Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-29
GONE BACK 70 IOWA
Portion of Farmers Who Emil
CRATE to West Return to
Homes to Stay
OTHERS WOULD If THEY COULD
c. e. Wilson Gathers Some Interest
ing Facts Pertaining to Farmers Who
Seek New Locations in Other States
Some FaIIacies About Fortunes in
Fruit Growing Revealed.
Special to Times-Republlcan.

Special to Times-Republican.
Clarion, Dec. 29.-The tendency of
the Iowa farmer to emigrate to other
and newer parts of the country is APP
parent to every one In fact the west
ward movement of the rural residents
factor in the prevention of any in
crease in population in Iowa during the
past few years so far as the farmer
is concerned. One form of this move
ment is the banding together of a
number of people living in a locality,
who, loading their belongings on a
train engaged for the purpose, emf
crate in a body to a place often hun
dreds, sometimes thousands of miles
from the starting point. 1t is inter-
esting to follow the fortunes of these
colonies for a year or two and the
observer who does SO, notices an in
variable result; within short time
to the old home, and back to stay.
Others, disappointed in the new loca-
ton, decide on second migration to
some place farther on, while the re-
mainder CONTINUED to live there, some
of them contented and prosperous,
others because they are unable to find
the means necessary to enable them to
get away.
About year ago ten or a dozen
families from this community emil
grated in body to an irrigated val
ley in western Colorado. where they
expected to engage in the fruit grow
ing business. Most of them disposed of
all their property here except house
hold belongings and nearly all the par
ty invested in small tracts of very high
priced land soon after reaching their
destination. One of the party, man
who owned a good farm near here, and
who wisely decided to rent his place
here and investigate the new country
thoroughly before destroying his Zine
of communication" is living at present
in a house in Clarion and making
preparations to occupy his farm again
next spring. He knows and can tell
q great deal about the booming of
fruit country. It is started of course,
by band of promoters. Every one that
can be induced to invest at once dou-
bles the price of what he bought. be-
comes himself a boomer and lays" for
the next fellow. The real estate man
is glad to turn the prospective invest
or loose in the community and let him
listen to the talk of the contented and
prosperous residents who, however,
all have something for SALE Actual re-
suits of fruit raising are about as easy
to obtain as the proverbial needle in
the haystack When they are ascer-
tanned, the results indicate that some
body either became confused in his
calculations or else misstated facts.
Fruit growing is found to be some
thing Of science. Not everyone Is
adapted to the work. Bugs beetles,
and other pests are quite bothersome.
Frost occurs at very inconvenient
times and often when prices are good
there is SO little to market. But there
is some prosperity everywhere. A few
sell portions of their holdings at fancy
prices. They buy more property and
wait. They are pointed out to the
newcomer as examples of what may
be done by the investor there. Ability
and inclination to adapt ones self to
circumstances is the condition of sue
cess here Just as in the case of other
places. There always has and always
will, be both success and failure en-
thusiasm and disgust, in every move
ment Of the kind.
The owner Of a farm in this county
had some cottonwood trees on his
land which he wanted removed. One
day a farmer of this vicinity offered
him $50 for them and the offer was
accepted as soon as made. The pur-
chaser had the logs sawed into boards
and the result is good barn that cost
its owner but a trifle in addition to his
labor. Another instance illustrating
the making of "easy money" on the
farm is that OF a man who marketed
eight turkeys the other day at pre-
vailing quotations. The amount Of the
check he received was only two cents
short Of $40, or an average of $3.50
apiece.
"A 1lJLl0 LWO.IOOIl0u mouse
stands in grove a short distance
from here on what is the oldest farm
in this part of the county. 1t was
built by a Mr.. Mccormick in 1852
from boards sawed in mill at Bel
mond. The land was homesteaded and
at the time there was not another
house within ten miles of the place.
In the course Of years James McCor-
mick, a. son Of the original owner of
the place succeeded to its ownership
and added to its acreage. A modera
$4,000 house stands near the humble
structure that was first erected on the
place. A motor car is housed in one
of the outbuildings and right here it
might be stated that there are four
other vehicles of the kind on this mail
route Instances of the kind more or
less frequent suggest as a modification
of the old saying Three generations
from shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves" an
oteer one fully as appropriate: 1.-TWO
panara tiopS from oy teams to a1topoo