Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-05-18
FOURTH DISTRICT FACTS.
Some Interesting and Complimentary
Census Statistics Compiled by Con.
gresham G. N. Haugen.

Congressman Haugen has found time
for careful examination of the late
census, from which he has compiled
the following very interesting facts
with reference to the fourth district.
which he so admirably represents
in Congress:
''The ten counties comprising the
congressional district which l have
the honor to represent have an area of
1924 square miles, carved out of that
magnificent and productive 55,475
square miles of land area in Iowa.
This district has population of 1885,
8I5. The land area exceeds the area
Of the state of Rhode Island and Della
ware, and almost the combined area OF
Connecticut, Rhode Island and Della
ware. 1t has a greater population
than either Arizona, Delaware, Idaho.
New Mexico or Hawaii, or four times
as great as Nevada, twice that of Wy
oming, three times that of Alaska, and
nearly as great as the combined pOpu-
lation of these three. 653 per cent of
its population depends upon agricul-
ture for their livelihood and follow
their vocation on 23,026 farms. which
average size is 152. 3 acres. and of an
average value of $6.622. There are
buildings on 80 per cent of them, and
206 contain 500 acres or more. Seven
ty-six per cent of these farms are
operated by land owners, thus assuring
a contented, stable and prosperous
people. They contain 1888. 324 acres,
80. z per cent or 229, 256 acres Of which
are improved.
The tota. value of farm property in
the district. including land and i'm
provements, buildings, implements
and machinery. and live stock is
$175. 400, 49,. at very low valuation.
The total today could be safely in
creased % per cent and yet fallsshort
of actual values These farms yield
products not fed to live stock or in
other words farm produce for sale,
$25, ,695, 322 worth annually. Add to
this $40, OLA, 369 fed to live stock and
we have total production for the
district of $50, 709, ,69l. In the produc-
tion of this enormous amount the
farmers. in addition to their own toll.
expended the sum of 81, 923, 920 for
labor and used fertilizers to the
amount of S29, $3.50. Taking the value
of farm property for capital invested,
we find that the value of farm pro-
ducts not fed to live stock shows a
gross profit of 14.6 per cent. These
farms were stocked with 518,G2o head
of meat cattle and 126,212 work
animals. The farmers slaughtered
for their. own use S773.070 worth of
animals andAsold on the hoof' 50, $685.
229 worth. The better halves of the
farmers produced from their dairies
S4, 1913, 1876 worth of dairy products, of
which amount they sold $3,327,718
worth, or 10 per cent.
Loading the principal crops of this
district on freight cars, allowing 700
bushels for load of corn. barley and
wheat, and 1900 bushels of oats, we
will have train of loaded cars which.
with the locomotives necessary to
move it, would have total length of
IT'S miles, divided as follows: Corn,
312 miles; barley. 81 miles; oats. 172
miles; wheat, 10 miles, and hay, 252
miles; which would be but fitting
advertisement of the unparalleled fer
tility and productiveness of the Fourth
Congressional District of Iowa"