Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-03-28
Special to T,me.-Republican.

munity exists In some other county.
and so on. Sometimes one finds in
progress an emigration Of such a class
from a locality and a corresponding in
coming OF q very different kind OF peo-
pie. This. however, Is the exception
and not the rule, the early occupants
usually being followed by others Of
their kind.
If one were asked to name the pre-
dominant class that occupy the fertile
and productive farm regions that have
for their centers the town Of Williams
and harrisburg he could give no better
answer than to say, "Iiilinoisans." Nor
wegian. Dane, Swede German, Irish
man and all they are flocking In from
the sister state across the Mississippi.
Some are buying farms as they arrive.
declaring that hundred dollar land like
this is cheap and SNAP" that will not
last much longer in Iowa. Others are
renting and telling how $12 per acre is
being paid for farms where they came
from that will certainly have to be
treated with commercial fertilizers very
soon or else be placed in the class
termed run down farms" This move
ment began here several years ago
when the whole country was dotted
with worse than unproductive ponds
and swamps and hardly half the land
could be said to have been placed under
cultivation. The Illinois man. ("Suck-
cry came out and picked on the low
est and most poorly drained land In the
country, paying tremendous prices for
1t. sometimes az much as $50 per acre.
He then went to talking about putting
big drainage bitches thru the country
and tiling his land into these bitches.
Many said that the cost Of the bitches
would put the land owner into such .
financial condition that he could never
finish paying for his land. to say MOTH
ing Of buying tile or paying the price
Of having It laid. Others told how the
big bitches would All up in a very
short time and then there would be the
whole thing to do over again. But you
can't make an Illinois man see more
than one side to the drainage question
and the big bitches were dug. thing
was begun, crops planted where reeds
and rushes had fiourished before and
then another big expense item appear
ed-corn cribs and granaries.
90
A resident surveyor and adviser in
drainage work, one Of the best posted
men In this part Of the country. said
the other day that the drainage work
laid out by the farmers Of the township
In which he lives, to he done within the
next eight months. will amount to $5nn
for every quarter section Of the whole
township. Four foot bitches with tile
Ave to twenty inches in diameter are
being run across hundreds Of these
Hamilton county farms. Until recently
the impossibility Of tile workers to
supply the constantly increasing de-
mand has retarded the work but the
springing up everywhere Of the num-
berless tile plants has removed this
difficulty and thing is the order Of the
day. 1t is estimated that land in this
locality has risen at least $25 per acre
In price within the past twelve months
One OF the beneficial features of the
great expense that is being laid out in
the Improvement of these lands. IL. ac-
cording to the surveyor above men.
toned the resultant resident owner
ship that naturally follows such a
movement. Men who spend years of
time and thousands Of dollars to de-
velop farms Of this kind will be more
reluctant to leave them than would
otherwise be the case. It is said that
one Of the most dissatisfied men in this
Fart OF the country Is one who by the
method noted built up one of the finest
farms in the vicinity and a year axo
rented It to q man for q fve-year per.
iod.
1.-The eyes Of men are never satisfied. I.
declared the prophet Of old, but Il may
be said that If farmers everywhere
were as well satisfied with their homes
as the men appear to be who are buy
,, ing mn the land that is on the market
in this section there would be cause for
apprehension on the part Of the indi-
vidual who expects In the future to Sc
cure for himself an Iowa farm.
One Of the very fine barns lately
erected in this vicinity Is that on tho
Mrs. s. p. Hancock farm northeast OF
Williams. It Is 40x70 feet in size ana
forty eight feet from floor to peak. Il
80 braced that the eighty ton hay
NOV Is entirely free from cross ties.
The hay is taken up from a driveway
inside and sliding doors in the interior
prevent drafts Of cold wind In winter
time. 1t has a capacity for twelve
cows and twenty-four head Of horses
and beneath the cement floor there are
placed more than sixty cord OF rock.
Including the item OF labor, the cost Of
the structure was about $4,000.
G. e. WILSON.