Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-08-24
JAMES FENTON
Writes Letter Describing Koatenia
Valley Region, Wyoming.

Dear Brother:
| will endeavor to give you some
idea of living in the Kootinia Valley
region since you have trips now
booked for beyond the Rockies.
Well, in the first place this valley
looked to me like the place of des-
pair on my first visit in the fall Of
1902. | had read an account of this
region given by a reporter for the
Inter-Ocean dating back to the sum-
mer of 1872. This pen picture was
a blunt saying cit looked like hell
after the fires had gone out"
don't doubt Tin the primative days
before irrigation came, before dry
farming system that brought good
orchards, big winter wheat fields and
hundred acre fields of potatoes grows
on so many ranches), that an east
erner would lift the pencil from his
ear and push out some remarkable
qualifications. There have come
some wonderful changes here. In
fact for the proof of this land that
was slow of sale at $500 or $500
per acre, now finds quicker sale at
$4,000 to $4,000 per acre.
And social matters are undergoing
vast change in this valley. At first
the old time rancher thought a new
settler nuisance likely to get a
claim on the cattle range, and now
everybody, new conner and old timer,
extends the open hand of welcome,
come one, come ALL" Civic lodges
are here to aid society in advancing
civilization. Churches are growing
in helpful zeal. School houses are
numerous and teachers we'll paid.
Rural mail route all over the valley,
telephones everywhere, better roads,
the steamboat whistles are coming
back on the Kootina, the Panama
canal will still bring in enterprise in
all this western country when COM
plete.
Don't for a minute think we are
lost to civilization, west of the big
hills. 1t isn't all the smart ones fast
in Iowa mud. Iowa mud is good to
get fast in. Butte City, Mont, is
the richest city in the world for the
size and age of it, They have more
dollars per capita than any known
place. Nome or Klondyke territory
included. | never would have dis
covered that l had any educational
impetus incidentally the Noble
Grand of No. SO Eureka lodge APP
pointing me to look after the bearer
of card. On entering the ante room
and giving our names, Are you the
Fenton that was among the boys
summoned to appear in the blue
room of the faculty of the l. A. c..
for attending lodge at Ames during
term session and how did you escape
censure?" There were two Odd boys
and two Rebecca members of the
faculty and we could do no better
than to admit the charges, the final
hearing was postponed, our defense
being that we had gone to Ames on
permit to visit some friends (and
they were tried and true friends)
and if they were detrimental to edu-
cation our apology was due the fac
ulty for disobeying a rule.
President Welch turned on us with
rough tongue flashing that we
could expect to pack our trunks to.
go up the road after breakfast, but
the faculty voted to defer "of time. >
Well after lodge l visited Bro.
Miller at his hotel and he introduce
ed himself as Elk. Co. Supt. of Jasper
county, Iowa, that he had always
charged the blame of his higher edu-
cation to the inspiration and enthus-
iasm of one E. J. Fenton in the stud
ent class room, especially in English
literature, which had always before
seemed dry and irksome. One thing
hard to solve was that Fenton work
ed for his board while the others in
the class were money furnished and
the INDECENT student had his note
book marked 100 per cent by that
cross old DR.. Welch
In my reply to Mr.. Miller on his
encomium was that Dr. Nash of Den
nison was behind me with his senti-
ment, "You must dare and do This
DR.. Nash was father of Hon. j. A.
Nash of Audubon.
Mr.. Miller spent the night with me
in heart to heart talk about giving
oneself up to the school work that
the same talent devoted to other
branches of literary work would
weary life away faster than the ted
ium of school. He had always hoped
the state would pension the feeble
old teacher Two old time school
boys after SO years of toll, had met
and departed with God be with you
till we meet again."
Eureka Lodge No. 90 I. o. o. F.
Membership so. Quite a number
came in by card from Audubon:
Gray, Harlan, Fayette, st. Charles
City. Iowa, Pennsylvania, Illinois,
Wisconsin and all over.
Ray Waller came here from st.