From Curlew, Palo Alto Co, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984

The Good Old Days Were Not For Female Teachers

In 1915, female teachers were expected to obey rules like these.
1. You will not marry during the term of your contract.
2. You are not to keep company with men.
3. You must be home between the hours of 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless attending a school function.
4. You may not loiter downtown in ice cream stores.
5. You may not travel beyond the city limits, unless you have permission from the chairman of the board.
6. You may not ride in a carriage or automobile with any man, unless he is your father or brother.
7. You may not smoke cigarettes.
8. You may not dress in bright colors.
9. You may under no circumstances dye your hair.
10. You must wear at least two petticoats.
11. Your dresses must not be any shorter than two inches above the ankles.
12. To keep the schoolroom neat and clean, you must: sweep the floor once daily; scrub the floor at least
once a week  with hot soapy water; clean the blackboards at least once a day; and start the fire at 7 a.m.
so the room will be warm by 8 a.m.

Davenport Gazette
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
January 8, 1846

MARRIED WOMEN'S RIGHTS

A bill has been passed by our Legislature to protect and defend the rights
of married women. The following synopsis we ??? from the Bloomington
Herald:-

"The bill provides that a married woman may become seized or possessed of
real estate by descent, bequest, demise, gift, purchase, or distribution,
provided the same does not come upon her husband, nor is purchased with his
funds; which, together, with any real estate which she may have possessed
before coveture, she shall hold in her own name and right, and shall be
exempt from liability on account of her husband's debts. The control and
management of such estates, with the rents and profits of the same, shall
belong to the husband, as under the present law; and all suits to recover
possession thereof, shall be prosecuted or defended in their joint names.

"In case of the wife's death, such estate shall descend to their joint
issue, and if no children be born during coverture, it shall then descend to
the husband and his heirs. The estate thus owned by a feme covert may be
sold by the joint deed of herself and husband. The husband may convey any
estate possessed, in his own right, without relinquishment of dower by the
wife, provided she shall have executed a power of attorney authorizing him
to make conveyances in his own name alone; which power of attorney she may
revoke at any time, by causing her deed of revocation to be recorded in the
county where the estate is situated. The dower of the wife in the real
estate of which the husband dies seized, shall be exempt from liability on
account of the husband's debts."

Laws of the Thirty-Third General Assembly Jan 11- April 9, 1909

Bounty for Destruction of Rattlesnakes
An act to provide for the payment of a bounty for the destruction of rattlesnakes. [additional to section twenty-three hundred forty-eight (2348) of the code, relating to bounties.]

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:
Section 1. Amount of bounty. That whenever in the judgment of the board of supervisors of any county in this state, the public health and welfare of the citizens of its county demands there shall be paid from the general fund of the county a bounty of fifty cents for each rattlesnake caught and killed within the county; provided, that the person entitled to such bounty shall make as hereinafter provided, proof of the capture and killing of said snake within thirty days after the same was killed.

Sec. 2 Proofs required. That the person catching and killing any rattlesnake shall cut off and present to the county auditor or other officer before whom he makes proof, at least two inches of the tail of the rattlesnake with the rattles still attached thereto, and shall make written affidavit that each and every rattlesnake for which he claims bounty was caught and killed within the county where he is claiming bounty.

Sec. 3. To whom presented. That the tail with rattles attached, described in section two (2) hereof, with the proofs required, may be presented to the county auditor or to other officers in the county designated by the board of supervisors, who shall see that the rattles are detached and the piece of tail destroyed. The rattles may be returned to the claimant.
Approved February 26, A.D. 1909

Laws of the Thirty-Third General Assembly Jan 11- April 9, 1909

Bounty for Killing of Ground Hogs
An act to provide for the payment of bounties for killing ground hogs. [Additional to section twenty-three hundred forty-eight (2348) of the code, relating to bounties]

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:
Section 1. Amount of bounty. The board of supervisors of any county may allow a bounty of twenty-five cents for each ground hog killed within the county to be paid out of the general county fund to the person killing the same, on the terms and conditions hereinafter provided.

Section 2. Proofs required. The person catching and killing any such animal shall remove and present to the officers, before whom he makes his proof, the head or scalp of each animal for which he claims the bounty, and the person claiming the bounty shall furnish written proof, under oath, that each animal for which he claims the bounty was caught and killed within the county against which he presents the claim for bounty, and the board of supervisors may require in addition to the above any other and further proof which it deems necessary and reasonable to show that each animal for which the bounty is claimed was caught and killed within the county against which the claim is presented.

Section 3. To whom presented. The scalp and other proofs required may be presented to the county auditor; and the board of supervisors of each county may appoint registrars or other officers in other parts of the county to whom scalps of the animal caught and other proofs of the killing may be presented.
Approved March 25, A.D. 1909

Acts and Joint Resolutions Passed at the Regular Session of the Thirty-third
General Assembly of the State of Iowa
Begun January 11, and Ended April 9, A.D., 1909


QUARANTINE

...Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Iowa:
Section 1. Repeal- quarantine- care of infected person-expenses-That the law
as it appears in sections...are hereby repealed and the following enacted in
lieu thereof:

"When any person shall be sick or infected with any contagious or infectious
disease, dangerous to the public health, whether a resident or otherwise,
the local board of health through the mayor or township clerk, shall make
such provisions as are best calculated to protect the inhabitants therefrom,
and may remove such person to a separate house, a house of detention or
hospital, but quarantine shall not be established or maintained or
fumigation required except in cases of scarlet fever (including rash and
scarlatina) smallpox, diphtheria (including membraneous croup), cholera,
leprosy, cerebro-spinal meningitis and bubonic plague. In case any person or
persons liable for the support of such person under quarantine or restrained
under and by virtue of this act, shall be financially unable to secure the
proper care, provisions or medical attendance, it shall be the duty of the
mayor or township clerk to procure for such diseased person, proper care,
provisions, supplies and medical attendance, while so quarantined or
restrained. All bills for supplies furnished and services rendered by order
of the mayor or township clerk as herein provided, for persons removed to a
separate house, or house of detention or hospital or for persons financially
unable to provide for their sustenance and care, shall be allowed and paid
for, only on a basis of the local market price for such provisions, services
and supplies in the locality in which such services and supplies may have
been furnished. All services and supplies furnished to individuals or
families under the provisions of this section must be authorized by the
local board of health or by the mayor or township clerk acting under
standing regulations of such local board, and a written order therefor
designating the person or persons employed to furnish such services or
supplies issued before said services or supplies were actually furnished,
shall be attached to the bill when the same is presented for audit and
payment. No bill for any expenses incurred for any person during quarantine
or for disinfecting premises or effects shall be allowed unless it shall be
found that such person is financially unable to pay said bill. Provided that
nothing contained in this section shall be constructed to prevent any person
removed to a separate house or house of detention or hospital as herein
provided, from employing, at his own expense, the physician or nurse of his
choice, nor from providing such supplies and commodities as he may require.
It is further provided that if the person receiving services or supplies be
not a legal resident of the county in which such bills were incurred and
paid, the amount so paid shall be certified to the board of supervisors of
the county in which said party claims residence or owns property and the
board of supervisors of such county shall reimburse the county from which
such claim is certified, in the full amount originally paid by it. All
fumigations and disinfections, for the protection of public health, shall be
done in accordance with the regulations of the state board of health and
under the directions of the local board, which shall direct the attending
physician to superintend or perform the work. In case there be no attending
physician or in case the attending physician refuses to perform this duty,
then it shall be the duty of the local board of health to provide some other
suitable persons to perform such work. All bills and expenses incurred in
carrying out the provisions of this section and establishing, maintaining
and raising quarantine and furnishing necessary detention hospitals shall be
filed with the clerk of the local board of health. This board at its next
regular meeting or special meeting called for the purpose shall examine and
audit the same and if found correct, approve and certify the same to the
county board of supervisors for payment. if the board of supervisors
determines such bills payable, under the provisions of this act, it shall
order the county auditor to draw warrant therefor upon the poor fund of said
county. The board of supervisors shall not be bound by the action of the
local board of health in approving such bill but may increase or diminish
the same as may be just and reasonable. The forcible removal of infected
persons as herein provided shall be effected by an application made to any
civil magistrate in teh manner provided in section twenty-five hundred and
sixty-nine (2569) of the code, for the removal and abatement of nuisances,
who shall issue the warrant as directed in such cases, to remove such
persons or persons to the place designated by the local board of health and
to take possession of a condemned or infected house, lodging-room, premises
or effects. The officers designated by such magistrate shall be entitled to
receive for such services such reasonable compensation as shall be
determined by the local board of health. The amount so determined to be
certified to and paid in the same manner as other expenses incurred under
the provisions of this section....
Approved April 5, A.D.1909