River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-11-14

Nowhere has the use Of concrete de-
veIoped to such marked extent as on
the American farm. In the west par
ticuIarly, it would indeed be unusual
to find a farmer who has not used
concrete for some purpose, if not in
building foundation or feeding floor,
or in laying a walk, at least in making
some of the small repairs about the
home or Outbuildings, which become
necessary from time to time.
A great deal of significance is attach
ed to this fact, because all of the older
building materials, such as stone, brick
and lumber, which have heretofore
served the farmer are still available,
but in spite of this, concrete is invari-
ably the material selected.
There must be a reason for this I'M
animity of opinion among farmers. 1t
really amounts to more than that, be-
cause farmers, generally speaking, are
wholehearted in their recommendation
of concrete for all purposes, for which
a building material is required. They
devote much time and thought to its
use and take considerable pride in the
actual work.
Characteristic of the American farm
er. he of course, relishes the idea OF
making" stone, to accomplish the I'M
usual is second nature with him, and
this undoubtedly extends the use OF
concrete on the farm But to fully APP
preciate the reason for it's extreme
popularity among farmers today, one
must consider the conditions governing
life on the farm, prior to the advent
Of concrete, and which have SINCE been
greatly improved by the intelligent
use of this material.
To begin with, the farm house was
entirely of frame construction, built
right on the ground or less frequently
resting on a foundation Of stone or
brick. and in the EVEN of it having
a basement, the earthen floor was
there, with perhaps few boards
strewn around to afford footing.
During pleasant weather when the
farmer and his family lived practically
out of doors, the disadvantages or
such a home were not so much in evil
dence, but in winter, the family we're
Obliged to eat, enjoy what leisure time
they had, and oftimes sleep in the
same room, always in close proximity
to the stove, the cold winds outside
and the dampness underneath, making
it uncomfortable for them elsewhere
in the home.
Again, in the spring of the year. the
heavy rains would from time to time
expose innumerable leaks in the roof,
and around the windows, and doors,
which for a time had been proof
against them, while the health and
comfort of the family was further
menaced by basement floods, caused
by water seeping through the base
ment walls.
Minor discomforts, effecting more
the farmers wife also tended to make
life unpleasant on the farm, the least
OF which was by no means the drudg-
cry of "everlastingly cleaning up
the mudtracks of the family, occasion
ed by the lack of clean durable path
way up to the house, while washday
in winter, taxed the strength of the
hardest housewife, necessitating as it
did, the carrying of water from the
old fashioned rain barrel into the
house.
The outbuildings on the farm Jared
no better than the farm-house-fre
quently worse. Constantly in need of
repair. they deteriorated more rapidly.
With the materials then in general
use, no repairs were permanent Work
as long and as hard as the farmer
might, his work seemed to accumulate
the faster. His wooden feeding floors,
which promised more than a saving in
feed, in that the animals would fatten
quicker, were now infested with rats,
and were soon reduced to dilapi-
dated condition in consequence. The
same fate befell the wooden floors in
the barn, and being under cover made
their unsanitary condition more pro-
nounced. How to permanently replace
his decayed and broken fenceposts
was another problem which always
confronted the farmer. Days at a
time had to be sacrificed at regular in
tervals for the inspection and repair
of his fences. and which when repair.
ed, would only remain serviceable for
a year or so at the utmost.
The utter helplessness of the farm.
er to successfully cope with these
conditions, enough to curb the ambi
ton of a less enterprising community
was equally apparent in the danger
which always existed from fire. Tso-
lated even from his neighbors, with no
facilities whatever for fighting fire