meeting
in one of the large cities the other
day, that the piano player had plac
ed his hat and overcoat on the piano.
It was hinted to the musician that
the room would look better if these
articles could be placed in one of the
ante moms.
But all the pianist would do was
to place his coat and hat on a chair
near his seat. “There were 28 over
coats stolen recently out of the Y.
M. C. A. building in this city” he
said, “and a man’s stuff is not safe
out of his sight.”
The attendants at Y. M. C. *A.
buildings are above the average, but
sneaks can work in anywhere. Such
conditions show the spirit that exists,
particularly in the larger cities,
where the crime wave centers. The
time when you could leave your
in public resort:s in such places,
and feel confident of seeing it again,
has gone by.
HAVE YOU DEEN
FAIR WITH YOUR
COMMERCIAL CLUD
Have You Attended Meetings Regu
lar And Given Suggestions
For Carrying Out of Its
Work.
F YOU HAVE
YOU HAVE BEEN FAIR
Resolve to Give the Club Square Deal
in 1922 And Do All in Your
Power to Increase the
Work and Efficiency.
Have you been fair with your or
ganization? Have you attended all
meetings to which you were called
Have you given suggestions for the
carrying out of its work? Have you
done all you could to aid it in ac
complishing the things it should? If
you have then you have been
fair to it and have showed your sense
of duty to your community. If on
the other hand you have criticized
the work of the Club without sug
gesting ways to improve it you have
not been fair. Telling the staff and
the Board what should be done is
not the end of your work. To solve
its problems you must share the
burdens, boost the work, Acquaint
yourself with the full v -** l "-
the departments and * rs *
become an active w
have been fair and' rr i son * Pastor,
to this organization, r
dered a worthy service I*l,
Make this resolution for 192-! ' u
“I will give the Commercial Club a
Square deal in 1922. I will do all in
my power to increase the work and
efficiency of the organization by reg
ular att/ jmce at meetings, both
gcnerai as.d committee meetings
when called upon, by prompt pay
ment of dues 'and hearty co-operation
in all undertakings for the upbuild
ing of Decorah. I will work with
the Commercial Club for a Greater
Decorah.
FEAR STATE BONUS DEFEAT.
Passage of National Relief Measure
May Prevent lowa Bond Issue.
Des Moines, lowa. Prominent
members of the American Legion
were considerably wrought up over
the proposed bonus bill which is
scheduled to pass congress in the
near future, not that they do not
want the bonus, but they fear that
the passage of a national relief meas-.
ure will place in jeopardy the pro
posed bond issue in lowa for a like
purpose. It is feared that if con
gress comes to the relief of the sol
diers the people of lowa will take
the view that justice has been done
and the result will be the defeat of
the $22,000,000 bond issue. .
A former service man and one
who saw hard fighting in France,
three times wounded, says he does
not believe the loyal people of lowa
will take a narrow view of the mat
ter, and whatever the government
I may do will have no bearing upon re
-1 suits in lowa, as state pride in the
loyalty and devotion of her noble
sons will insure the bond issue a
tremendous majority.
According to the provisions of the
act passed by the thirty-ninth gen
eral assembly the bond issue must
be voted by the people before the
bonus law becomes effective, and the
matter will be submitted to the peo
ple of lowa at the general Election
next fall rather than at the primary
next June, as some have been led to
believe.
More Waste
“Are you aware, sir,” solemnly de
manded the gent whose countenance
was as elongated as that of a vener--
able horse, “that there is three times
as much money spent every year in
America for tobacco as for educa
tion, nine times as much for chewing
gum and fifteen times as much for
soft drinks?”
“I have never taken the trouble
to inquire,” replied J. Fuller Gloom,
“but I am convinced that there is
about eight hundred times as much
paid to reformers for blatting about
it as they are worth.
Negro Population
The last census shows that one
tenth of the population of the United
States are negroes. But ten years
ago the ratio was one in nine.
L
CIVIC CLUO HAD
VERY ACTIVE YEAR
Annual Meeting Held Jan. 28 and
Officers Elected for the
Ensuing Year.
MRS. E. J. CURTIN WAS
ELE(TEI) PRESIDENT
Club's Activities the Past Year Has
Been Most Commendable, With
Many Things Accomplished.
The Decorah Civic Club had a
very active and successful year, end
ing Jan. 28, 1922.
The regular annual meeting heTd
on that date was for the purpose of
receiving the reports of its officers
and the election of the officers for
the ensuing year, which resulted as
follows:
Mrs. E. J. Curtin, President.
Mrs. Fred Reum, V. President
Mrs. T. C. Hutchinson, Secy.
Mrs. Geo. Johnson, Treas.
A part of the activities of the
Club included the following:
The up kjfep of the Rest Room
during the year.
Varnishing and repairing furniture.
Building a new bridge and fixing
load at the entrance of Dunning’s
Springs. Also the bed of the stream
■ ,i,,> 1 W %
Friday Fel
GIVE!
-in*
vation Army drive. $106.95 was paid
for rat tails, making a total of
21,390 rats caught, besides those
that died from poison out,oat in
• Hi it-s* t '
The Rest Rooms have been used
26 times for church and other or
ganizations sales during the year,
besides for many Commercial Club
meetings and for all Civic Club
meetings.
Several committee meetings are
held each week by various societies
of the city and county.
Donations from the following were
highly appreciated:
Ladies Society F. N. E. L.
Church $ 47.60
Luther College Band 290.00
Dr. Ray Topliff 20.00
Fortnightly Club 10.00
Volunteer Society 5.00
Carry On Club 10.00
Catholio Ladies Aid 3.00
Young Ladies Society, F. N.
E. L. church 5-00
The ladies of Sattre donated lin
oleum for the toilet room floor in the
Rest Rooms.
The retiring officers desire to
heartily thank all the members and
all others who gave their loyal sup
port to the Decorah Civic Club and
ask the continuance of /ithis co
operation with the officers elect.
HIGH SCHOOL WASTE OF
MONEY STOPPED
School Board Prohibits Foolish
Expenditures.
Cedar Rapids, lowa—Taxicabs,
flowers and other evidences of plenty
of money are to be tabooed for all
high school social functions here for
the rest of the year, according to
recommendations made to the
board of education last night by
J. D. Wardie, president of the board.
A young man will spend from $6
to sl2 on one social event,” declared
the president. “That is too much and
no social affair of the students should
entail such unnecessary expense.”
The girls who are much in evi
dence at the sl2 parties, were not
overlooked in the president's rec
ommendation. Creations ol Paquin
and other famous modistes will be
frowned on by the school authorities
unless perchance they have been pur
chased at economical prices. As to
taxicabs, the girls are to resist their
admirer’s suggestion of a taxi and
either walk or ride the plebeian
trolley, which the president declared
“wouldn’t hurt a lot of them to do.”
Mr. Wardie also cited flowers as un
necessary for student parties.
No objection to the student ac
tivities themselves was raised, but
Mr. Wardie pointed out that in
view of the fact that one of the
boys’ societies is trying to raise
money for a fund to aid needy chil
dren in obtaining an education, that
much of this could be obtained if
more economy is shown in the social
life.
c
ODE IN BIG REAL
ESTATE DEALS
Sells Several Houses in Decorah the
Past Week. Farm Taken in
On One Deal.
REAL ESTATE
SALKS PICKING UP
Prospects Are Good for Brisk Busi
ness in Real Estate Circles
This Spring.
Geo. P. Ode, Decorah’s well known
real estate dealer has started the
first month of 1922 off in good shape
in the real estate selling world, and
according to his outlook the future
in different deals looks good.
Mr. Ode closed several big deals
the past few days. On Monday he
sold the Walter Myren residence in
Curtin’s Addition to Clarence Me
stad. The consideration was $3,200.
This residence is a fine modern
bungalow, delightfully situated.
Mr. Ode also cousumated a deal
whereby O. H. Melaas and W. P.
Knowlton traded residence proper
ties. The Knowlton residence is on
Mechanic street awl the Melaas resi
dence is near the city park. In the
trade, we understand Mr. Melaas
received SSOOO in cash. Shortly after
this deal was made Mr. Ode sold the
Knowlton residence acquired by Mr.
lllgaas to Gilbert N. Saxvick of Ix>-
\Mr. Melaas took in lfiO acres
I BY Vin Bowman county, North
the deal. besiiUs getting
in the deals made
s 7|ooo in caah
and 4. •„ —Dakota (<JI
his residence, y y
Mr. Melaas uh<t family-/"
<*oing U Fargo, j N. D. in
(ft h** famring ttnoxxw— •-
look after.
Mr. Saxvick bought the Knowlton
property as an investment, and does
not intend to move to Decorah to
occupy it.
( o
“NO” TO A $«00 CUT
Story County Farm Agent Refuse*
$3060 Salary.
Following their adopted plan of
complete retrenchment, the Story
County Farm Bureau asked County
Agent John Buchanan to consider a
cut of from $3,600 to $3,000 in salary
for the coming year.
He refused.
His resignation was .accepted and
the new county agent will be elected
at the next meeting of the board.
Several applications have been re
ceived by members of the board for
the office.
When Buchanan was hired two
years ago he signed a three year
contract at $4,200 a year. Last
year the board of directors asked
him to accept a reduction, which he
did. When they asked him to take
the reduction this year he refused,
stating he could make more farming
for himself.
Mr. Buchanan will remain in Story
county until March 1, when he will
go east to engage in fruit farming
in the Niagara district. He has been
the county agent for two years, hav
ing come from the extension depart-
I ment of the college.
Bennett Cut SI,OOO
Atlantic, lowa—The farm bureau
director cut the salary of County
Agent L. K. Bennett SI,OOO. Mr.
Bennet has not indicated whether he
will accept. He is one of the leaders
among the county agents of the
state. He has been getting $3,000.
A motion to cut him to SI,BOO was
defeated 8 to 5.
O'Donnell Succeeds Albaugh
Ames, lowa—Walter O’Donnell, a
fanner, living eight miles east of
here, has just been elected as coun
ty agent of Carroll county and will
take up his duties March 1, suc
ceeding County Agent L. G. Al
baugh in Carroll county. Albaugh
has accepted a position in the ex
tension department of lowa State
college here.
Cresco Defeats Decorah Girls
The girls of the Cresco high school
defeated the Decorah girls in basket
ball game by score of 16 to 8 in last
Friday’s game. The girls showed a
good grade of basket ball on both
sides but the fair ones (tom Cresco
out classed the home team in bas
ket throwing and team work. The
result was that the local five were
forced to come out with the smallest
score to their credit.
NO. 5
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