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The Mornin' Mail is published daily Tuesday, March 31, 1998 Volume VI, Number 200

Did Ya Know?. . . The Carthage R-9 School Board will hold a special meeting this evening at 7 p.m. to condider bids for removal of asbestos at the Junior and Senior High Schools.

Did Ya Know...The Powers Museum will have a Spring Open House April 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be refreshments, door prizes, and the Spring Exhibit opening. The Museum will be closed Easter, April 12.

today's laugh

A man bet ten dollars that he could ride the fly-wheel in a sawmill, and as his widow paid the bet she remarked, "William was a kind husband, but he didn’t know much about fly-wheels."

"I just dreamed I had a job."

"You look tired."

"Statistics show," declared the bespectacled woman lecturer, "that the modern, common-sense style of woman’s dress has reduced accidents on the street-cars by 50 per cent."

"Why not do away with accidents altogether?" piped a masculine voice from the rear of the hall.

"Is that a real diamond?"

"Well, very nearly."

1898
INTERESTING MELANGE.
A Chronological Record of Events as they have Transpired in the City and County since our last Issue.

AN OVERDOSE OF COCAINE.

Caused C. L. Clark, a Railway Mail Clerk, to Electrify West Mound St.

C. L. Clark, a railway mail clerk, created consternation in the region of his home on Mound street, near the Benton school, Saturday afternoon by running up and down the street and around among the houses clad only in his night shirt.

Clark runs from Kansas City to Joplin on the Pacific and lives at 414 West Mound street with his wife and four children. He came home Saturday morning worn out with over work and after dinner went to bed. About 4 o'clock he rushed downstairs and told his wife he had taken an overdose of cocaine. He had taken the drug to counteract the exhaustion of overwork. He is a graduate of homeopathic school of medicine but he over-estimated the amount of the drug he could stand.

When he came down stairs he was wrapped in a blanket. When the drug began to take effect he began to run about and dashed out into the street. In his wild flight he shed everything but his shirt and continued to tear around in his negligee costume until the police and physician arrived.

Mrs. Clark sent up town for Marshal Stafford and he responded quickly with Ed Belknap. In a short time Officer Dan Bruffett and Dr. V. L. Chester, who had also been sent for arrived. It took the united efforts of the four powerful men to throw Clark on a lounge, handcuff him and shackle his legs, and in the melee he bit Marshal Stafford's arm but not seriously. He seemed to think he would die if he stopped running and so fought like a tiger for liberty. He knew what he was doing but said he could not help it.

Dr. Chester said today that Clark is still quite ill, but is in no danger and will be able to go to work in a few days.

Circuit Court Today.

The trial of James McAfee, of Joplin, who is charged with the murder of Eben Brewer, was today set for April 25.

A. G. Carter et al vs Randall Dryden et al; trial by court and decree cancelling the lease.

Webb City bank vs William Miles Deer; judgment for plaintiff for one-half of amount of notes sued on to-wit $285.

Today's Feature

Expense Increase Questioned.

The proposed increase in the amount Council members receive as "expenses, for which he shall not be accountable" will face at least some opposition when it appears on the agenda for the next Council meeting, April 14.

Second Ward Council member Charlie Bastin gave a lecture on the virtues of frugality during the regular meeting last week. He also claimed that this Council was not worth the extra $25 per member per month as proposed.

Council member Bill Johnson submitted the request for the Council Bill. Johnson will relinquish his Fourth Ward Council position during the next meeting after serving for fourteen years. Johnson said the $50 a month Council members receive has not kept up with other increases in costs over the years.

Bastin also used the opportunity to again question the practice of the City paying expenses for Council members to travel to seminars or conventions.

"You know who you are," said Bastin.

First Ward Council member Mike Harris stated that he had attended some out of town functions, but had never turned in expenses for travel or food. He said the knowledge gained at the events resulted in the City getting benefits worth much more than the cost of admittance to such programs.

Third Ward Council member Jackie Boyer said that the increase in expenses was probably not warranted for those Council members who did not attend Committee meetings on a regular basis. She did not mention any names in particular.

A debate also grew from the resolution to allow City department heads the authority to allow certain City vehicles to be taken home. A short list of allowable vehicles included police detectives, Fire Department Battalion Captains, the Fire Chief, Assistant to the City Engineer, the Street Commissioner, and the Senior Codes Inspector.

Council member Lujene Clark wanted the list to only cover what she considered to be emergency vehicles, which included the Fire and Police Department.

Council member Bill Johnson objected saying it was unfair to allow one department the opportunity and withhold it from others.

The resolution passed with a 6-3 vote with members Boyer, Clark, and Harlan voting against and Henry, Harris, Fortune, Bastin, Johnson, and Whitledge voting for.

Commentary

Martin "Bubs" Hohulin

State Representative, District 126

This week marked the first week back from Spring Break and we celebrated in style by throwing away $75,000.00 of your money.

Gov. Carnahan and the Gaming Commission had requested we spend $75,000.00 to hire an engineering firm to study and report on where the river boat casinos in the state are. This is only slightly less ludicrous than it sounds. Think back with me to when the issue of whether to allow river boat gambling was on the ballot. We saw TV ads showing a river boat slowly cruising a picturesque river with the sun slowly setting behind a background of trees while a soothing voice talked about a return to Missouri’s glory days on the river. The closest thing we have to that is a river boat in St. Louis that doesn’t have an engine. The rest are nothing more than a building on a barge, some of which aren’t even on a river but sit in a man made basin next to the river and connected by a ditch, or in some cases just a pipe to supply water to the basin. Therein lies the problem.

The law specifically limits river boat gambling to either the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers and states that the boats must float upon these rivers. There is now some question as to whether these boats are on the river by being in these man made, artificially filled basins and we are going to spend $75,000.00 of your money to find out. In the House, where all spending is initiated, we had actually pulled that money out, but when the spending bill got to the Senate it was restored and then the Conference Committee made up of five House and five Senate members that is appointed to work out the differences between the two chambers kept the money in. I presume Gov. Carnahan won’t veto it seeing as how it was in his budget request from the beginning.

What a waste! Last time I looked, all the river boats in the state spent heavily on advertising to let people know where they were located, but the General Assembly has to spend an additional $75,000.00 to find them. Oh, and as far as whether they are actually located on the river or not, here’s a simple test to find out and it will only cost about thirty or forty dollars, or how ever much you spend for a pair of shoes. Walk around the boat, all the way around the boat. If your shoes are still dry at the end of the trip, I’d say it isn’t on the river.

As usual I can be reached at House Post Office, State Capitol, Jefferson City, MO 65101, or 1-800-878-7126, or mhohulin@services.state.mo.us for your questions, comments and advice.

Just Jake Talkin'
Mornin',

I played tourist last weekend. You know, drive around in an out-of-state community, lookin’ here and there. Slowin’ down to nearly a stop ta look at some interest or another. I’m sure all the locals got a real kick out of it.

I don’t know if the community I was surveyin’ gets many tourists, but havin’ a Missouri tag was all I needed.

Sometimes I wonder if folks such as myself take advantage of the "tourist" badge to do things they wouldn’t think of in their own community. Parkin’ on the wrong side of the street, stoppin’ in the middle of an intersection to read the street signs, that sorta thing.

I suppose that’s part a the fun in bein’ a tourist. Ya know that if ya tic someone off, you’ll never see ‘em again anyway. I did try ta pull over if I saw a big line a traffic behind my creepin’ auto. They all made real friendly gestures as they passed me by.

This is some fact, but mostly, Just Jake Talkin’.