Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1912-02-08
He LIK E,
VERMONT
Former Watertown Citizen Settles
Farm in Vermont and Says
He is Doing Well.
CLAIMS LAND CAN COME BACK
MIR. Turner is Agreeably Surprised
atMaryelous Growth Of Water
town in Past Ten Years.

w. e. Turner, a former resident of
WATERFOWL and at one time engaged
In the shoe business here, arrived In
the city last week with his wife for. q
little visit with their old WATERFOWL
friends. Mr.. Turner left Waterfowl
about ten years ago going to the state
of Vermont where he purchased a
farm. While in the city Mr.. Turner
called at the Saturday News Office ana
the editor enjoyed a splendid visit
with him.
When asked if he had observed SO
very much Of change in WATERFOWL
since he left here ten years ago he
said: We'll, should say so! OF
course we had letters from WATERFOWL
occasionally telling us of its many i'm.
provements but we are really surpris-
ed to see the great change in the
way of Improvements that have been
made here since our departure. Yes,
! must confess that Watertown has It
on the eastern cities of this size when
1t comes to improvements and hust-
ling. Down there everything remains
about the same all the time"
Tell us something about the farm
ing country down there" said the
reporter.
well" said Mr.. Turner as he light
ed his pipe. TT is Just this way.
Farm land in that country is dog
cheap. I bought well improved
farm near good town containing $50
acres for $4,000, and it was all stocked
in the bargain with cattle, horses and
machinery and you could not build
the buildings on it for less than $4,000.
How did you come to get It so
cheap?,. asked the reporter In sur
prise.
ut is easily enough explained
said Mr.. Turner. You see the land
in that country has been farmed for
generations and it has kind of gone
back-that is the life has been pulled
out of it and it was not producing very
much on account of the lack of fer
tilization. You see of late years the
farmers there have become rich and
sent their children away to colleges
and when the children had graduated
they did not care to again take ur the
work on the farms, and as the old
people were getting older and unable
to work the farms properly the land
naturally went to the bad for the lack
of fertilization. The old people would
stay on the farm as long as they could
and finally they would pull into some
town and retire and having plenty Of
money to live on, the old farm went
to the bad for the lack of care and at
tenticn. a farmer in that country Is
not considered very well OFF fnan-
eially unless he has about $4,000 or
100000 in the savings bank drawing
per cent per year. Yes, they are
satisfied with that and the children
have gone to the cities and have either
secured good positions or gone to the
devil entirely.
Suppose poor man went there
and wanted to rent farm2" asked
the reporter. s#
Finest chance in the world for
rosr man. said Mr.. Turner. The
only trouble is that he would not be
renter very long as he would nuy 9
farm in a very short time. As said
before the owners Of this land are all
wealthy and they do not care for the
cash when they sell a farm-1ust SO
they get their little interest. There
are plenty OF farmers there who would
stake good man to all the COWS ne
wanted and let him pay for them az
S1.00 per month on each cow
what can we grow there? Almost
anything that can BIO grown ill 81 any oth.
er country, but corn, oats and 8pota toeB
are the main crops. The climate 10
fine and while We have plenty o. snow
In the winter time tho ground does not
freeze very hard and the sprlngss 4 are
early
rs there ANY one pise from South
Dakota located LII Ssnr atate !" A t
the reporter oh, yes, sau reiiietli,
Der Mrs, Buflingasise Whe ,issa ~ lise
here gnfts years age tshs bensht 9
well improved Farm asWn there foi
$1,000 and IL living here 4 4.
"Yon Say van paid sg,ppn for yelii
800 acre farm all stsntsd, Nhhi
would You take fer 1t sitsa7's asked The
reporter. ,ssHalt seeing tint ] titis Eet
ting Kind dt cid rasi years.
would take s7,tie1 fpf II right nov, &
said Mr. Turner giving d long ptii f,'l
! his chin whisisefat
y rsf-crs7