The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-02-13
For the Jedersonian. 5-.
FROM CENTRAL IOWA.
A,rxs. (IowA) Feb. g. 1877

- AHIEs, (IowA) Feb. 9, 1874.
I have been almost q constant
reader of the JEFF. since its first
publication. Il has been one out Of
thousand Republican pspers that
has not only survived, but has pros
pered, without the fruetifyiBg int1u-
ences Of the county patronage hot
bed, with all political odds againstit.
1t stands pre-eminently above nine
tenths Of the county papers throughout
the country. -.- Eel '--.------ .-.-'t /
-.--- ---- AMEs 60 ---. \
Is located on the North Western Rail |
road, nine miles due north OF Des
Moines, snd in Story county. One
mile west of Ames is located the.
Iowa Agricultui al College, which has
been in successful operation for the
past five years. The interest on the
endowment fund of this institution
now amounts to 100000 annually.
The endowment fund is estimated
ut near one million dollars, 8 large
portion of which is in land, which is
leased for term of years, at . rental
value fixed at certain rate OF interest
on its appraised value; hence the lands
are growing in value annually In
connection with the college is nine
hundred acres Of farming land, on
which the college and other buildings
are located. On the farm is a mag
nifcent brick farmhouse and two
large barns. The farm is well stocked
with cattle, hogs and sheep, Of the
best bloods, as well as large lot OF
grades, kept to manufacture the sur
plus grain and grass into meat, milk
and wool. The college building is
two hundred feet in length, fifty feet
in width, with two Wings fifty teet
in length. the whole five stories In
highth. In connection with the col,
lege is q chemical laboratory and q
workshop, each in separate buildings
erected for their respective purposes
and as sufficient distance from each
other and from the main college build
ing, to avoid any danger from one
setting the other on FIRE. There is
also. at convenient distance, three
substantial brick buildings for resi-
dent Professors. Sixty acres. nesriy
square, is nestly handicapped and set
out with hardg evergreen trees IN
groups, interspersed with variety
OF other trees and shrubs. In time
the landscape surrounding the college
will be one OF the finest in the West.
l believe the Iowa Agricultural
College, under the efficient manage
ment of its faculty, has been the first
one to demonstrate the practibllity
OF mixing physical labor with mental
culture. The students work on the
farm, or in the workshops two and
a half hours each day, when the
weather allows them their regular
hours Of work. They receive from
six to ten cents per hour for their
labor, which is credited On their board
Many young men by working on
Saturday very nearly pay their way.
A narrow guage railroad is being
built from Des Moines to Ames,l
which connects Us with the State
Capital by rail.
PATRONS OF HUsBANDRY
It is well known that lows hss
taken the lead in organizing oranges.
Perhaps few items as to what they
are accomplishing would at this time
interest many of your readers, an
help your Ohio Patrons to solve some
of the problems of trade. --.--
Our State Grange appointed State
Agent, who is located st Des Motnes.
He, with the State Executive Com
mittee, entered into correspondence
with manufacturers, and succeeded in
making arrangements with pearly all
classes of msnufs cturers 70 purchase
direct from them wholesale prices.
The arrangement is to have a local
grange agent in each county.
Through him the members OF the
subordinate oranges order through
tn. Stste agent. The State agent is
paid q salary by the State Grange.
The local agents receive small com
mission, consequently the members
of the Order get their goods and
machinery at manufacturers prices,
with freight added. On some articles
the saving is quite Al item, for
instance, on musical instruments. An
organ that retails for $50, We get st
s75. and st the same discount for any
other priced organ. The discount on
sewing mschines is nearly the came.
In some localities the meub,rs Of
oranges have formed joint stock
companies, and started cheese fac
tories, agricultural implement man
ufsctories, etc. .-. .'-. ---
In Ames there has been bat ve<y
little competition among the ner-
chants ; :he consequence was that We
were forced to pay enormous profits
to merchants, and take for our pro
duce what they chose to give US. The
Patrons of Husbandry sought first to
break up the combination By Offering
to concentrate their trade in one store
provided they could get goods Al
grange cash prices" But mey
failed to get satisfactory CONCESSIONS
At last they organized o-operstiVe
association, and employed an agent
and started q store OF their own;
Their first purchase was only sf8, ,0Oe
worth of goods, made up OF share-
holders Of S25 each. The goods were
marked at five per cent 'boVe cost,
and all estimated expenses added.
The cash receipts the first month
we're sic, 600, nesrly equal to the frat
uurchsse. The sto' does an exten-
sive ready-pay business. The result
was that merchandise declined IN
AIMEE on level with cooperative
store prices, and all, whether mem
hers OF the grange CT not, are reaptng
the BENEFITS of our cooperation We
have thus far confined our stock to
staple articles in the line Of dry goods