Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-02-23
MOVING TINE ON Farm
Not Always Apparent Why
Farmers Change from one Lo-
cation to Another
BIG TASK TO MOVE EQUIPMENT
Rural Emigration Most Noticeable in
Years of Greatest Prosperity-Good
Years Enable Tenants to Raise
Money With Which to Buy Cheap
Lands-WiIson's Observations.
Special to Times Republican.

Williams Feb. 23.--All over this part
of Iowa these days are farmers busy
putting their earthly belongings in
shape to be transported to other parts
of the country. Here is one, a renter,
who will soon be located on a neigh
boring farm All winter. at intervals,
he has been hauling machinery, feed
and fuel to the new location and the
removal of the livestock, household
goods and family some day this week
will complete the job. Better improve
ments, more farm land. shorter dis
impossbiity Of owner and tenant to
agree, some disadvantage is to be
overcome or some advantage gained
that will compensate for the arduous
task OF moving. Another is preparing
TO occupy the place thus made vacant
with something peculiar to his situa
ton that gives him reason to think
that he too has bettered himself; and
generally he has.
A mile or two farther on is man
who Is also getting ready TO leave. He
has sold his quarter section farm at a
good figure and bought three eighties
in another county where land is a lit
tie cheaper. His hoys are growing up
and it's either buy more land or they
must get work away from home and
the latter alternative is not agreeable
to any concerned hence the neighbor
hood loses q very desirable resident,
one that in all likelihood will not re-
turn.
A short distance down the road IS
a young man up to his ears" in work.
He left this very place a year ago for
town life and has come back convinced
that the farm is the best place for
him. He had the qualifications for
doing other kinds of work but nothing
else seemed 50 agreeable nor so profit
able as farming. so here he is again.
too busy ITO stop for more than a min
ute
1t isn't great way to the next
mover" Land is too high here for
him. 1t makes no difference whether
he owns land here or not. He has
friends or relatives that have prospered
in the region to which he is going. he
has been there and investigated for
himself No more Iowa for him. If
he has prospered here he perhaps will
in his future home, for there is no
questioning the fact that there are
good opportunities for farmers in other
states than Iowa. Many are the
changes this spring in. this locality
along the rural mail routes and what
is occurring here in this respect is per-
haps representative of conditions all
over this part of the state.
There are some interesting features
to be observed in the matter of farmer
emigration. One Of these is the fact
that it is often most noticeable In the
years Of greatest prosperity. One would
think that where one was enjoying
material prosperity nothing would be
farther from his thoughts than emil
grafton so far as money making was
concerned, but often these highly pros
porous communities are inhabited by
men who have friends where land is
still higher priced and these are In
duced to visit the region with the re-
suit that they sell out at home and
buy the very farms that the former
owners thought were already more
valuable than they could afford to own.
An exceptionally good year always on
ables a number of men to raise the
necessary to secure cheap
farms of their own and they strike
while the iron is hot"
The fact that many people are leav-
ing an Iowa community lis no proof
that the place is not prosperous. or a
desirable region in which to live. Rath-
er the contrary is true and the OBJ
servant traveller can always recall
numerous instances where in the less