Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-06-10

d TODln or blue Jay. They do much |
more good than harm, and are two of
the prettiest wild birds that we have.
Muscatine Journal: One of the Jour-
nails correspondents tells today OF the
sale of the William Doran estate of
80 acres five miles southeast of Will.
ton for $110 per acre. When one can
call to mind old residents who can
when the same land could
be bought for little more than hun.
dredth part of this price, the pro-
gress the country has made seems
Glenwood Opinion: The boys who
work on a farm are strictly 'in it"
these days. The other day young
man hired out for the year, and he /
will get $3.50 in money, his board and
washing, the keep of his buggy horse
with week off when the corn is laid
by" in June, and another vacation
when the huslsing is finished. Count.
ing ordinary prices paid for board and
washing and horse feed, this young
man will get better than $45 month
Jefferson Bee: Roland Roberts, the
rural mail carrier for route No. out
Of this city, boasts of driving team
on his route which he thinks cannot be
duplicated by any carrier in the state
OF Iowa. They are twin horses, born
nearly seven years ago, and have new
er been separated. having come up in
the pasture together and only been
broken for use this spring. Twin colts
occur very rarely, but it is still rore
rare for them to be brought up togeth-
er, broken together and driven togeth-
err, as in this case
Independence Bullentin-J ournal:
Gardeners report that the coming
strawberry crop will be something en-
tirely beyond their earlier expecta,
tions. There will be strawberries for
everyone, but they must be appreciat-
ed as the raspberry and blackberry
crops will prove total failures. The
drought of last fall prevented the ma
turing of the bearing branches, and
the late rains. which were sufficient
for the Strawberries, did not supply the
necessary moisture to the wooded
vines.
Stuart Herald Wednesday Peter
Henney sold his fine farm of 230 acres
adjoining the city limits on the south
to William Lidden, south of Dexter.
The price paid was $100 per acre.
This we believe is the high water
mark in farm values in this vicinity.
But Mr.. Henney had a splendid farm,
every foot is pillow land, with a large
new house, barn and outbuildings. Mr..
Henney few years ago paid $65 an
acre for the same land. Mr., Lidden,
who now owns and occupies the old
10. P. Bissell farm, has been offered
500 an acre for that farm, but refuses
to sell.
Ames Ties: Last week great deal
of kicking was heard in this part of
Iowa to the effect that there was too
much rain, it would ruin the crops, and
all kinds of dire disaster was sure to
follow. If those who fear too much
rain in Iowa will look back to the time
when the crops in this state have been
ruined by too much moisture they will
have to look long ways. In the time
of this writer there have been springs
when so much rain fell as to retard
the progress Of putting in crops at
that time too, the people did not know
what tile was. 1t is different now;
with the well tiled farms of the
country it would be almost next to an
impossibility to get too much rain.
Don't finch until you are bit.
DEBORAH Republican: The lesson of
the flood is no more dirt roads. All
the earth work done since the flood
| of 1892 was cleared off and sent down
stream to enrich the Iowa valley. The
graveled tracks made ten, fifteen and
even twenty years ago are disclosed
again, solid, entire and serviceable as
ever. Another lesson-keep the road
ways as low as possible. A high
road bed is useless, yea, more, it is
an offense if it serves to dam back
water or throw it upon the adjoining
4 lot A good road bed is one that is
rounded sufficiently to drain the wat
| er from the center to the gutter as di-
rectly as possible. Pairing off the
outer ridge is just as effective as pill
| ing up the center, and costs less than
half.
| Waverly Independent: The days
| this week nave. Deen perfect, Gays
They have given us clear sunshine
The sun now shines in at the north
windows of your house as well as the
windows in other parts of the house
The atmosphere is filled with refresh.
ing and health giving breezes. All ma
ture is doing her best in helping men to
raise big crop. The bluegrass is the
most Iuxuriant ever seen in Iowa on
May 20. Glover is beginning to bios
som and the meadows are fine. Corn
comes up in four days after planting
Oats and all small grains are fine. The
waters Of the Cedar are almost clear
again. There are more good people in
the world than bad ones. The world
is little better now than It was a
week ago, and it is going to be better
next year than it is this Life is worth
living if you live that way.
Audubon Republican: One of the
best posted men in this section of the
state, a man of mature years, capital.
list who has made his money by the ex-
ercise of his own good judgment and
fortunate investments, recently stated
to us his opinion that Iowa land at
present prices is an excellent invest