Evening times-Republican., 1914-02-17
TRAVELLER FAILS TO COME IN
CONTACT WITH REPORTED
RETURNING FARMERS.
MORE LEAVING NORTH IOWA
THAN ARE COMING IN
Cost Of Farm, Labor Goes Soaring With
Price of land-Thirty-Five and $40
Per Month and "keep" Not Unusual
Wages Now-c. e. Wilson's Rural
Observations.
Special to Times-Republican.


;Meservey, Feb. 17.-It may be that
there is back to Iowa movement
these days on the part of the farmer
emigrant of other years, one that would
Justify the estimate of $4,000, as some
optimistic sta tisticians have figured out
for the present year. Now and then
one of these is found, glad to have re-
turned and satisfied to remain. But
interested observation along this line
in a territory comprising a dozen
northern Iowa counties brings the con-
clusion that about ten farmers Will
leave this state between this time and
March l to every one who returns from
others. Figure me up to the 1st OF
March, I'm going where YOU can't get
it to me the next day after publica-
ton" is what the newspaper SUBJ
scription man hears SO often these
days that the story finds it's way into
his dreams in night time. In one neigh
borhood near Thornton three men on
adjoining farms expect to be living IN
Minnesota next month, while another
less than a mile separated from one OF
them makes the same change. and this
is only an extreme instance Of what is
about to happen in nearly every COM
munity in this section.
Farm help like farm land keeps on
going higher after it apparently has
reached the limit. One man recently
contracted to pay another $45 per
month for the season. He wasn't an
extraordinary farm hand either, but
he had his choice of two employers at
the above figures. Another man is to
get s35 for the month of March. s3S
till haying. $40 from then to corn husk-
ing time. and then he gets going bushei
rates A farmer near Iowa Falls is
said to have hired a year man at pre-
vailing wages and the man is to have
six weeks Iay-off' some time in late
fall. Going back to Missouri then to
visit his folks. Perhaps the man who
rents a farm and then INDUCES in
luxures Of this kind will have some-
thing left for himself at the end Of the
season if he gets a good crop and
prices are high enough and his hogs
don't die and the family keeps we'll.
That word family is reminder of
a veritable crowd of people living on
farm near Meservey. Mr.. and Mrs.
Kaduce are the parents of seventeen
children. all but one of whom are alive
and nearly all living in the kaduce
home. First and only marriage Of
either parent, too.
The bright old landlady sat at
desk looking for some papers. She
seemed to find everything except what
she sought and among these an old
letter dated at an Alabama town in the
summer of 1864. Current events were
forgotten and the girl of half century
ago once more read the miss!ve from
the soldier friend Of the long ago. Then
she told the story of early hopes and
plans and how they all ended. The
young couple lived in an eastern state
in a more than comfortable home. The
husband was a prosperous merchant,
but the call Of the west came too
strong to be resisted and the store and
home were sold and a tract of land In
the new state Of Iowa purchased. I'm
accustomed to farm life the farming
project was not successful and the land
was sold at loss. Then business
life in small town in Iowa was tried
and finally with the advance Of age
and the decline of Judgment more mis-
fortunes came, and the store became a
hotel managed by the courageous wife.
Finally the husband, mentally and
physically incapacitated, was put away
and the struggle went on. Changes in
train schedules and the advent Of the
automobile have proved detrimental to
hotel business in the small town, how
ever, yet in this case the house is open
as usual. In numberless instances.
fortune came to the venturesome set
tiers from the east; this is case with
different ending, and not the only
one by any means.
In the outskirts of the little town of
Steamboat Rock there is a 400 foot
stretch Of road and street that was
passably good at times and all but i'm
passable at others. Finally 1t was de-
cided to relieve the situation and la
Dor donations were called for and OBJ
tanned. Citizens Of all classes agreed
to haul so many loads Of gravel or pay
for the hauling and ninety mine loads
were dumped on that 400 feet OF high
way. It is different in Steamboat
now from the depot to the river bridge
C.. E. WILSON.