Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-21

l
over and see him." She said that
wouldn't be necessary, as it was time
for him to come to dinner anyway. She
then stepped over to the windmill and
threw it into gear, and in about half
minute Mr. Green was coming in, and
he remarked, Every time have
turned corner at my blowing for the
last hour have watched the Windmill
to see IL dinner was not ready"
| asked the next man I saw II he used
the windmill call, and he said that he
| used to, but once My wife laid down
and went to sleep and | worked until z
o'clock before she woke up So now I
carry my watch and come in at noon,
windmill or no windmill"
Perhaps the rudest awakening that
| comes to the city chap who believes
that the farmers live on chickens. eggs
and honey three times day is when
he takes dinner with them for
weeks without seeing any of the afore-
said delicacies. If you are lucky enough
| is being entertained you may see some
chicken, but your show even under
these conditions is pretty poor. as the
dish is always passed to the minister
! first. Pie is almost an unknown thing
in the summer season but In the win
ter mince and pumpkin pies are In
every house. Cake you will always find
winter and summer, and again they all
drink either tea OF coffee, and if you
get milk you have to ask for it,
The farmers In Iowa whom 1t has
been my pleasure to cali upon Will al
ways feed you with the same that they
| have themselves, which is good enough
for any one. A few will make a spread,
| but they are scarce and should be
scarcer. There is one season. however,
when 1t Is difficult to get anything to
eat; that is the winter season, when
farmers as a rule eat their meals
whenever they get hungry, anytime be-
tween II to o'clock A great many
get up at s o'clock to do the chores and
eat breakfast at 10 or IL. and then eat
|
bed again. The real difficult problem is
to find lodging for the night in the
country. Farmers all seem to draw the
line at that. Once | drove for two
hours, stopping at every house to get a
chance to stay all night and then only
because they thought I was a govern
ment Inspector who wanted to cnange
their much valued mail route did they
let me in. OF course was treated roy
ally until they found out I was only
newspaper man, when there was u sud-
| den chill and I was left to entertain
myself and get to bed the best could.
Men who drive thru the country
| learn to tell whether man is Ger
man, Norwegian, Bohemian, American
or any other nationality by the appear
ances of the place. If an American he
will have good big house good lawns
and porches, with everything. around
the house fixed up finely, with small
barn and outbuildings in a poor con-
dition. A German will have small
house, with few rooms, but VIII have
barn that covers half an acre. The
Norwegians will have green cupola
on every building they own, with the
front door painted q sky blue color.
heard this rule laid down by patent
medicine man, so I thought would try
1t at Traer, as they have Scotch. Irish,
Germans Bohenlians and Americans
whereabouts. The first place came to
was a nice big house, ETC., and con-
suited my guide book. This must be an
American 1 knocked at the door and
q middle-aged lady appeared ut the
door in plaid waist and skirt. wearing
wooden shoes and was so Dutch she
could not tell me where to find ner hus-
band. The next place came to pre-
pared me to meet a Norwegian. but
found Mr.. Murphy, and he was doing
well. have learned that the best way
to ascertain farmers nationality is to
ask him, as appearances are deceptive
in buildings the same as in men. q
1t is a common belief that the older
a country gets the more thickly popu-
lated it becomes, but this I find is
mistaken idea. Instead of owning a
section and dividing it among his chill
dren. farmers in Iowa who started with
O. quarter section have bought an
eighty here and an eighty there until
sons grow up they buy them farm in
Minnesota, Dakota or northern Iowa.
Around this town nearly every third
house in the country is vacant, the land
being farmed by the resident of the
next house In a few more years there
will be about two houses on a section
where formerly there Were six TO eight.
The land craze, here as elsewhere, is
how at it's height and 1t is not safe for
man to put price on his farm unless
he is prepared to move on two days
notice. Near Conrad lives man who
thought he wtnted to sell out. so he
rut a price on his farm last fall of SIS
an acre. In two days he had sold 1t,
agreeing to give possession on March 1.
When the time came to deliver he de-
cided to stay and 1t cost him $1,000 to
keep the farm. He thinks more of his
Iowa farm than ever now and says he
would give this years profit to boot
rather than give it up.
GEORGE F. THAYER.
1t fills the arteries with rich red