The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-09-02
Letter from Evelyn Edwards.

Lafayette, N. Y, Aug. 21, 1915.
Editor Reporter and my old De-
catur county friends and rclatives:-
A hearty hand shake to you all. AS
! promised several to write to them
that haven't written to yet, and
having several letters at present
awaiting replies and not finding time
enough to write I'd you all individu-
ally decided to take this way to
solve the problem. OF course l pre-
sumo the first thing you people will
want to know is, how do you like it?
inc wee:her, the crops, etc., etc.
From the papers l think wo have
had little less rain here than there.
Although it's been bounteous here
and we have had our share, but the
soil here is different, being of a
gravel and stony nature and the
country is quite rough, although
very pretty and nice valleys, but it is
nothing to compare with the Grand
River bottoms. The land is quite
productive, corn for silage, potatoes,
cabbage, some small grains and alf-
alta are our products. 1t is a great
dairy country. Everybody has from
IL to 25 cows. They sell their milk
and it is shipped to Sieler Bros. in
New Jersey. They buy butter at 35c
and eggs are zoe all summer. We
had the best piece of oats we ever
had. Everybody nearly uses phos-
pilates. They say it isn't necessarily
needed but just merely a habit they
have got into. We didn't use bit
and our crops are as good as any of
them and our oats were better than
any around. They were away above
the fence. We have a great crop of
hay. Was bad weather to hay, for
our worst rainy weather was last of
July and first of August. Alfalfa is
now selling for $40 per ton so we
heard. We have our barn full from
the first cutting, and it holds 100
tons. We have had entirely too much
rain this summer, the potatoes are
all blighted and have started to rot.
1t doesn't seem like we have had any
summer at all. The farmers here do
not farm on such large scale as the
western farmers, and in the winter
all they do is to milk and take it to
the creameries. The buildings are
very much better here than back
there. Have never seen a we'll since
we have been here, all springs. The
water is piped in our house
and runs in a cement tank
steady stream about the size
of your thumb, from the house it is
piped to the barn inside and out.
We have lots of fruit of every kind.
We have good schools and church
es. AS to our liking the country
when we first came here there could
mt have been more homesick folks
excepting papa on top of the sod.
thought I'd die. We left old Decatur
Friday at 2:45, arriving in Chicago
at 1925 Saturday morning, then we
left Chicago at 1925 and rode until
o'clock Sunday morning, reaching
Syracuse, our destination. We took
the Lake Shore road at Chicago and
took the New York Central at Buff
falo for Syracuse. We got out to
the farm at 1880 Sunday evening.
We oversight Sunday morning and
nissed OF .fzm OF % had Il 4 b b stay ~
ae4s In the city. l thought it was
the last place ever created. Leo want
ed me to go back to Decatur with
him, when we were no farther away
than Osceola. and l said no as had
gone that far we had just as we'll go
on and see the sights, expecting to
return the first of April; but if l
wished it once l wished it hundred
times I had gone back. AS I didn't
have anything at home to do
thought perhaps I would get job
and I could work my inconsistencies
of. So ventured out. began to
work where am now the middle Of
April and have been here ever since
pnly losing two days and of course
Only natural when got acquainted
with a few of the young folks around
I began by degrees to get over it.
Leo finally got out and new il
mother was satisfied after nearly
seven months of New York life be-
lieve l could say we all like 1t fine.
But If live to be 1O4 I'll never for
get the first Sunday in New York. OF
course / sometimes feel longing
spell for Iowa creeping over me but
I never stop to think of old times
very often and 60 right ahead. I
sure would like to step in Leon some
Saturday evening to the band con-
cert and couldn't help but wish l
could have attended the Davis City
reunion last Thursday, but was in
Syracuse There is not nearly as
many young folks here, but we have
pretty good times together. Over
two-thirds of the people here are
Catholic. 1t doesn't seem possible
to think we are SO near New Jersey
and Massachusetts,. And all those
eastern states. Probably seems
strange to you people out there to
think Of us being away out here. Well
our summer is most gone. 1t doesn't
seem possible.
September 1913 is New York
State Fair at Syracuse. intend to
go one day to see If it il anything
like the Iowa State Fair. This beats
any state for summer resorts and
lakes you ever saw. Syracuse is on
Onondaga Lake. two canals 90
through the city. One is Erie. and !
forget the name of the other. It's
a very pretty city and IL growing
very rapidly and now has popula-
ton of nearly 145,000. have been
there several times and am getting
the CITY learned pretty we'll. They