Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-26

John Swift, a Davis county product
returned to Des Moines yesterday with
roll of greenbacks as big as an ele-
plants foot in the pockets of his trous-,
ers. few years ago Swift was work.
ing on Des Moines newspapers. Now
he is on his way to Texas to buy up
a piece of the country that is advertise
ed as second southern California,
where crop of Bermuda onions brings
in 5000 an acre and two crops of other
products can be raised the same year
with nearly as much profit
A good many years ago Swift's father
came to Davis county when land was
cheap and when the only way to farm
profitably was to work like a Turk
hoeing corn. Swift had visions of go
ing to college, but his father thought
the place for a boy was on the farm
pulling weeds One day they were out
in the corn field hoeing when John said
to his father: Dad, are you going to
let me go away to school or what are
you going to make out of me- any
way?"
IF you don't hurry up with your
row of corn, reckon I'll never be able
" AldhC any t1lAhS Jul VI yOu WI q
jackass," replied the father
1t was a beautiful clear summer day
and taking his hoe by the tip of the
handle and getting good swing to 1t
John sent the hoe to the middle Of the
adjoining pasture and started to run.
Ills father followed him but a short
distance John went to the house, tied
up his belongings in a red bandanna
handkerchief, took a last look at his
mother, working in the kitchen, kick
ed the cat goodbye and was gone.
The next time his folks saw him he
had gone thru business college, learn
ed the telegraph operators business
and had gone around the world in the
United States naval service. The
Spanish American war broke out and
with patriotic motives John enlisted in
the infantry, but didn't get outside the
United States. That was unsatisfactory
to boy with so much spirit, so he
went to New York where he enlisted in
the navy. In his three years term he
worked from deck hand to the position
of chief clerk to Admiral Remey, the
highest position a nom commissioned
officer reaches unless he goes thru the
naval academy at Annapolis
After being mustered out of the nav
al service at the end of his enlistment,
Swift spent the $1,000 he had saved in
writing a book to tell the public what
the naval service is like from the en-
listed mans standpoint. He expected
the public to reimburse him and pos
sibly some besides, but it failed to do
so. so John came to Des Mo1nes and
hired out as reporter.
AS a reporter he had a penchant for
uncovering trusts. He hadsa new trust
in operation every now and then and it
became very uncomfortable for some
of the trust promoters of Des Moines.
Then Swift lost his job of SIS week
and since then has made money. He
started to handling real estate. one
Of the first pieces of real estate he got
hold of was in South Des Moines with
about S25O,000 worth of coal under it,
He started to working the mine and IT
order to be sure of selling his output
he put the price at $2.75 a ton when
the coal combine of Des Moines was
selling it at $3.50. The coal trust men
were sure Swift would lose all his
money. So sure in fact that they per-
suaded the coal miners not to work for
him for fear he might lose it all. So
the mine was shut down but the real
estate business kept up and Swift now
has a farm in Nebraska, two in Min
in Des Moines and bank account. 1t