The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-08-31
IOWANS HAVE
MERRY PICNIC

settlement upon her soil, Iowa became
free and independent state.
In 1850, seventeen years after the
first cabin was built, Iowa had pop
ulation Of 1872, 214 Ten years later
over one half million, and the last
census gave us 2, 23l, 1858. We have
no very large cities--no New York, no
Portland to swell the population. We
can point with pride to our towns
scattered everywhere, no one section
over balancing the other.
In 1855 we had 68 miles Of railroad.
Today we have over 5000 miles.
You cannot go to any spot in Iowa
and be twelve miles from railroad.
There are older states than Iowa that
have counties without this conven-
ience.
Iowa has no deserts, no dismal
swamps, or fever breeding ever -glades,
no barren rocky elevations, or other
waste land. Not one per cent is unit
for cultivation, and no spot on the
globe Of equal size can say as much.
We have severe winters occasionally,
and very warm summers, a few stray
bliZzards, with now and then cy-
clone; few hailstorms and heavy
wiuds. These furnish us with excuses
to visit Oregon.
Iowa Is noted as an agricultural
state. The people take great interest
in the vast wealth that is poured out
lavishly. Notice the immense produc.
tion of the soil. In one year we had
800 million bushels Of corn; lao mill
ion bushels Of oats; y million bushels
of wheat l3 million bushels Of pota
toes over three million bushels OF
rye; IA million bushels Of barley
according to the report of the secre.
tary of agriculture in 1901 Iowa led
Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Kansas and
Indiana, the six leading states In
grain and live stock. What is true
then Is equally 80 today.
In horticulture, Iowa is among the
leading eastern states. Mills county
alone has taken two 1000 premiums
and medals at the principal fairs of
the United States. Southwest Iowa
in one year shipped l42, 900 barrels OF
apples. Council Bluffs shipped 10
car loads OF grapes In one month.
The live stock is second to none
Horses are valued at 35 million doll.
ars swine at % million and cattle
1856 million. There is made and shipped
over one hundred million pounds of
butter, and 3 million pounds Of cheese
They ship out Of the state over mill.
ion dollars of poultry and the farmer
gathers 63 million OF eggs from the
enterprising Biddie They do not
say much about the fish and fish stor.
les ara scarce, yet Iowa rivers and
lakes produced over six million pounds
Of fish each year, -
In education and literature Iowa
takes front rank, for no state has paid
more attention to public schools. In
1888 building Of roughly hewed logs
was used as the first school house In
Burlington. In 1874 Dubuque built
the first school house by taxation
Today Iowa stands second to none In
schools, academies and colleges hay
ing school house for every four
square miles Of area. In 1910 only
seven years after the first settlement,
a state library was founded and this
has been followed by the establishing
Of libraries In nearly every town. At
Cedar Rapids we find the largest Ma
sonic library In the world.
The first religious services held IN
the state was at Mrs. Willoughby's
house in Dubuque on the 8th day of
August, 1888. At present there are
over 5000 christian temples within its
borders. The pulpit and the press,
two great factors In elevating man
kind, have assisted In bringing the
citizen to the highest type of civiliza-
tion. The first newspaper was estab-
lished May II, 1896, and now they
have one thousand one hundred and
twenty periodicals.. Only New York,
Illinois, Ohio aud Pennsylvania exceed
that number.
Our writer's have won fame through.
out the country, and have taken part
In all national discussions, and have
helped to promote the prosperity and
happiness of our people and the won
derful development of this fair and
noble state. Her state institutions are
among the best. cannot enumerate
all the good things of Iowa 1t would
fill volumes; then the half would not
be told.