The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-07-07
ioWA,s GRAND CLIMATE.
What the Big Weather Man Willis J.
Moore Says of it.

Willis J. Moore sings the praise of
the Iowa weather. He is on safe
ground and he knows exactly whereof
he speaks, for ne knows the weather
and the state He entered the wealth
or service, at that time known as the
United States signal service, in Bur-
lington early in the eighties. A cor
respondence from Des Moines has the
following:
Iowa has all OF the essential fac
tors of climate to make it the most
productive state in the union
Willis L. Moore. chief of the wealth
er bureau, is quoted as saying this in
the June issue of Wealth, which win
be circulated by the Greater Des
Moines committee throughout the
United States today.
This months issue of Wealth con-
tains articles about Des Moines trade,
shows in the Coliseum: the public
schools, the Iowa Portland cement
plant, and the Hyperion Field club.
1T must be remembered that Iowa
Is the twenty-second state in point of
size says Wealth. also that fifty
years ago Iowa was mostly landscape
and Indians, as somebody has put it.
But Iowa has less waste land than any
other equal area on earth. Today
there is $4,000, GOO, GOO worth of taxable
property in the state. Iowa farm
lands and buildings are valued at
s1.4s7 100000 equal to those of New
Jersey, Connecticut. Kentucky, Kan
sas, Colorado and oregon put togeth-
er. or one-eleventh of those of the
United States. In 1905 the Iowa farm
ers' surplus was $40. 100000. equal to
the yearly output of the gold mines
of the world. plus 100000 600.
Iowa and Illinois lead all other
states in corn production Iowa is
far ahead of any other state in the
production of cats.
These figures take no account OF
the humble Iowa hen. for instance,
which annually produces as much
wealth as the silver mines of Colo
RADIO. or Iowa's manufacturing output,
i. e.. $3.50. goo 900 worth in 1905. Com
bine all this wealth which represents
purchasing power. with a few facts
about the people themselves, which in
dictates their purchasing inclination,
and Iowa at once becomes vitality in
teresting to the advertising man Iowa,
according to Golfers Encyclopedia
atlas. has lower per cent Of Hitter
ate persons than any state in the
union. There are high schools in
nearly every city, town and village,
In addition. there is the state univer-
sity and the state agricultural col
lege. Only 2.S per cent OF all per
sons over ten years of age are Hit
crate in Iowa.
The population is essentially agri
cultural. Out of the total population
of a.210. 900, fully 1871 900 are of the
farms. There are 14S.SS6 farm owners
and 1876 tenant farmers, or 22S,61.
in all. There are 574 Iowan localities
supporting a newspaper. OF that mum
Der, 375 have less than 1000 popula
ton, fO4 have between 1000 and p
GOA; seventy eight have between 10,
600 and 10000; only FIVE have between
% 900 and 10000. and there are but
four. cities having a population Of
over 30 600.
sYet every one OF these many local
tiles is ND to date in every respect
Telephones. heating systems, runnins
water. gas lights, sewerage, autos ant
even electricity are to be found OF
Z the farms. New hotels. bushes
blocks, well paved and lighted streets
farm houses which rival in beauty an
i cost many city homes, are to be see
on every hand. and tell the story Q
the growing wealth, One count
alone. the wealth of which is $4,000
coo, has s25a,oe0 invested in piano:
: Out OF 1900 autos owned in Iowa, 6
600 are owned by farmers
4 SAYS j. ogden Armour, president {
the Armour Packing company: low
is one OF the garden spots of tn
earth. Iowa has the soil. not only I
produce food stuffs- vegetable an
animal. but also the men-men wh
do things, And therein lies the espe
ial secret of Iowa's advance It re-
resents that rare combination OF ma
ural advantages with indubitabl
human abilities. It has the raw M
terial in abundance. but it also hs
the viii and the skill TO transmit