Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/248

 General, Milton Remley; Judge of Supreme Court, H. E. Deemer; Clerk, C. T. Jones; Reporter, B. I. Salinger; Railway Commissioners, Welcome Mowry and D. J. Palmer. The resolutions endorsed the State and National administrations.

The Democratic State Convention assembled at Marshalltown on the 7th of September and placed the following ticket in nomination: Secretary of State, C. R. Porter; Auditor, E. H. Gillette; Treasurer, N. Anderson; Attorney-General, J. M. Parsons; Judge of Supreme Court, W. A. Spurrier; Clerk, E. R. Perkins; Reporter, W. A. Ferren; Railway Commissioners, A. Hanson and H. E. Wills. The resolutions affirmed former positions on National issues and declared that the acceptance of free passes or mileage on railroads, by public officers, or free use of telegraph, telephone or express favors by such officials should be declared a misdemeanor and be punished as such.

The entire Republican ticket was elected by an average plurality of about 63,500.

The Socialists had a full ticket in the field which received in the entire State but little more than 1,000 votes.

The winter of 1898-99 will long be remembered in the upper Mississippi valley as one bringing widespread disaster to nurserymen and fruit growers. The most serious damage was done to nurseries and vineyards. In many localities the destruction was complete, leaving not a solitary tree or vine of varieties which heretofore had survived the coldest winters. The destruction of plum trees in the orchards was very great, and young apple orchards were in many cases entirely destroyed. Owing to some peculiarities of the season the roots of nursery trees, young orchards, grape vines, blackberry and rasp- berry bushes were found to be entirely killed, or so badly damaged that they could not be saved. At one time in the winter the cold was very severe but not a lower temperature than has often been experienced in Iowa since the