The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1903-08-20
CENTRAL MISSOURI.
Resources of the Famous Corn and
Blue Grass Belt.

LAMoNTE, Mo-, Aug. 10, 1903.
EDIToR HERALD We are receiving
so many letters OF inquiry from Ma
haska county people, asking for par
ticulars in regard to Pettis cou nty,
Mo-, that it is almost impos sible to
answer each one personally, 30 we
thankfully avail ourselves of your
kind offer to use the columns of the
HERALD for this purpose. We will
attempt, in this letter, TO give your
readers true description of this
part Of Missouri, free from all ezag-
geration, and viii state only those
facts that come under our p personal
observation.
While Iowa people in general are
much better informed in regard to
Missouri than they were q few years
ago. many erroneous ideas still pre-
vail, and the main purpose of this
letter is to correct these, as far as
lies in our power.
A great deal has already been done
along this line by the large number
of Iowans who have visited Missouri
for the purpose eff securing cheaper
farms than they could get at home,
but on the other hand, some of these
land seekers have returned home
after a very brief trip through per-
haps the poorest part of this state,
and have told their friends and neigh
bors that Missouri land was no
good.'Y
We wish to emphasize this point
as strongly az possible: Don't con-
denim Missouri land on evidence of
those who visited few of the poor
counties in the northeastern part of
the state, and did not take the time
necessary to Investigate thoroughly.
It was just as reasonable for Mis-
souri, farmer to take trip to one of
the poorest counties in Southern
Iowa, and then come here and con-
denim the entire state because Of
what he saw.
In order to make this clear as pos
sfble, we will give short description
of our experience during our fret
land seeking trip, We were accom-
panied by several prominent Mahas.
ka and Marion county farmers, and
made the same mistake that many
Iowa people are again making this
season; that IL, we stopped in the
northeastern part OF the state, and
after drifting for several days we
were convinced that Missouri land
was not what we were looking for,
and concluded that Iowa was good
enough for us. Fortunately We met
O man who was thoroughly posted In
regard to the merits of the different
parts OF the state, and were told by
him that II we wanted land as good
as that In the best part Of Io,oo, that
we would find plenty of 1t in the
western and northwestern parts of
the state. From what he told us we
were prepared to find a very fine
country, but on our arriya al the land
and general conditions far surpassed
our expectations. We found several
counties, notably Pettis, Saline, Ray,
Charlton, and several others that
were as far ahead of anything in the
northeastern sections of Missouri as
the best part OF Iowa is. In fact, we
found the same heavy, black lime
stone soil and clay sub soil that has
made Iowa the leading agricultural
state of the Union.
This trip was taken in June, 1902,
and we were 80 favorably impressed
with the country at that time, that
we not only invested in land our
selves, but were the means of bring
ing out a number OF others both from
Iowa and Illinois. Since that time
we have visited practically every
good agricultural county in Missouri,
looking for a location where Iowa
and Illinois people could secure land
as good as that In their home states
at reasonable price. The result
was that we located real estate
office in Lamonte, Pettis county,
early last May.
We choose this location because
Lanonte is situated in Pettis county
jnst as New Sharon is in Mahaska
county, Iowa; that 10, In the heart Of