Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-30
Farmers Not So Anxious to
Grant Right-ot-Way to Rail
ways as Formally
LAND BECOMING TOO VALUABLE
Right Of Way Agents Have More Diff
ficulty In Securing Land Without
Condemnation Proceedings-some Of
the Arguments Made by the Farmers
Corn Crop is overestimated
to Times Republican.

Dumont, oct. Su.--Ine ADVENT OIL u
new railroad is popularity supposed to
be a matter Of general satisfaction to
those occupying the territory through
which the line extends. Ae few years
ago when land was cheap and plenti-
survey was made unless 1t ran
through the land owners orchard, be-
tween his house and barn or some
where equally disastrous, or incon-
venient, but now it is different, as the
right way agent for new north
ern Iowa line has ascertained by re-
cent experience. In spite Of the fact
that the surveyors have kept close to
half section lines and are laying out
very few curves, nearly every man
through whose land the proposed line
. runs is extremely reluctant to see the
hundred foot strip substracted from
his farm. Even in community six or
eight miles from station there seems
to be little enthusiasm because of the
probability OF a nearby town. One
farmer said he hoped that IL station
was located near him it would be on his
farm so that he could sell out and get
away. AS 1t is, his boys spend most Of
their evenings at home, and he didn't
know how that would be IL there was
town "a mile or two away. The own
er Of the already too small farm is the
one who feels the worst about the
matter, declaring that he needs more
Jnt inst Nf 1ner
satisfied with the course the road took
through his place, Is said to have sug-
gested a slight alteration and inquired
what the change would cost. Being
told that $4,000 would perhaps be
about the figures, he asserted emphati-
cally, as soon as he regained his COM
posture, tht he'd never pay it.
Everywhere among the farming
population is heard the complaint that
the corn crop is over-e estimated. l
met farmer in the road the other
day and he summed up the subject in
about these words, only his language
was rather more vigorous that that
used here. go where you will" he
said, land you find extraordinary corn
exhtbits-stalks twelve feet high, ears
like sticks of stove wood. Every news
paper contains stories of unusually
large yields. Ask a man about his
corn and he'll tell you that he husked
a, certain number of rows {, certain
number Of rods long, and that If 1t is
all that good it will make 65 or 70
bushels per acre. He never hunts
around half a day in his
field for the smallest nubbin
or the shortest stalk he can find to
take to the bank or the postoffice, there
to be placed on exhibition and he does
not tell the newspaper man about the
number of rows he husked where his
corn was poorest in order to get half
box full. Seeing nothing except the
best raised, and hearing about only the
big yields, naturally leads people to
believe the crop much larger than it
really is. I know of small pieces
around here that will make sixty five
bushels and for every acre of that
kind can find two that won't make
half so much. 1t is the ordinary not
the exceptional that is to be consider
ed in making a crop estimate and
when we learn to report averages in
stead Of exceptions, our crops will not
be overestimated to the extent that
they now are. Continue my Tines
Republican for another year, for want
to make you speech again next fall,"
he called out as he drove on.
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