Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-04
Two Classes Of People Usually
Sorry They Quit Rural Lite
For Town
OWNERS AND POOR TENANTS
Owners Find They Can Not Look After
Farm Property so Wel at Distance
Tenants Go to Town to Exc Out
Existence Tcamine-WiIson's OBJ
servations.
Special to Times-Republlcan,

Clear Lake. Feb. "A few miles
group Of large farms all owned by
single individual. a nonresident. The
land in that locality is quite level and
contains a good many depressions, all
capable of cultivation during dry sea-
sons. but filled with water and grown
up to reeds and coarse grass when
there is an excess of moisture FOR
six successive seasons now, the sum
mer rainfall has rendered these low
places Il considerable portion OF the
whole area. incapable of cultivation.
Those who farmed these places dur
ing the dry years raised big crops ana
made money Some of them We're in
those days considered fairly well-'to-
do. Not many of them are there at
this time the majority having left
for better places or sustained losses
sufficient to put them out of the farm
ing business entirely. A few still re-
main hoping eventually to regain what
they have lost when the seasons again
change. Talking with these people or
with others. who have suffered mis-
fortune from the same general cause,
one is struck with the prevalence OF
the belief in an alternate period OF
seven years dry and seven wet. We've
got to go thru one more cold. wet sea-
son yet before this thing turns, is the
frequent exclamation.
There is one feature, however, in
this situation OF which the residents of
these places are not complaining. That
Is the matter of rent. Most Of them
pay cash. One man farms half sec
ton for which he pays annually only
$3.50. or about IS cents per acre. This
farm Is valued at about $40 AN acre.
Deducting for taxes and necessary re-
pairs there is not much left for In
come from $4,000 investment. Other
farms in the same locality rent for
81 to $1.75 per acre. Little is heard
about drainage bitches or thing. the
remedy so successfully adopted In
many other places with similar natur-
al conditions, just a grim hanging on
| to the hope that there will after
while be a return to the kind Of sea-
| sons we had from 1894 to 1901.
A few years ago every one OF the
smaller towns in this part OF the
| country contained a considerable num-
Der of empty dwellings,. At this time
there is hardly an unoccupied house in
any of them. They have been filled
| ia, IA farms
Not only those going in for retiremen!
from active work but large number
Of others, who sell off about all their
stuff except household goods
and team and eXpec'
to make a living in theil
new home A farmer living near one
of these towns in this county the 9th
err day readily recalled the names OF
six men who have moved to his toWr
within the past five months, eacf
bringing team of horses and each eX'
pecting to earn livelihood in some
indefinite manner
"If I had known two years ago. be
fore ! moved to town. all that know
now" said a man the other day, :
wouldn't have left my farm. | coult
have taken all the ease and had al
the privileges want on the farm JUS
as we'll as here in town, if l had onl!
thought so, but I do not wish to b.
moving around all the time so I sup
pose I will remain here" He is tn
owner of good 240 acre farm a few
! miles from this town. Another oil
farmer who has spent many years o.
his half section farm in this vicinity
, has since last year bought place of
few acres in town and rented his farm
| Already he is. searching far and nea
for somebody to buy the farm. ITO
much work for an old man to try t
, live in town and look after a farm,
; he declares, and the place he labore'
so hard to secure is the very thing n
doesn't want now he has left it. Their
! are many cases like these. 1t may b