Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-04-27
{ LOOKER.ON IN IOWA

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Iowa Falls, April 27.--What we don't
raise in Iowa will soon "be conspic-
uous by it's absence" Only a few
years ago the Belgian hare epidemic
struck many. In this column, figures
then proved, that given man a pair
of Belgian hares. in three years by
just the natural increase, the FORUM
ate owner by selling all of the Bel,
gies at 20 cents head, could easily
buy UP all of the Standard Oil stock
in the country. And the early invest
ors did make some money. Now the
Chinese golden pheasant business is
attracting much attention in the east,
and some in the west DR.. Heming-
way Of this place, is one of the pio-
neers. One thing is sure, the pheas-l
ant business is decidedly esthetic. Out
side of the filthy lucre, pen of these
birds is something in the way Of beauty
to be remembered a life time. The
market for pheasants will not be over
stocked for years to come for the fe-
male pheasant is a poor setter and a
worse mother, so that it is found best
to use a bantam hen as the incubator
She attends strictly to business be-
fore and after these pheasants come
out of the shell. After a few weeks
old it is necessary to keep them in
covered enclosed wire yard, for, like
squads, they will fly away unless re-
strained. Glowing advertising matter
tells of the sale of pheasants dressed
at 81 to $40 per pound Our millions
aires frequently eat 500 worth Of
roast pheasant at one meal Probably
that's just lunch. And think of this
profit. 1t only costs 40 cents year
for their keep, j. e., a pair. and their
eggs and young ones sell for from $25 to
$3.50 each year As the advertising mat
ter says, it is much more profitable
than chicken raising, and everybody
knows that from one egg costing 1s
cents you can raise a hen that lays 800
eggs in year, twenty-five dozen eggs
that sell for 20 cents a dozen equals
SIS, and SO cents more for the hen
when sold in the fall.
In the Iowa dailies we have been
told that the Iowa Falls and Des
Moines Short Line, is now owned by
the Milwaukee railroad, and that the
extension of the road from this place TO
Mason City is being built by the
Milwaukee railroad. On the best Of au-
thority the writer can say such re-
ports are not true The Des Moines
Short Line is still owned by the Bos-
ton crowd" that bought the holdings OF
the late Col. Ellsworth and his friends.
And the extension to Mason City 10
being built with the Boston crowds
money. C. E. Shaw, the right OF way
man, has now closed deals for nearly
the entire line to Mason City. This
settles some things. At Hampton the
depot will be only four blocks from
the business part of town. The road
will run half mile west Of Chaplin, one
and half miles west of Sheffield, and
two and a half miles west Of Rockwell,
entering Mason City a about the same
place as the electric line from Clear
Lake Chaplin may have a depot, but
the other towns, Sheffield and Rockwell
will not Where the new towns will be
located is not positively settled. 1t Is
more than probable there will be three
or four new towns between Hampton
and Mason City. While this road Is not
being built by the Milwaukee railroad,
it is significant that admissions are
made. that traffic arrangements may be
made with the Milwaukee and termin-
ais may be at the Milwaukee depot
and grounds in Mason City. Before
another winter sets in trains will be
running from Mason City to Des Moines
as the right of way is now virtually
owned by the Short Line, over $4,000
being paid out last week for this pur-
pose.
An Iowa travelling man asks the