davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
LOSSES Ely EROSION.

The man with the rolling farm has
always one enemy to watch that
the man on the fat lands never need
worry over. and this is the erosion Of
his hill fields by the foods and rains
and the consequent and certain loss
of their fertility. Illustrating how
great this loss is. we mention the case
of farmer through whose farm a
small creek ran. which drained water
shed including little more than that
comprised in the mans rolling hillside
acres< The hillsides were covered
with corn in July, the soil loose from
recent cultivation. and a heavy sum-
mer storm came UP and the foods
came down. The little creek became
a torrent and swept through the barn
yard. eddying into the basement of
the COW barn. When the water sub
sided, silt deposit solid foot in
depth had to be removed from the
barn floor, and this represented but a
fraction of the fertility removed by
this one storm from his cornfields on
the hills. This loss isconstantly going on
+ lnlouSn Tue itSeHcleS OIL uelLlHS SHOWS
| and summer rains and presents to the
owner of such lands one of the most
1 serious problems with which he has
to contend in the conduct of his farm.
No land having a slope in excess of &c
degrees should ever be kept in culti-
| waited crops If the soil be of loose
and friable texture. Where the in
clination exceeds this. such lands
should be used for grasses. pasture
/ orchards and forests. The pitch might
| be increased if the soil is a stiff clay
| but not otherwise. In all billy coun.
tries erosion has done more to deplete
1 the fertility of the soils than all the
| crops which were ever raised on the
land. The elements of soil fertility
which the Mississippi river dumps into
4 the gulf of Mexico each year far ex.
coed in value all the soil products
which are transported upon its sur
face.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
FARMS WANTED.

The craze for farm land which now
prevails all through the west and north
west has never been equaled since the
days when the country was thrown
open to settlement. Within year past
all good land which was slow of sale at
from $50 to $40 per acre u months ago
has moved up to $50 and $50 per acre,
with sharp demand for it at these
figures. The overflow Of population
which heretofore has always been able
to find homes on good wild western
lands, either as government land or at
very low prices in the hands of spec
ulators and corporations, has made the
discovery that the day of cheap and
fertile land is past, never to return,
thus inevitably advancing the price Of
all fertile cultivated acres throughout
the entire west and northwest. Anoth-
er cause of the advance in price is the
fact that any good land, whether work
ed by the owner or rented out, will pay
q larger per cent of interest upon the
money invested therein than any Sc
curities to be obtained, with the added
| certainty Of absolute security for the
| Investment and the almost certain fact
\ that there will be constantly increas-
ing value attaching to the land itself.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
oTTuMwA BOY IN ARMY.
Win Chambers Writes From Preside
Assumed to 18th Cavalry.

Mrs. Ed. Chambers is in receipt OF
the following letter from her son Win,
who left here a short time ago after
enlisting in the United States army.
He has arrived at Preside, and has
been assigned to troop III Sixteenth
cavalry. He likes army life as much
as he has seen of it, and is in good
health and spirits. He does not know
when he will be sent to the Philip
pines, and thinks perhaps his troop
may be sent to the Yellowstone Park:
Presidio, Cal, March 81.
Dear Mother:
Well, mother, this is Sunday and we
have Just returned from church. We
have services here every Sunday at
the barracks just the same as at
home, but | can't help but feel lone
some sometimes. At guard mount ev-
cry morning the band plays good live
ly tunes except on Sundays, when
they play funeral marches and church
music, and that makes us all feel pref
ty lonesome, and | pretty nearly get
the blues sometimes. | went to
church tho this morning and now
feel somewhat better. We are station
ed in what are called the brick bar
racks here, and they are nearly as
nice as 1T is at home They are large
brick buildings, and we sleep in small
iron beds, which we have to take care
of and make up every morning before
inspection.
We have plenty to eat, and it is not
so bad either; just wait moment and
will see what our bill of fare for din
ner is. Well, here it is, sausage, roast
beef, gravy tomatoes bread and cof-
fee. We have no butter nor milk,
however
| don't know how long we will be
stationed here, but it will probably be
quite while yet All the other boys
from home (Ottumwa) have gone to
the islands, except AL Parker and 1.
1t is reported here that our troop will
| be sent to Yellowstone park later on,
and | wish that would be the case.
However, we may be sent right over
to tho islands at any time No one
can tell anything about that. l am
feeling good now, and this climate is
fine, | haven't thing to complain Of
However, wish | had my mandolin
have expected it before this. 1t
comes in pretty nice sometimes when
a fellow gets lonesome. With regards
to all the family and hoping l may re-
turn a general some day, am as ever
Win
| Troop H, 18th Cavalry, Preside, Cal.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
SHALL HE BUY FIFTY DOLLAR
IANHs

We are asked whether young man
with capital of $500 will be safe in
buying an so acre farm at $50 per
acre on long time at low rate of in
terest-5 per cent-and whether he
may be reasonably sure of being able
to pay for such farm in the course of
10 or Is years. Everything depends
upon tile young man himself, the kind
of girl he has married and the kind
of farm which he buys. II he him
self is a worker and saver, with some
idea of up to date agriculture; if his
wife is strong and healthy woman,
willing to share the burdens and en-
forced self denials of the term Of debt
bondage; II the farm chosen is of
good quality, responding generously to
, good treatment, the young man may
go ahead and buy the farm with rea-
sonable certainty that at the end of 10
years or less he will own it free from
debt. Methods of carrying ii on will
have something to do with his success
or failure. Successful methods would
be as follows: To keep Il dairy of not
less than II good cows as sort Of
foundation for his farm operations;
associated with the dairy calves, pigs
and all the poultry which can be
probably handled; or. assuming that
sheep and their products will maintain
present prices. he might safely. if he
takes to sheep. put 100 good ewes on
such farm in place of the dairy. but
with the sheep he will not be able to
succeed so well with his pigs for lack
of milk to raise them on. We would
/ not advise such purchase of land
with view to grain raising and SELL
ing, and think, attempted on this line,
failure would result Land bought on
such terms must be worked for better
than average returns from farm lands
Assuming that the gross average re-
turn per acre for land lying in the corn
belt is not over $40 per acre or $500
for an so acre farm, it will be seen ut
once that when the interest charge,
taxes and living expenses are deduct
ed therefron it will leave but little to
be applied upon the principal of the
debt. So in some way our young
| friend has got to get from SO to $40
per acre annual income from his land
II he hopes to ever get out of debt.
| This he may do with stock, but not By
selling grain. The above is fair ard
conservative statement of the situa-
don.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
DIFFERENCE OF OPINION.
Ex-county Clerk Garriott Finds Anus
ina Condition in Minnesota.


Ex-County Clerk o. j. Garriott has
found something that interests him.
At present he is sojourning in Moore
head, Minnesota, where he went re-
Gently on business. The other day,
while reading one of the local papers
he came across an article which ihdi-
Gates that the county clerk of the coun-
ty in which Moorehead is situated is
at odds with an abstract company oy-
er question that never arises in this
part of the United States for the very
good reason that county clerk is not
hunting for trouble.
1t seems than an abstract company
desired to search the records for judg-
ments against persons and make a GER
tifcate to the effect that liens did or
did not exist as the case might be, just
as abstractors do here. The county
clerk is paid with the fees he receives
and he desires to search the records
and make the certificate. The abstract
company claims the right to do that
work and the county clerk locks horns
with them on the proposition. The
case will be taken into court and
fought.
In Wapello county the clerk would
be compelled to search several judg-
ment records, to say nothing of other
records for cases commenced, etc.,and
| if he did make the certificate and it
happened to be that a lien did exist,
| the official would be liable on his Off
cial bond. For this very reason he is
not anxious to do it; indeed he would
very properly refuse if asked to make
such certificate. The abstractor
however, is willing, and puts in a great
amount of time looking the matter up,
and when he has completed the job
feels satisfied that the statements
made in his certificate are true.
To Garriott the circumstance is
funny, as 1t is to every person who has
had anything to do with the clerk S
office,
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
Rev. F. Lomack Defendant in a Case
Brought in Des Moines.

Rev. F. Lomack, pastor of the First
African Baptist church of Des Moines.
and formerly pastor of the colored
Baptist church of this city, and is well
remembered here for the part he took
in that church's affairs, has been made
a defendant in Des Moines in a suit
brought against him by the Metropoli-
tan Music company for money alleged
to be due On an organ.
Rev. Lomack is in the east, having
been away from Des Moines ever since
last fall. His attorney, j. l.. Wilmer
fled motion in the district court on
Saturday for further time in which to
make answer to the organ company s
petition, on the ground that his client
is absent in Washington. D. C.
where he is making his headquarters
and will be unable to have his answer
here before April 20. With the motion
is a handful advertising a series OF
meetings which are being held by Rev
Lomack at Alexandria, Va. He is so
Letting funds for the church here, and
on the bill is picture of the building
and brief sketch of its pastor. For
next Sunday he is scheduled to speak
at all the colored Baptist churches OF
Alexandria, and his abilities as a
speaker and singer are spoken of in
the highest terms. 1t does not state
in the motion when he will return
here. He is evidently making himself
famous in the east, however. The
subject of his Sunday talk is to be
Man Up a Tree" and at the top O
the bill, in large letters, are the words
Hear Him"
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
"KNor' EEAps.p

We came across the term ''knot
heads" recently, it being used to deslg-
nate the class of steers which are pick
ed up by feeders through the dairy sec
tons of the west-a class of beef AMI
mails which, because of their dairy an
cestry, make the most Improbable feed
ers to be anywhere found. They are
usually tainted more or less with Jer-
sey, Holstein and Guernsey blood and
lack in almost every particular those
qualities which should mark the profit.
able steer to feed. Many ignorant feed
ers have tried making beef out of them,
TO their sorrow. In fact, it is almost
impossible to buy them low enough to
get out even when they are sent to
market.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
DECISION REVERSED.
Supreme Court Decides Against A
Knapp, of Ottumwa.

Knapp, Of OttumWa.
A decision has been rendered in the
supreme court reversing the verdict
of the Wapello county court, M. A.
Roberts, judge, in the case of A.Knapp
VS.. the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Railroad Company and j. M. Harrison,
in which the lower court gave the
plaintiff a judgment against the cor
poration.
The defendant road had stolen from
its roundhouse in Ottumwa a four-ply
belt seven inches wide and forty-seven
feet in length. Defendant Harrison
was employed by the company to as
certain the guilty parties. He caused
the arrest of the plaintiff and his son,
and sued out search warrant for the
belt. On hearing it was found that
the value of the belt was less than
500 Afterward information was
sworn out and the correct value of the
property was stated. The case was
tried and the defendants discharged,
whereupon suit was brought by the
plaintiff in the case for malicious pros
ecution. Because the verdict is not
supported by the evidence, the case is
reversed.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
TAKE CONTINUANCE.
County Attorney Unable to Begin
Assault Cases.
ZIMMERMAN GETS CHANGE FvENUE
Will Have His Preliminary Trial Be-
fore Justice BaIIard-Begun This
Afternoon-Fred Pasnau's Bond Re-
duced-Bert Houston Brings Suit.
I From Mondays Daily. ]

[From Mondays Daily.l
But one of the crowd of gamblers
who made the attack on S. P. Grips,
Bert Houston and Henry King at Grips
Bros livery barn, last Thursday even
ing appeared for trial today. Henry
Mungerman appeared in police court
at o'clock this afternoon, and thru
his attorney, B. w. Scott, made appli-
cation for change of venue to Justice
Billiards. court which was granted.
Continuance in Other Cases.
County Attorney Emery asked that
the trial of Chas., Robert and Fred
Pasnau, AL Fowler, Lewis Jones and
Frank O'Neal, the other defendants in
the same case, be postponed until
April %, but this was objected to by
Judge Hall, attorney for the men, and
Thursday, April 18, was then agreed
upon, and if County Attorney Emery is
still busy upon that date the case will
again be continued.
His Bail Reduced.
Judge Hall made an application to
Judge Moon to have the bail of Fred
Pasnau reduced to $1,000. This was
vigorously objected to by County At,
torney Emery, and it was finally
agreed to reduce it to $1,000. The re.
duction was asked for on the grounds
that Fred Pasnau had consumption
and Judge Hall produced a certificate
from DR.. Williams stating that he
had examined Pasnau and found he
was suffering from consumption, and
that in his opinion would not live over
six months. For this reason County
Attorney Emery agreed to reduction
and the same was ordered by Judge
Moon.
Houston Brings Suit.
Attorney c. c. Lccch in behalf nj
Bert Houston today fled a petition fol
S., 900 damages against Chas. Pasnau
eft al. charging ther1 with having Ell
tered his place of employment or
April IL, and assaulted him with
knives, revolvers and clubs, and thai
they seriously and permanently in
jured him. The petition also stated
that it was the belief of the petitioner
that Chas. Pasnau was the leader Of
! the mob, and that he was making ar
aiteinpt to dispose of all his property
and asked for an attachment to issue
against the same. Attorney Leech il
endeavoring to get the attachment
signed by Judge Roberts this after
noon on account of the absence o
Judge Fee.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
IOWA At WASHINGTON.
Doings of Hawkeye People at the Ma
tion's Capital.

Washington, April 15.-M. L. Carey
of Amador; August X. Judisch, of
Beech Creek, have been appointed
postmasters.
Iowa Pensions.
Original-Jesse Boyington, Calf, So;
David J. Evans, Washington, So; 10y
al G. Hesser, Anita, So; Thomas Aus
tin. Knoxville, Sc. Additional
iah Bacus, Boone, So; VIM. H. Bruce,
Anamosa, So. observation-disclosures
Hcdeyn, Soldiers Home. Marshall
town, IS. Increase-Jacob McVeagh,
Farnhamville, s17; Jasper Reno.
Greenfield, $40; Richard Campbell,
Coatsville, SIP; Nathan c. Pickers,
Creston, $40. Original widows, etc
Minors of Thos. J. Goodwin, Harvard
en-, $40; Ann Williams, Williamsburg,
s.; Ann E. Whitneck, Marshalltown,
IS; Susan A. Lowell, Lyons, So; Maria
Miller, Parkersburg. So; Sarah A. AL
len, Defiance, SIS. War with Spain
Thomas H. Brophy Gather, Ottum-
wa, $12.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
FROST PATTERNS

Where lies the artistic genius which
devises and traces the delicate frost
patterns to be seen on a large plate
glass window in the winter time? Why
do such patterns always follow some
general design on one window and an
altogether different one on another
window? Why is one pattern the most
delicate and unique of Moorish fret
work, another crystallzed tracing of
the most delicate lace, still another a
grouping of wide leaved tropical plants,
still another a miniature winter land
scape, no two patterns ever alike and
each more beautiful in design than
anything man could do? Rare geniuses
are these frost artists.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18
RECEIPTS INCREASE
$500 Hogs Arrive at Packing
House This Week.
ENGINEER JOHN WISHAR7 RESIGNS
Has Work ID for John Morrel G Co.
SIEVE al ears-M'iIl Go To Chicago
New School opere n East ottum-
wa-Oth, last E j Neess.

From Saturdays Daly.l
1t has been several weeks since the
hog receipts at the packing house have
been up to the average but the figures
are slowing increasing, and it is
thought that the time will soon come
when they will be as large as ever.
This week $500 porkers We're receiv-
ed, as against $3.50 last week. The
condition of the country roads is still
held responsible for the low figures.
Farmers cannot haul hogs to town
when four horse team is often re-
CURED to get an empty wagon along
the road. The roads have been muddy
for so long that the ruts are hub-deep
in some places, and until their condi-
ton improves there will continue to
be low receipts of hogs. Judging
from reports. however, Ottumwa is in
no worse shape with regard to this
matter than other pork packing cen
tiers, so there is no room for complaint.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

1t will pay to cut out lot of the old
wood from the currant bushes. The
best fruit is borne on the growth of
the previous year.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

During 1900 25,643,073 tons of freigh:
passed through the 500 canal, and this
amount will be doubled inside of 10
years.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

Sheaf oats cut when just in the
dough are the best food which can be
raised on the farm for calves, milk
cows, sheep and colts.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

A lot of old hens scratching on the
cover OF the strawberry bed in March
can do more harm than they are worth.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

Fine cattle are bringing big prices, a
recent sale Of 143 head of registered
Polled Angus averaging $4S1 a head.
This was an Iowa herd.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

The most important factor connected
with grass growing is rainfall Where
water falls in abundance there will
grass always grow. Where the rain
fall is deficient there it won't grow.
1t is not so very particular about soils
either, and some sort of grasses will
flourish among the rocks or the
stumps. on the hillsides. on river bot
tom or slough. Good grass lands are
the surest and safest foundation for
successful agriculture.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

The finest cinnerarias, jonquils, mar
cissuses and hyacinths we have ever
seen We're grown wholly without sun
shine in north window.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

1t may be noted that the big packing
houses of Chicago and Kansas City are
not satisfied with controlling the meat
trade of the country, but are now
equipping large cold storage plants for
the handling of eggs and poultry. This
new departure is likely to benefit the
producer more than the consumer.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

Country school directors are finding
out that they must increase the wages
of the teachers Of the country schools
If they are able to secure good ones.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

No handsomer foundation for a
pretty home can be found than one
made out Of the "hardheads' which
are found all over the prairie regions.
Such a foundation is rather eXpen-
sive one owing to the difficulty of
shaping these stones, and there are
not many workers In stone who know
how to handle them and none like to-.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

! Oklahoma possesses a soil and eli
mate specially fitted for the production
of broom corn, and this crop is likely
to receive much attention in that terri
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

About once in every seven years the
hog has his innings and becomes the
most profitable animal to keep on the
farm. On the farms located in the
corn belt where corn and clover will
grow pork can be produced at fair
profit as low as cents a pound, and
when it sells for $500 to Sc. as this
spring, the hog is a gold mine.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

There were 5000 carloads Of grapes
marketed from the grape growing ter
ritory on the shores of Lake Erie last
season. These grapes were mostly
Concords Isabellas and Delawares.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

A solar machine-a machine with a
system of reflectors which will focus
the rays of the sun upon a steam boiler
lis now in successful operation in Cali
fornia. Through the desert regions,
where the sunshine is almost perpetual
and fuel very scarce and high priced
such machine, if practical in its
workings. would prove almost invalu-
able. for, with a cheap power for pump
ing water from deep wells, irrigation
would be possible and thus transform
the desert into fruitful fields.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

Men will always seek to obtain their
sustenance in the easiest possible way.
and thus it comes that where climatic
conditions require effort for man to
make living he thereby becomes a
better type of man. Work thus be-
comes the worlds greatest blessing.
and in all climates where man is thus
stimulated to effort to live there will
be found the men mighty with the
sword, great in story, art and song, in
yentiye genius and moral as well as
physical and intellectual development.
So don't whine and fret. young man,
| that your lot is cast where you have to
work in order to live. 1t may not pay the
world to raise you even where you are,
but had you been born where you
could live without work it would not
have paid the world to have raised you
to weaving time.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

Ono would naturally think that tho
mild climate and ever present humid
ity of the atmosphere in England
would result in making it an almost
perfect home for the apple, but on the
contrary few good apples are grown
there, and the best apples which they
have are sent from this country.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

Wages for farmhands are about So a
month higher this year than they have
been for many years. The farmland
can now wear red necktie and creas-
ed pants and smoke 'twofers."
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-18

"My cattle yard is ankle deep in
slushy manure, and it is most wretch
ed business trying to feed and care for
my stock" said a stockman to us late
ly just as the spring thaw came OIL.
The two stacks Of straw which he
had rotting down in the middle Of his
grainfield, an all round nuisance in the
field. had they been hauled up to the
yard when the ground was frozen
would have solved the problem of the
muddy yard and have been converted
into a valuable lot of fertilizer. When
man thus wastes his straw, he de
serves to have a muddy, nasty yard