The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-07-07
DIGGING UP THE COIN.
Or How the Oskaloosa Boys Pay
Way Through College.

Hankinson, N. D., June 25.--As 1t
has been raining for the past twenty
four hours, and as a result am I'M
able to travel, / thought it would be
time we'll spent to write a letter to
the readers of the Herald in order
that they might know how we were
faring.
We arrived here Friday evening,
June II, after a long and uneventful
trip We had no long stop-overs, the
longest being one hour and twenty
minutes at st. Paul, which gave us
time to refresh ourselves and to see
little of the city.
Harkinson is small village OF
about $50 inhabitants located in the
southeast corner of the state. 1t has
two railroads, seven saloons and one
English-speaking church. Sunday
morning l went out and distributed
some gospel tracts and was astonish-
ed at the irreverence of the people
for the Sabbath day. l believe every
store in the town was open for busI-
ness; even the hardware and dry
goods stores, and here and there
could be seen the grocery wagon de.
livering goods. The first thing on
the program for Sunday was a horse
race down High avenue" and in the
afternoon the Boston Boomers (girls)
played ball. At church that morning
there were about three dozen people
present and nearly thousand at the
ball game. I wonder if the church
has lost it's power to attract the
masses? 1t looks like it, for as I
travel from place to place I see the
great crowds rushing headlong into
the ways of sin, and only a few, COM
paratively, walking in the straight
and narrow way. But I still believe
if Christ is lifted up He will draw all
men unto Himself. The trouble with
many of the churches is, they are too
formal. Formally will kill anything.
The world wants to see things alive
and moving. They can never be won
by sermonates and rose-water essays.
Well, don't want to preach to you,
so will return to the events of the
day. No, we didn't go to the games,
for in this country we have great ad-
vantages at the hotels. We can sit in
our rooms where it is cool and COM
Portable, and if DESTROYS of athletics
we can watch the pitcher on the
stand or lift the mattress and see the
bed spring. Another advantage we
IN Sc thoh 40
not have to worry about paying our
BILL for the hotels are supported by
their foundations.
After the game there was a fight
near the hotel and no one made an at
tempt to put stop to it. Then a
little later young man dropped dead.
So you see it was an eventful day.
About seven o'clock great clouds
gathered in the west and the heavens
were opened and it seemed as If God
ness of the place.
This is indeed a fine country, with
her wide extending prairies and large
lakes. The atmosphere is so invig.
Grating that feel like a new creature
already. 1t has been quite cool the
fore part of this week. I have kept
my coat buttoned most of the time
frequently had to turn my collar up
Tuesday I saw men working with
their overcOats on. Now, no doubt
| this seems strange to you, who are
having a hard time to keep cool, but
| nevertheless it is a fact.
There are many opulent farmers
around here. Some having as high
as 5000 acres of farm land, valued a.
$40 to $50 per acre. Their main crop
is wheat and oats, while many are
raising corn and potatoes. Every.
thing is looking fine and with the ex.
cellent rains that have been falling,
give promise of an abundant harvest
Most of the farmers are Germans as
you will readily recognize by the fol.
lowing names: Ylvisaker, Weltschko,
Oksendahl, Kleenogel, Koehmstedt,
Fjelde, Motschenbacker, and also a
few Norwegiens-Jonson, Olson, Lar,
son, Swanson, Thorwaldson, Halvor.
son, Haagenson, Jeiklmidyson, Kadal-
manson.
The rains have continued now for
four days and the streams are all
flooded likewise the fields. Many
bridges along the river are out and
We are right in 1.-THE mud and wat
er. l came seventeen miles today
through the mud and water. Rode
my wheel through pastures for blocks
where the water was from six to
twelve inches deep and waded mud
nearly knee deep ana carried my
wheel. Once in fording a stream {!
went down nearly to my shoulders,
and of course got ducking. We get
all this free of charge: In spite of
the bad weather the boys have done
a good business, Ike being in the lead.
Kent Qke) has been taken as a
Norwegian and is shining among the
lasses of that nationality. We are all