Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-04-26
Public Opinion on Iowa Subjects
as Reflected in the Iowa
Newspapers.
The News Of Iowa From Hun
dreds Of Different Towns
and Communities.
MANY NEW FRUIT TREES.

MANY NEW FRUIT TREES.
LMontezuma Republican,
More fruit trees are being set out
in this section this spring than in any
five years previous Hundreds of dol
lars have been Invested and the rep
resentatives of nurseries have been here
experimenting the deliveries. If the
stock is what 1t is represented to be
there will be an abundance of apples
and the like in this section In few
years, but no one knows what kind of
varieties they have gotten. They are
completely at the mercy of the nursery
men. III these fellows are honest and
know what they are doing all will be
well. The great trouble has been in the
past that agents do the soliciting and
after getting a large number of orders
will sell them to the nursery that Will
pay the largest commission. In this way,
some reckless business has been trans
acted in the past. Farmers have waited
eight or ten years for results that never
came-trees absolutely worthless. Ii is
commendable in those who are now put
ting out orchards th..t they have paid
hut little attention to fads in their se-
lection. Old-time varieties. reliable and
trustworthy, are the rule this season.
Occasionally some alleged Imported va
sriety hardened to the rigors of the
Russian winter. We're procured, but
not many of them.
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JEWELLERS IN HOUSEBOATS.
davenport Times.
Comes now the time of the year when
the houseboat folks slip their little habi-
tations that all winter have been resting
upon stuinps or driftwood. into the riv-
err. The season of drifting. wandering
wheresoever the will directs has come
for the river jewellers. But the fancy of
these people generally dictates the
scenes of good fishing. now swinging on
the outskirts of city, now drifting
among the lonely bayous of the river.
Below the city are score or more
of these houseboats, all filled with peo-
pie, one. two, three families or more to
the house. Most of the houses are paint
ed in sombre colorS, some few Indulge in
red. and some are not painted at all.
Strange indeed are many of the occu-
pants of these little floating homes All
classes and nationalities are represent
ed. Fishermen who ply their trade and
are only happy upon the water are TO
be found here. Others for the unroman-
Tic reason are here because there Is M
rent to pay. Since the early days of the
white man on the Mississippi the house
boat folks have existed on the stream.
Children have been born on the water
and lived to manhood or womanhood
and known no other home
The casual observer of humanity may
count himself fortunate if he be invited
to spend a day or an hour among these
people In many of the boats will be
found pictured real life stories as
few days ago Times reporter ven; urel
across plank TO a houseboat west of
the city. There in house of neatness
sat an old man With white hair and
faded eyes of blue. who now mumb!ed a
little to hear himself, or now crooned
little song, all the time working with
"a jackknife on a little trinket of wood.
He Was a cross looking man, one who
Wore an expression resigned to disap-
pointment. bulldog, too. emphasized
the unwelcome of visitors blu, before an
escape was made by the reporter a
smile waved over the wrinkled face of
the old man. III a few minutes more the
reporter had formed distant friend
ship with the old man. and was putting
in his best licks to esta blish his POPULAR
lily with the bulldog.
Making friends with either party was
slow business, but 1t was interesting
work. The cid mans face, as it soft
eneG, was markedly cultured The rough
canvas clothes We're forgotten and the
little bunk for a bed. the curtains Of pa-
per and the WOODEN bottomed and cush-
ionless chairs were on familiarity.
fwenty-'ix years ago 1 began these
river days" finally the old man said.
who, by the way. has given his name
now as William A. Sevall. ut used 10
be, long ago. Sevall & Co, of Jackson
vile. Miss" he continued in a reminis-
cent air, twenty six. no thirty wears
ago that was. Business was good. lived
on the boulevard then and--we!l, things
happened" The old man stopped short.
Say, young fellow. would you believe
a thing that an old man like me would
tell you. Well. never tell any of Your
troubles. We've all got enough of thar
stuff.''
BY this time the reporter felt that he
had found another real friend. Mr..
sevall produced letter dated Jan. II.
from Middletown, n. Y, and signed u.
S. sevall. That letter was long find
ing me- he remarked. ITS from my
SON." In brief. the letter was an invita-
ton to the old man to come home. "Bul
shall never GO, remarked again Mr..
Sevall. ON taking back the letter. "It
was the lap, lap of these waves that
lulled away deal of sorrow and other
things once. and now it's too late-it
wouldn't do for me to be going back
home. 1t wouldn't do. it wouldn't do.
there is no such place but here for me .
This is the first winter" he contin-
ued. that ever spent in the north. In
the early October days l always tied I'M
the ropes of the boat and fioated bacl,
to the bayous where the parasites are
growing. In the spring with the birds I
came north again. some little tow boat
doing the work But some day rm
going back-ha. ha.' he laughed. some
day like Hiawatha.. I'm going down the
big river" His voice was musical and
he spoke In almost an eloquent vein.
Whether his story was all true or NOT
the old ma N Showad a sJanJ -