Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-06-04
sGrrLERs FROM CENTRAL IOWA
COUNTY HAVE NAME OF
TowNshlP CHANGED.
EM,cRArEp FROM Marshall
TWENTY.EIoHr YEARS ACC
Lard on Which Grazing Was Free
Thirty Years Ago Now Worth From
500 to $50 Per Aere-ons Of the
Wet Spots Now Dry-.c. e. Wilson's
Rural Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.

Special to Times Republican.
Laurens, June 4.-Thirty lone years
ago this spring a man from the CEN
trail part of tfis state assembled
about l,l00 mead vi cattle belonging to
the farmers and stock raisers of his
community, drove them to Pocahontas
county and herded them thru the graz
ing season without change or inter-
ference on the part of any one who
might be owner of the land he thus
temporarily occupied. About three
years later a dozen venturesome farm
ers emigrated from Marshall county.
Iowa to place a few miles south or
where the town of Laurens is located,
bought tracts of land that either
Joined" or "cornered,' managed to in
tuce the authorities to change the
name Of the then newly organized
township from "Laurens" to Mar
SHALL" and started in TO develop the
country. Almost all these people are
gone now, for three decades Of time
necessarily works remarkable changes
in the personnel of a farming commun-
ity, but the beautiful and valuable
farm homes OF Marshall township are
the evidences of the thrift and pros
perity Of the early settlers. The land
they bought so cheaply in the early
sos is selling for $3.50 per acre these
days and it is said that there is hardly
an acre Of land in Pocahontas that
can be bought for less than 800 to-
day. Almost every foot of the entire
region is capable Of cultivation and
the dredge ditch and thing system
have made Pocahontas the Grundy
county Of northwestern Iowa.
The wife of one of those early set
tiers tells how at one time driving
into Laurens she was compelled to hold
her feet above the bed Of the wagon
box while driving past point where
one of the depots now stands. to pre-
vent a wetting by the deep water that
stood in the road" She is travelling
over the same territory these days in
an automobile, however. instead of
lumber wagon and the roads are better
than they used to be.
Owing perhaps to the fact that
southern Iowa had a wet week early in
May while in the northern part of the
state it was dry, the growing corn of
the latter section is noticeably ahead
of what 1t is in the former one. Many
fields have received the first cultiva-
ton and some have already begun to
pillow the second time. 1t is safe to
state that there is three-fourths Of
stand in this county. possibly 80 per.
cent. Some seed failed to grow and
In many Instances cut worms invaded
the fields with results disastrous to
the corn. This will be replanted and
1t is probable that an average stand
will finally be secured. Oats and
other small grains as well as pastures
and meadows are said to be in the best
condition in several years.
There are some large farms in this
county as compared with those in
other parts Of the state. One Of these
is located in the vicinity of the town
of Havelock and is known as the
Shannon ranch. Including an outlying
tract it consists Of 200 acres. It was
owned by Chicago man but
has since passed into the possession Of
his daughter. Thousands of head Of
cattle and hogs have been fattened on
this big farm in years past, but more
attention is being given to grain farm
ing in later times. This year $50 acres
of corn have been planted on the farm.
There are three dwellings on the place
and five to six men are employed thru
out the season. The original pur-
chaser bought it about twenty years
ago and is said to have paid about $12
Per acre for it.
The topography Of this part of the
country may be inferred from the fact
that in driving over small portion of
each Of the two mail routes from
five thriving towns may be
seen, viz: Pocahontas Center, Plover.
lMallard, Ware and Laurens. The whole
region is evidently on the
verge Of building era which will
within very short time effect another
change of appearance as marked as