Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-08
Looker-0n In Iona

Laurens, March s.-But few. even
those living In the vicinity, realize
| the big figures Of drainage projects in
Iowa Last year this-Pocahontas-
county had under way system of
drainage that involved at least one
million dollars. A main ditch thirty
miles long will drain Rat, Swan and
Pickerel lakes. besides taking the water
from many miles of tiled and open
bitches. This work adds $50 to $50 an
acre to all the farms benefited and
made tillable.
This town, in the way of public i'm
provements, will build this year small
Masonic temple as we'll as a Carnegie
public library building. The latter has
one distinctions: Mr.. Carnegie gives
to Laurens the smallest amount he has
ever contributed for such purpose.
Not that he refused larger amount.
but that the town will be We'll supplied
with the amount raised by citizens and
Mr.. Carnegie.
One of the citizens here has "got a
head on him." As all are aware. at the
time of the draining of land at the
Rosebud agency severals persons failed
lucky members. simply because the
tracts didn't suit them at the price,
place and terms of payment. This
Laurens man took a team, drove over
the country and finally selected re-
fused $50 acres, paid his so cents an
acre down and got possession. One hun
dred and twenty acres of it, is good
farming land and with the building OF
another railroad two miles away, this
Laurens man has been offered $1,000
for his farm. which cost him $50.
sss
Put it down in your diary that in
March 1910, at a public sale near
Laurens, chickens sold for s10.05 per
dozen, live weight. 1t was not pedi-
greed or registered stock either. but
just the every day sort of hens and
roosters. "dunghill' fowls on an Iowa
farm. where they earn their own living
nine months in year, furnish 50 worth
of eggs in a year and then sell for
dollar apiece at Thanksgiving.
The writer thought ne was telling
good, big story about Pocahontas
county drainage, but an official of Cal
houn county gives even larger figures.
He says that Calhoun has now taxes
assessed amounting to s2,500.000 for
drainage purposes; that the county
treasurer has already received s45o,000
of this amount: nearly all law suits
are settled; one county ditch will be
finished at a cost of $4,000; this ditch
is sixteen miles long and is draining
hundreds of farms Let's figure:
county in Iowa. Why, that's a small
Panama canal.
The county Jail at Storm Lake is
fast acquiring a reputation as suicide
headquarters. in it in less than a year
threee men, prisoners awaiting indict-
ment or trial, have cut their threats,
two with jack knives. one with the
edge Of a broken glass bottle. One
died, one got we'll and the other, last
weeks performance, may or may not
recover from his suicidal attempt. This
last man is one OF the party accused OF
the Odebok murder two years ago.
Somebody did some good detective
work in his case. He was suspected.
searched for and escaped. even tho he
wore away the coat of the murdered
man. Over year Afterwards ne
showed UP In an Indiana town where
ne had formerly lived and where the
Sac county officials had looked for
him. They left orders there that If he
came back at any time to telegraph at
once. And he finally walked into the
net The wire was used, he was
brought back, put In JAIL borrowed
Jack knife of a bystander one day last
week to "cut off a button made a
cash in his throat big enough to kill
a hog, and probably will get WELL"
M1A-~A