Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-05
SAY PUsLIshEp REPORTS OF
CONDITION OF FORMER iowANs
70 EXAGGERATED.
PRAIRIE FIRE PUT OUT
~ cARcAssEs or ANIMALS
Territory Near Chaplin Missed by
Rains Produces Fair crop-App,s
Tree Growing Wild in Forest Pro.
duess Crop Regularly - Wilson's
Rural Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.

SpecIdl 10 llmeS-RepuOncan.
Chaplin. Dec. 5.-Last spring local
farmer sold out and moved away to
South Dakota. He happened to To-
cate In one Of those sections that were
badly affected by drouth and heat this
year. A newspaper correspondent of
northern Iowa, mentioning him by
name, stated that he was returning 10
Iowa with his family, one team and a
COW, all he had left The item was
quoted by a paper published in this
county and copy of the paper found
Its way to the home of the man in
South Dakota. Last week the man was
here on business trip and he told
what he thought of such newspaper
correspondence in such language that
was plain and easily understood. Had
In fact lost practically all his crop.
Neighbors suffered like misfortune.
Most Of them making the best of 1t and
preparing to try again next year. Land
dealing at a standstill but little or no
slump in prices. Later rains came in
time to help the hay crop and fall pas
lures and the beginning of another
season will see the country we'll stock
ed with cattle. Banks loaning money
to settlers with interest rates rarely
above 10 per cent. Nobody starving, no
general exodus. nothing worse than
had been experienced a time or two in
Iowa within the memory Of the Da-
kota sufferer" A final admonition Of
Don't you believe everything you hear
and read about the awful conditions of
the Iowa men who sold out and moved
to the Dakotas.
The Dakota man told his hearers
how he saw a prairie fire extinguished
one day this fall. Many stacks Of VAL
liable hay and hundreds Of acres Of
pasture were threatened and prompt
action was necessary. More than 100
men gathered in from every direction.
Two cattle were shot and their bodies
split open. A rope was fastened to
each front leg of each carcass and
horse hitched to each rope, one on one
side Of the flame line, the other on
the opposite side. In this manner the
bodies of the slain animals were quick
ly dragged along the streak Of fire on
both edges Of the burned district, each
being followed by crowd Of men who
stamped out the fire which was not
smothered by the dragging.
This locality is said to have been
one of the spots in which the rains all
went round" last SUNNI er and the US
ually big corn crop was not gathered
this fall. Thirty-five bushels per acre
would perhaps be close estimate of
the average yield. The price that
must be paid to buy any of 1t is great
er than in some other sections too. At
the public sales last week a bidder
paid 601a cents a bushel for corn in
crib with no deduction for studding in
computing the bulk. This is about
cents more than the current price paid
eighty or 100 miles farther south where
the rains were more timely and the
crop was one of the best in several
years.
There Is "a curiosity on the farm
owne6by Sanders brothers west Of
here. It is an old apple tree standing
among forest trees in pasture on the
place. Every year for many seasons
the tree has borne a fine crop of big
red apples Of excellent quality but of
uncertain variety. 1t is said that about
twenty years ago an old timber road
extended thru the farm and past the
spot where the tree now stands. 1t
is supposed that some passer by threw
away the core of an apple that he had
eaten and one of the seeds grew with
the result noted.
On the farm of William Hemm, there
has been built this season big hog
and cattle barn, something entirely out
OF the ordinary. 1t is sixty feet square
and about forty feet to the peak OF
the roof The interior is divided into
three parts; pen for cattle on each
side and a division for hogs between.