The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1914-01-08
THE ROuSTARour.

| THE RouSTAsouT. -.
| If fellow would avoid the unpleas-
ant experiences of the morning after"
we know of nothing better than to get
lup at 4:3O a. m, get light lunch
and take the NJ. & st. l.. train at
l5:45 for a spin across southern Iowa.
1t does not make any particular diff
ference what time of year he does it
either, as Iowa always makes 1t
pheasant for him. Whether green and
inspiring in the wholesomeness OF
summer, or buried beneath blanket
Iof snow, our prairies and our towns
Iare always a source of great charm,
Especially as the sun breaks through
the dawn and casts its sweetest
smiles on the glorious landscape.
| - - -
Historians may differ in their
lopinions of where the Garden of Eden
was located. The banks of the Eu-
Iphrates may skirt country rich
Ienough to be reckoned as the spot
the Nile may hold strong candidate
for the historic stamping grounds Of
Adam and Eve,-- but why bother
with history, when everybody knows
that the fig leaves were only figures
lof speech, and that the mother of us
TALL made her gowns from the beauti-
lful ribbon like leaves of the Indian
|maize, and the fruit that caused all
the trouble was an Iowa Jonathan
apple.
But speaking about the Garden of
Eden calls attention TO the further
fact, that the lines of demarkation
between Iowa and her border states
scarcely need a map to show their To-
cation. Going south one can tell by
the change in the landscape when he
crosses over into Missouri and hur-
ries to one of the two great cities
that rest on either river, three hun
dred miles apart, but both able to
make a good display for the show
me" state. Missouri may raise good
mules and Democrats, beat the world
on zinc and cob pipes, but when it
comes to fields, orchards and mead
lows, it can never get close enough to
even get the dust from our auto
mobile in its eyes.
The early morning light shows
Abba off in all its, pristine beauty.
Many new buildings and other evil
Idences of thrift are noticeable on
all sides. But Abba is getting into
the same boat that Oskaloosa was
compelled to row some ten or fifteen
years ago. The COAL mines that have
given new life I'd ithe. town are be-
ginning to move farther and farther
away. 1t must remain to be seen If
the men at the HELM can steer the
bark as successfully as the Oska-
tloosa sailors have done, and keep the
town booming without this source of
support,
And reverting to Bible subjects
with the mention Of sea-craft or row
boats, this part of Iowa may some
times experience high waters along
its treams,-sufficient to make the
residents believe that Noah must
have been a wise man and good
MARINER but Abba just now knows
what a drought means. The dry sum-
mer did not hurt the crops much, or
change the quality of the coal, that
is drawn from the depths of Monroe
county. But it did make an awfully
dry town of Abba. The water works
are in operation only for a short
while at a time, depending upon the
amount of rain that falls before the
clouds roll by. This makes one thing
sure, Abba can never hope to ad-
vance far without better and more
certain water supply.
In the rush attendant upon train
time at Moberly, well dressed man,
partially supported on the arm of a
colored porter staggered up to the
window at the Wabash depot and ask
ed for ticket to La Plata. When the
ticket was laid out for him, he assert
ed his independence and concluded
to go to st. Louis instead. Speaking
about it later in the wash room at
the hotel, the porter said: Yes sab,
dis town am wet, soaked through and
through. We have only ten saloons,
but the supply am unlimited"
wow Next June will see a fight
to de finish. OATS when de election
come along to decide if we stay wet
or done go dry. De women and lots
of de men are working hard to put
old John Barleycorn out of business.
If dey don't succeed entirely, | suspect
for awhile. If de saloons go, dey Is
gone for good, at least dat is what
de saloon men say and dey is work
ing hahd too. But don't care II dey
do go, de saloons never did me no
good. o.. .....
49, - -
ooh yes sab, dis am pretty big
town. De city directory say We has
twenty Thousand people. But ] guess
you could subtract about five thous-
and and still have good measure to
go on. Oh yes sab, it grows some
once in awhile, but | guess she don't
get along like does towns you have
up dere In Iowa. 1t looks old and
kinder out O. date in some ways, but
she is a good business town. Dere is
lots O. railroad men here. The car
shops employ lots Of men and this
| is the division point with trains go
in in all directions. But OATS right,
de town don't look up to date, and !
think she musW be sorter behind de
times.
=. -
"Why dere is lots o. kickin about
dis hotel, and it is about as good as