The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-05-29
AMONG The DUTCH.
Observations of a Tenderfoot in
Iowa's Holland.

Editor HcrGld:-I am a citizen of
oskaloosa-But have been visiting
with my Holland friends in East
Black Oak Township for the last
month making my headquarters at the
home of John Graham three miles
north of Leighton and have made
some observations that might be of
interest to the Herald readers find
the Hollanders to be not only a driv-
ing progressive farmer. But with few
exceptions, they are a religious people
and can not only beat the American
raising potatoes, but can raise their
families to regularly attend church
and Sunday School. | had the pleas
ure of meeting with them in church
and Sunday School, in the forenoon in
Brother ~Baumgartel's church and in
he afternoon in Brothe r Ticey's
church and Sunday School, and was
surprised both as to the number pres
ent and the interest manifested. In
the forenoon / was put in the Bible
class with the old stand bys, Nm.
Vohees, Henry Taudy and others, with
Brother Roovart for teacher, and the
lesson was well handled. In the
afternoon | was asked to join with
the young mems class consisting of
fourteen young men, they having
Paul Sinehorst for teacher, and /
asked him the old Sunday School con-
ventional question: How do you
manage to hold to so many young peo-
pie in your Sunday SCHOOL," He said
we train them to attend when young
and never let them get away from us.
There are three Reform churches in
Leighton. but they differ very little
on religious views.
/ made a visit to the classic Skunk
river with the Graham boys where
they are farming this e one
hundred acres OF corn on the Crook.
ham estate. / asked them if there
was any game on the river. They said
that since Tim Barnes, Eph Smith and
other MIN rods had moved away from
this section that the ducks were ZEAL
ly Matching out their young here. |
mex visited Joe Crookham and was
asked to stay for dinner. Found Joe
knocking around amongst his stock.
He is now feeding ninety head of cat
tie for the July market. | counted
about thirty head of colts and horses
and nearly a hundred hogs. After
partaking of a good dinner his good
wife took me out in the back yard and
showed me her three hundred little
chicks. Said her prospects were good
for three hundred more in the near
future. They have a splendid To-
cation on the hill, and could be easily
beautiied with little expense. Joe has
the oversight and management of
nearly all of the Crookham estate.
He says that it is estimated that
eleven hundred acres of it will be
farmed to corn this year. On a great
portion of it the corn was UP and
looked fine. The electric storm of
Wednesday evening was a constant
stream of lightning. 1t struck a
stack of hay belonging to the Ora
ham boys on the Rooyart farm and
close to his barn. The boys worked
heroically and saved a portion of it.
1t also demolished the Art building
and other buildings on the Pella fair
grounds.
/ find the Hollanders are not like
the Americans, who W.. sell out every
Saturday in the afternoon, provided
he can get his price. But the Hol-
| lander has come to stay, and will
make every acre between Pella and
Oskaloosa bring one hundred dollars
per acre before all the old people die.
One farm three miles east of Pella
containing one hundred and twenty
acres was sold last week for one
hundred dollars per acre, and there
are but three farms now owned by
Americans in East Black Oak. They
belong to Thos. Graham, John Graham
and Lon Hoover, and all these are
now rented to Hollanders. The i'm,
provements here are very noticeable;
the red barns and the white houses
are in evidence.
Mr.. Roovart is now the oldest set.
tier here amongst the Hollanders, hav'
ing lived here now twenty-five years
and has become entirely . American
lied, having a large family and as
they grow up they go into the pro-
LESSONS. Three are in banks one a
Methodist minister and the girls are
teachers.
If this finds its way into print, ]
may follow with another next week.
S. w, II.