Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-10-14
Looker-On In Iona

| Allison, Oct. 4.-While It 10 true the
T, tendency of the business men and the
wage workers is toward the larger
towns here is a noticeable condition of
affairs not so easy to explain. Many
small towns are going back" that
| is have empty store buildings. but such
towns have few If any empty houses.
In a town the other day, whore four
good store rooms are unoccupied,
there's not an empty dwelling house
| in town." The depot agent got mar
ried and had to 60 to housekeeping
In an empty store And in some towns
| where the rooms over store buildings
| were arranged for offices. now they are
occupied by families because they can
not rent houses. The fact that 20
many tired farmers are moving 70
town does not explain the scarcity Of
houses for said tired farmer Invariably
builds new house. house too. mod.
ern in every respect and built regard
less Of few hundred dollars extra
expense. And the fact that the popu-
lation Of the towns where these empty
stores are in evidence has not fallen of
shows many prefer to live in the small
town. One answer to this empty store
problem is that the mail order houses
Iowa That's not reasonable explain
alton for comparatively few town dwell
lers buy family supplies in Chicago.
Another man says it's the telephone
and delivery wagon. But those features
are in vogue in the larger towns more
SO than in the smaller ones. But what
ever is the reason this fact remains.
Several hundred vacant store buildings
/ T. ho no
the dollar what they cost.
No longer do the rich ride in
chaises" Last week the writer saw a
well-to- do barber riding with his fam
lily in 2O-horse power. Ave seated car.
And he can afford 1t too unless he Is
away from the shop too many days
when trade is good. He only paid
$225 for this second -hand machine "ln
fair state of preservation" and his
repair bill and gas he easily makes
in these days OF is cent shaves. W..
NJ Jondro, a painter and paper hanger
living in the small town of TaihneT,
owns a 24-horse power, a fine machine
and he gets good interest on his invest
ment in that he uses 1t to take himself
and helpers out to the Iowa farms
where there is a big demand for his
services. He lives at home, eats all OF
his meals at home excepting dinner
and takes jobs a dozen or more miles
away and is able to be on the ground
at a. m and work till p. M then
jump into his machine and arrive home
in twenty TO thirty minutes. Gets home
sooner than some town families that
have to walk or use the street cars.
90
To avoid stirring up any feeling or
bad language, name and places VIII
be omitted. but the lumber men and
s,orekeepers Of Blanktown are induls-
ing in "goulish glee" because stock
holder In one farmers cooperative
association. one owning several shares
In a successful association. carrying
big stocks Of lumber. coal, cement. feed.
grain, etc, about putting up a new big
barn. sent off and bought his lumber by
the car load. instead OF buying OF his
own cooperative society. Why NOT.
isn't this a free country, can't man
that pays cash trade where he
pleases?
We are soon to have our usual
panorama Of natures tree leaves paint
ing. Steamboat Rock is beginning to
outline the annual curtain on the
lodges across the river, drop cur
tain say 200 feet high and quarter
OF a mile long. The general public
thinks 1.-The show" opens late this year.
Not so. Jack Frost. the old master.
was on hand as usual. but found part
of his occupation gone. The corn
crop got ahead Of him and died OF old
zee and the spectators OF the annual
exhibition of Jacks handiwork saw
dead and brown corn fields month
before the leaves begao to turn. where
as usually the exhibition Is on the same
date. All this Is to mention the show
this year is we'll worth the attention
of ali admirers Of Jack Frosts un-
rivaled productions.
a%M~1-A~