Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1897-09-23
SIGNS OF YhE YlNES.
Senator Gear Reads in Them the I'm.
proved Condition Of Iowa.
Money Seeking lnvcstment - Farmers
With Surplus-No More Seven Per
Cent. Mortgages Talks With
Business Men.

Special Correspondence of the 81. Louis Globe Dem.
In SOUTHEASTERN Iowa, Sept. A.
Burlington is the home of Senator
John H. Gear. Iowa has few men al
we'll qualified to speak of her material
conditions as the Senator. Before he
entered public life Mr.. Gear was q
wholesale merchant. His experience
goes back to pioneer days. Since he
retired from active business he has
kept in close touch with affairs other
than political. Yesterday he was in
keokuk on visit, and although the
mercury was in the 9Os, the Senator
made the rounds of the wholesale dis.
trict, visiting the jobbing houses one
after another, for the sake of old times
and to see for himself how things are
bettering.
'Our wholesale merchants" said
the Senator, with unmistakable salts.
faction in his manner, 'haven't done
rs we'll since 1892 as they are doing this
season. I talked with leading whole
sale grocer of Burlington a few days
ago. He told me he had never made
so much money as he is making now.
Today l visited all of the wholesale
grocers of Keokuk, and their talk was
in the same strain. The Improvement
pervades everything. You can't find
any unemployed men about here. The
Burlington mas put on an immense
number in the various branches of its
service. That system is employing
from 500 to 1000 men in the shops at
West Burlington. 1t would pay you to
see those shops. There are none finer
in the country. The Burlington is
taxed to its full carrying capacity, the
officers tell me. We have got good
many industries and all of them have
added to their working forces. We
have iron works that ship engines to
all parts OF the country, and even to
South America. In Keokuk there is
an office fixtures factory that sends its
products as far as the state of Wash
ington. All of these industries have
orders ahead, and are employing more
men than they have done since the
hard times begun
''What of the Iowa farmers, SEN
ator:"
1--WE have in Iowa a greater diversity
OF agricultural products than almost
any other state. Everything the Iowa
farmer has got is in better demand
this season, and at rates from 40 to SO
par cent. over last years prices. Cat
tie and hogs are high. Sheep have
doubled in value. Corn is worth twice
Is much in Iowa as it was last year.
Then it was selling for II and 13 cents.
Now it is worth "a to 26 cents. There
is an immense quantity of corn in the
state. Many of our Iowa farmers have
got their corn crops of 1895 and 1886
still on hand. They will have at least
three-quarter's crop this year. Flax
seed is one of our large crops in some
parts of the state. 1t has advanced sc
cents a bushel. Iowa, you know, is q
great dairy state. There has been i'm
provement In prices on dairy products
l can't tell how much, because am not
40 we'll informed in that direction as or
some of these other products"
''Iowa farmers will be paying of 9
good many mortgages?" was suggested
81 read day or two ago that Kansa.
farmers had paid off $40, ,OOO,OOO II
mortgages. We will not be able t.
make any such showing, because oul
farmers are not generally mortgaged
Down in this part OF the state the lows
farmer is lender, not borrower. HI
is going to have more money to lOar
than ever before. 1t is already appar
ent that lenders will not be able to ge
as much interest in Iowa as heretofore
Up in the northwestern part Of tn,
state, where the development is NOR,
recent, more farms are mortgaged, bu
even there the demand for loans Il
lessening so that rates are coming
down."
''SenatOr, Judge Scott, Of Jackson
Vile, said the other day that pc
cent loans on farms will end in Illinoi
with the coming clean up Of the farm
ers."
I'VE have come to the end OF pe
cent. loans on farms In Iowa, also.
know of recent attempts to place loan
of five years on farms in Northwestern
Iowa. That has been our best field 70
mortgage investment. Money ha
been sent there TO be loaned ct I pc
cent, and the reply came back that 8
is the best that can be got for money