Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-08
Country People are Quick to
Aid Their Less Fortunate
Neighbors
SICK MANS CROPS ARE SAVED
Farmers as a Rule Are Always Ready
to Lend Hand-Effect Of Environ
ment on the Social Nature-Wet Sea-
son Affected the Poultry Crop as Well
as Corn.
Special to Times-Republican.


Gilman. Jan. S.-The effect Of en-
vironment on ones nature is nowhere
more apparent than in the contrast of
city and country folk. The city man in
his cramped-up quarters, surrounded
on all sides with all sorts and condi-
tons of people, lives more to himself,
becomes accustomed to the misfortunes
of others and takes little heed. In the
country, where wealth weighs less in
the social scale, there is more of that
touch of Nature which makes the
whole world kim" This fact is brought
out and emphasized every day by some
small incident. AS was taking din
ner on last Friday few miles west
|of Gilman farmer rode up on horse
back and called my host out, and upon
his return to the table he said, well,
boys, tomorrow We're up bright and
early and we are to go over to Blanks
to pick his corn" And there was such
pleasure in the tone of his voice that
Here is the story in a few words:
BLANK" had put in his crops as had
his neighbors, but before they had ma
tured he was taken Ill and was still
unable to do any work, SO the neighbors
met and talked 1t over and had agreed
among themselves to ell donate a days
time each to get in their neighbours
corn. So the next day was the time
agreed upon and all We're to be there.
They had enough men with teams
promised so that by the time the sun
set on Saturday the farmer who was
unable to turn his hand and yet be COM
PEELED to sit and see his corn standing
in the field would have his crop all in
the crib, and 1t would be a most diff
cult thing to tell who would be the
happier-the ones who picked the corn
or the man who owned ii. But 1t is
safe to say that in no community was
there more thankful set Of men than
right here at Gilman Saturday night
when that corn was picked.
-
To some people, perhaps, in this there
would be seen nothing unusual Ihey
would argue that 1t was the neighbors'
Christian duty to help friend in dis
tress, and very true, but 1t is also true
that it is more largely practiced In the
country than in the towns. From in-
fancy up the farmer boys (and girls as
welD are taught to help one another.
The hurry and push of the city are lost
10 a certain extent and II a farmer
meets a person (friend or stranger)
who is in trouble he will take the time
to stop and help him on his way. IT
YOU drive into a mans yard in the
country he will ask you to dinner will
help you unhitch. feed your team 1or
you and help hitch UP when you go
away. He instinctively helps everybody
he comes in contact with.
II is to be regretted that the great
amount of rain during the summer and
fall had such telling effect upon the
noultry Of the farms. / have not In the
last three months seen a chicken or an
egg upon a farmers table. whereas IN
former years dinner in the country
without eggs was almost unknown. Rnt
with eggs at 20 cents dozen and
chickens at 12h cents per pound, II we
who live in town want them we must
go to the market and buy them. An
other thing, too, is noticeable In the
number OF farmers who are killing their
own beef. While it never was unusuai
to kill hogs, the killing of cattle was
never commonly practiced as 1t has been
this season. This is presumably from
n want of change of diet, whereas
formerly 1t was pig to chickens and
chickens to hog. 1t is now hog to beef
and beef to hog; but whichever it is,
beef or hog, you are welcome to nave
your show If you are there at meal
times.
In no place have found as wade
margin in the price of corn as here. AT
Laurel they were offering 80 cents for
seventy-fiye pounds, at Gilman 80 cents
for seventy pounds and at Dunbar 33
cents for seventy pounds, while west of
Gilman feeders are paying 35 cents for
seventy pounds and east OF Gilman,
near Chester, they are paying ~ 10 40
cents per bushel. One farmer here SAID
that the canning factory was largely
for this condition. The can
ming factory uses great amount OF
sweet corn and contracts for acres OF It
OF So ner ton, which cuts down the acre
age of feed corn, 80 that they have al
wavs to pay we'll for their corn. But
that the farmer makes money from
sweet corn raising is sure. one man 8
corn. sold at the factory, netted nm
COZ ner acre, with the fodder returned
which is a handsome thing.
GEORGE f. THAYE Elk.