Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-05
FARMS OWNED by NoN-REsl.
DENTS CONSPICUOUS BY
THEIR DILAPIDATloN.
ADJOINING FARMS SHOW
OCCUPANCY BY OWNERS
c. E. Wilson Discovers Why Farms
Near Bows Are Not Changing Hands
Duo to Fact That Owners Do Not
Desire to ssIl--weIl to Drain Pond
Proves a Gusher.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican,
Dows, Oct. g. For a distance OF
about three miles on mail route not
a great way from here there are no
mail boxes along the road, if indeed
the line of travel deserves the term
commonly applied. Several little
groves are passed but only half con-
cealed tumble-dow wrecks of what
were once houses and barns are to be
observed. The fields are uncultivated,
and thickly covered with weeds and
grass. Passing along the way. the
may well exclaim, And this
in Iowa" One mile farther on it is
all different, and the boy who was
putting the finishing touches to the we'll
graded road, standing on his King drag,
explained what caused the difference.
He had been told that two men living
in Milwaukee owned the tract above
described and thus far had made no
apparent effort to improve or even rent
it, Doubtless the steady advance in
the price Of land is sufficient to satisfy
the owners with the investment A
visit to the place, however, affords a
fine example of the effect on a commun-
ity of nonresident ownership Of land.
Within a half-hour drive from the
places just mentioned, there Is another
farm OF different kind. Here the
fence posts are painted red, with white
tops, and wires stretched tight. The
weeds have all been cut along the road,
and it can be easily seen that they are
scarce in the fields. The trees are kept
well trimmed and the buildings while
not pretentious are freshly painted, and
dence all over the place. 1t is the kind
of a place that causes the passer-by to
recall an opportunity that he has failed
to grasp, some deal he could easily
have made whereby he might have
come into possession Of what is now
justly considered one of the best kinds
Of property that ordinary mortals are
permitted to obtain-a good Iowa farm.
''Why Is it, said man the other
day, that while there is so much buy
| ing and selling of farms in other parts
of the country so little land is changing
hands in the vicinity of Bows? North,
east, south and west we have the fin
est kind of land, good crops every year,
every advantage that other localities
possesses, vet the real estate agent
passes us by The next day another
i he -, 49,
same way and in the next breath an
sweTed his own question. He said: ~
bought this place seven years ago for
$51 an acre." then added, but i don't
believe I'd, sell it for 800 now. Nc
wonder the land seller doesn't try to
do business where nobody wants to sell
his farm.
One young farmer living near here
wishing to drain a. troublesome little
pond decided to try a method moi
usually employed, at least not in this
part of the country He contracted
with wel-driller to put down m
eighteen inch well, the kind tina car
neither be filled up nor emptied so fal
as water is concerned, and. expected to
use this as a sewer for whatever sur
plus water might happen to be in the
basin occupied in part by the pond
The drller agreed to furnish a first
class we'll or no pay. BY the time hi
had reached a depth of some fifty fee
the farmer had tile on the spot to wal
up his sewer" Then water was reach.
ed, the drill was taken out and tho
water rose. 1t kept on rising unit
1T dubbed up over the top and begar
to fill up the pond. Instead of a sewe
! Mr.. Farmer had a flowing we'll ant
that away out in one corner of hi
farm where it's existence would prov
. a curse instead of a blessing. Witt
the blue clay that was taken out /,
drilling the hole was filled, the vel
driller received his SO cents per foo
because he had made good we'll ant
, the farmer is considering other meth
DDS of draining the troublesome pond.
il
One Of the best $1,000 barns in thi
part of the country will be that no
going up on the farm of It. o. Johnsol
northeast of Dows. 1t is 32X44 feet Il
size, with a basement formed by al
eighteen-inch wall of ''niggerheads.
Concrete wings extend from the base
HlcllC dIiu d lUuF-lool. SSllleiii SlOeWdi
has been laid along the lower side an
end and toward the house. The lum
Der Is white and yellow pine and onl
ten 2x4's were used in the whole struc
ture. The main timbers are 6xs's, tn
plates 6x6's and the rafters 2x6's.
. will have a hip roof and besides I'll
livestock that it will shelter there wi
be room for about sixty tons of ha,
One unusual feature of it's CONSTRUCTED
: was the painting of all the sheeting be
fore the boards were nailed to tn
studding. The barn is being built by
I man who believes that the day ha