The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-07-18
-ur COUNTY in WHICH WE LIVE.
,.-,r,nr OAK TOWNSHIP.

COUNTY in WHICH WE LIVE. ianthr
per f
WHITE OAK TOWNSHIP. for a
NV way to this township, called on him q
ION; Fitch and Mr.. Levi Towne, IN do no
,oosa Tn. and was given many the p
s'' by them. Mr.. Fitch is the cur vest
,r of the neighborhood, and judging
harm built by him for Mr.. Towne, l The
. say they have good one. The are y
wax of is 50X52, and admlraoy they
that its-erythlng about it shows Fir
years. A sa't only labor put inc Ferg
formerly in this Nothing can DC Johl
good native lumber al was assured part
field of most handsome a very ie" poll
to Mr.. Towne stood up asooVer' has
evidence of the good of manurifial Not
this Iowa SOIL Passing eastward, 1 cahh
to the Montgomery farm" now occupied
by Mr. FL. A. Henderson, who in a CONVEX
sation on Grant or Greeley, showed him.
self to be as loyal to-day as when he sent
his five boys to defend their country's hon
or. He thinks there are reforms needed
in the Republican ranks, but don't propose
to go out OF the family, or call in the neigh,
bors to make such reforms. Just beyond
this farm enter White Oak Township,
the extreme eastern township of the sec.
ond tier from the South. Going down in
the bottom" see the "grade," which in
its white and ghostlike length, shows that
though the crossing is very good now,
| there are times when to cross this bottom
without passing over this monster ghost,
would be impossible. This grade is made
| of limestone, taken from neighboring quar-
ries,and broAen into certain regulation sizes
The bridge over the Skunk at this point,
gave way on the 9th inst, and l with other
travellers was obliged to ford this mighty
Chicauqua. Courier's mill found in full
operation and as usual turning out good
flour, with Mr.. j. L. Hollingsworth as
miller. Being we'll in the township, 1 be-
gan to look about me, but really I could
see little besides brush. Much of this
township, especially the part over the riv-
ably broken. Yet there are good farms
along the Rose Hill district, and east about
three miles, then south among whom I
may mention, without designedly sighting
Others, Mr.. Jarvis, Mr.. Jackson, formerly
member of the Board of Supervisors un-
der the old regime, and Mr.. A. j. Burgess,
from whom obtained much information
relative to the school interests OF the town
ship. Right here must stop to advise
farmers to plant gourd seed and
RAISE GoURDs.
Then, If the army worm should make its
appearance next summer, you will have
the gourds (manY of them) prepared with
holes cut in them, and when the wrigeling,
writhing, whitening army of worms at.
tacks your meadows, or wheat fields, you
will summon few of your neighbors, and
armiDg them with two or three gourds
each, go forth to conquer. But you must
not destroy; you must simply be the
means by which the worms are led to de.
struction. Arrived on the ground, YOU
will catch four or five of the leaders of the
worms, place them carefully in the gourds
-four or five to each gourd, and carry
them to the nearest creek or river and
throw them. Their followers, true to the
injunction of Follow your Leader" will
Immediately leave the fields and wriggle
themselves to the creek and disappear
forever in the midst thereof So says an
"old and experienced farmer" who told it
to me in all seriousness, as l tell it now
Try it, and then decide who is the bigger
fool-you for trying it or me for telling it.
White OAK township, like Des Moines,
is divided diagonally by river-known
among the country folk as "South river :"
by towns folk as the Skunk river by the
laws of the State as Cheeuaoua. The
Southwestern railroad aS row located
crosses the northwest corner of this town
ship. l learned that the reason that this
road does not come, is ''because their re-
sources are government bonds, which are
only worth 40 cents on the dollar" This
was told me by man who feeds the fires
of his patriotic soul with the liberty low
ing o. New York Day Book.
The educational interests ere guided by
the following gentlemen comprising the
Board Jno. F. Norris, Pres't Geo. A.
Ross, Sec'y /; Sam'l Nelson, Treas. John
Shipley, Peter Myers, John Bacon, Israel
Davis, - Stout. Directors. A school
house in the northwest district, is not in
very good repair, but we learn that a
| proposition is before the Board to build
large new house, or divide the district
which is large one, and provide good
houses for both sub-districts
In the northeast corner Of the township
the country is very broken, and covered
with heavy growth of young timber ard
brush. l cannot say was very favorably
impressed with it as farming section.
Crossing the river at the old Mckinney
ferry, now fording place, l entered a
range of country bordering the river, that
seven years ago was in its original wild.
ness. Since that time the woodman's ak
has not spared those trees, and where then
was dense timber, now may be seen farms
houses building, good crops growing, and
everything indicating spirit of progress
sion that in ten years from now will have
worked wonderful changes. On one Of
these farms met Mr. w. Davis who
recounted to me the following pleasant ep
isolde in his farming. Engaged one day in
narrowing, he turned up at one time, and
in one lot, sixteen rattlesnakes, one old one
about three feet long, and the remaining
fifteen each about ten inches long, evident
ly mother and her darlings Mr.. Davis
was barefooted, and though surrounded by
the spotted beauties" he escaped unbitter
and killed them ALL
West and southwark from here is found
the agricultural region of this township
, and here | saw some good crops, well titled
farms, and the general characteristics of
thriving and industrious people
THE CROPS
arc promising well Corn looks splendid
! and will soon make up for the time lost II
the spring. I found, however, more evi
dence of the workings of the grub worm
here than elsewhere. Some fields are al
most ruined. Their mode of operation il
) as follows being in the ground when tn,
corn comes up-how, or why they ar,
there, cannot say, nor can l find two
farmers who attribute their presence to tn,
same cause-they barrow at the roots O
tho corn and sucb owov oont;n,on, a..