Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1900-08-29
Farmer BRONNATG SCHOOL
EVIDENCES OF PROSPERITY.
How Iowa Farmers Have Been wonder
fully Benefited Under Repub-
Iican Rule.
Second Lesson.

Second Lesson.
well, father" said John, after sur
per on the second day of Farme
Browns visit, ''are you ready for an
other lesson in the Evidences of Pros
perity? l remember when l was
student at Drake university, one o
the required studies was Evidences O
Christianity. Now l am certain tina
the Evidences of Prosperity which
snail endeavor to show to you, are a.
slearly proven as were those lessons
which | took at the university.
You will remember our lesson yes
terday closed with a quotation of some
figures from Mr.. Sage's report of the
Weather and Crop Service i'm Iowa
You will also remember that | gave
you table showing the average
prices for farm products on Dec. of
each year of the past decade Today |
dropped into the office of the Iowa
state Register and looked over a few
OF their exchanges for the purpose of
learning what the local market prices
were the first week in August, this
year. | believe if l had had time |
could have found papers from every
county in the state, but took papers
from % counties scattered over the
state so that the average of the fig
ures which / obtained is an absolutely
fair statement of the local markets Of
the whole state. The average prices
In the local markets of Iowa the first
week in August, 1900, was as follows:
Iowa Local Market Prices.
Eggs Butter. Wheat. Corn. Oats Cattle. Hogs.
& 1872 500 3l11 1915 $495 s465
You will remember last night in
my figures derived from Mr.. Sage's re-
port | found the average price of ce-
reals on the LIST of last December to be
as follows: Corn, 23c; wheat, 54c:
oats, 19c. So you see, father there
has been a material increase in prices
of cereal products in this state since
the LIST of last December Comparing
these two statements, we find an in
crease Of SIC per bushel for corn. SIC
per bushel for wheat and 1ac per bush
ell for oats. Mr.. Sage's report is very
accurate, for it is made up of the aver
age OF the reports of some 200 to
300 people. some residing i'm every
county in the state and the report
which l have given you of prices this
week is reasonably correct. because it
Is an average of the local market re-
ports printed in the newspapers i'm So
Of the 80 counties i'm Iowa. SO YOU
see, father, the good work of prosper
lty is being continued and these fig
lres show an increase in the price of
a farmer has to sell.
Il have also looked up the files of |
he Iowa State Register to find the |
prices in the markets of the commod- |
ties referred to i'm the above table. at |
he same day in 1896, and find COM |
statement with 1900 as fol-
ows:
A Comparison of Prices.
Eggs ter. Whit. Corn. Oats. tie. Hogs
Aug. 10, 1896 SC l5c 45c l9c l4c S35O sa75 |
Aug. TO- 1909 1871 6O1z 8l1S 1917 495 465
Assuming that the Des Moines
'rices were fair average for the state
n August, 1896, you will see that
here Is material increase in prices
eceived by the farmer for his products
II this state in this year of prosperity
IS compared with that Democratic
ear of financial depression, 1896.
TO carry these comparisons still
urther took pains yesterday to look
Up some figures from the Chicago and
omaha papers which l found i'm the
les of the Iowa state historical de-
artment, in charge of Curator Aid
ich. Here found files of the leading
apers OF Iowa as well as the leading
allies of the large cities, dating back
lany years, and from them | made a
omparison Of the prices of hogs and
attic at the great commercial centers
the west, Chicago and Omaha. |
ound in the Omaha Bee of Aug. 10,
S96, statement to the effect that a |
ew hogs had sold the previous day at
ne stock yards for So .05 per 100 ,
ounds, and the Bee stated this was
ne highest price that had been reached ,
nce July 10 of that year. The aver
&c price for hogs that day was S2.75
err 100 pounds. while cattle sold at ,
rom $500 to 1925 per 100. Turning ,
the Omaha Bee of Aug. 10, 1900. t,
'und hogs were sold the previous day !
prices ranging from $500 to S5.Os
err 100. and cattle at $3.50 to ,
j.15. You will see that the prices ,
uoted in the Omaha Bee of Aug. 10,
100. were from 81 to 1925 per 100
ore for hogs than on the same day in
s96, and $50 to $1.9O per 100
ore for cattle.
IAN investigation of the Chicago
arket reports for 1896 and 1900 :,
lows the following comparison of >
cures for the same days: !,
Chicago Markets. N
Aug. 10, 1896. Aug. 10, 1900.
utter .......... 9615c zoe I
ggs .......... DC 12c II
heat .......... 541ac 7Od76hc II
Drh ........... 221sc 3914d39$s G.
ogs ........ 80. 7Od3.25 $5.25@5.35
attic ........ 81 5Oa3.75 $5.75@6. 90 b
Farmer Brown examined these fig e
..AR ..ll.. /