Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-02
George Thayer Finds Gravel
Roads That Please Him
Nightly
TELLS ABOUT SOME DINNERS
Willie euiIelessly Tells What Ma
Thinks Of Pa for Feeding Every Fell
Ior Who Comes AIons-Thayer
Makes Full Hand at Threshins Din
ner-Thinks Farmers Have Some
Leisure.
Special to Tlmes-Republlcan.

Special to Times Republican.
Radcliffe, Oct. 2.-Here is a town
surrounded by country in which ideal
roads are possible and the roads are
being built very rapidly. Ten years
ago when | first drove over this part
Of Hardin county the roads were all
most impossible, now many of them
are diked up six to eight feet above
the adjacent farms and topped with
coat Of gravel. Many others are
being improved in the same way so
that in a few years there will be good
roads the year around in all directions
from this town. The soil is right for
road making, 1t does not wash easily
and the gravel is to be had few feet
under the surface at almost any place.
But there is one thing they do not
do. People here seldom cut the weeds
along the roads. In many places the
weeds are eight to ten feet high, and
should be cut as after few cuttings
the blue grass comes in and makes q
fine appearance, as we'll as feed.
saw a man and his entire family today
out in the stubble field pulling up
cookie burrs, putting them in lumber
wagon, and hauling them off to be
burned. But evidently the cookie burrs
in his weed patch along the highway
gave him no concern. Why not in
augurate Thistle Day on our farms,
then Cookie Burr Day, and finally
day for moving the weeds along the
roads, when everybody turns out ana
ends up with big picnic in some farm
er's grove? can taste fried chicken
at the mere thought Of 1t.
1t is rarely that am refused meal
in the country, in fact l have long
since given up worrying about getting
dinner, simply stopping where most
convenient, but a few days ago got
a little inside information that will al
ways make me wonder whether I am
welcome, altho treated SO cordially. l
came to a corner where I should have
to return again and said to the man
who lived close: II am going to come
back and take dinner with YOU. He
said, "All right. Willie" to his boy.
run up and tell your mother that the
T.-R. man will be here for dinner"
When came back this man was no
where around but five year old Willie
helped me unhitch.. He opened the con-
versation as follows:
Gee! but ma was mad when I told
1,o, RI naf 1fnnar with
us" rs that 500" said 1. You bet;
and when ma gets mad we all run, she
said she did not see why pa wanted to
feed every Teller who stopped, but she
felt better when pa said she could have
the money Other family history was
also thrown in by Willie, so that when
| approached the house / had some
misgiving as to my reception, but had
Willie kept still l would never nave
known that my visit at dinner time had
caused family controversy.
Speaking Of eating in the country,
while this is not exactly the best time
Of the year to eat with the farmer, yet
a person gets most appetizlng service
even now. / have grown partial this
AoIA W LIZ ColAAllS PoASASS. Gil ~ NV oAAS
last week and just kind of dropped
alongside of half dozen big fellows.
However, I happened to get next to the
chicken, helping myself l passed what
was left to the next. We kept up a
running fire Of potatoes, tomatoes,
pickles, preserve, bread and butter and
other good things without chance to
take bite until my plate was loaded
to the limit. Conversation Jagged for a
few minutes. then. followed pumpkin,
mince, apple pie and cake. l was
bound not to be cut down and never re-
fused anything that the fellow next to
me took. I did not intend to let my
single tree scrape on the wheel you
know. AS two neighbors were leaving
1 heard one say to the other: Well, I
never before saw newspaper man
who did not try to monopolize the con-
versation.
The man who travels among Iowa
farmers can not fail to notice the in
tense activity Of the farmer as class.
Farmers are universally credited as
busy men, not only to the town dweller
is this the general impression, but the
farmer himself will tarry half an hour
almost any time telling you how busy
he is. However, in my drives at this
time of the year some popular notions
are exploded. In an all days. drive
stopping at almost every house, will
find only five men at home. Some have
gone to town, others to a sale, and
many to a celebration at Iowa Falls,
or elsewhere. By far the greatest
number are in the Dakotas buying
land. At Traer last week learned
that Ill farmers had gone to Denver
on single excursion. The farmer IS
busy man all right. but his rush
season is a short one. When I com
pare his way of living with my own
and with my wage working neighbors
in town, 1 conclude that we are all
busy men if we succeed in making
living. GEORGE F. THAYER.