Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-11-01
1By N. W. Aver. in Printers dnk.l

tBy n. w. Aver. IN Printers uhA'J
Some years ago during the visit OF
an eminent foreign dignitary to this
country, the late James q. Blaine was
asked how the distinguished guest
might best be given q vivid. lasting
impression of our land. Mr.. Blaine re-
piled, Take him thru the state OF
Iowa in the daytime"
If that great statesman were living
today, he would have no reason to re-
tract this statement; for from the time
that Mr.. Iowa Farmer wrested the
land from the redskins, the Hawkeye
state has been typically American. Ag-
riculture is paramount in American
activities, and tilling the soil Is Iowa 3
long suit.
Agriculture and Iowa are to all In
tents and purposes synonymous. From
where the Mississippi forms the Ma
poleonic profile of Iowa on the east,
to where the muddy Missouri flows by
her back door bluffs on the west. Iowa
is never ending panorama Of rolling
hills covered with corn, wheat, oats,
grazing cattle and still more corn.
For of all the great northwestern
states. which are now more than ever
the place from which the worlds
breakfast comes. Iowa Is the Ben Adj
hem of the bunch and justly deserves
the sobriquet, "The Blue Ribbon
State" so aptly bestowed upon her by
one Of her large agricultural publica-
tons.
Iowa ranks first in the production OF
corn and oats and in the value Of the
horses hogs and poultry within her
borders. She outranks all other COM
~. ~ ir,x,n %nA p
farm machinery. She stands second
her beef cattle, farm buildings, farm
farm land. She leads In annual reve-
nue. per farm.
If hole 13-16ths OF an inch in d.
ameter were bored straight thru this
terrestrial ball from Sioux City to
Siam. Hy Clymer, Of Iowa, could dig
down into his jeans and ante up
enough jitneys from his 1914 profits
and farm valuation to plug that hole
with solid core, If he so elected.
He has the wherewith. as shown by
the fact that Iowa stands third among
the states in bank deposits. He isn't
bit averse to spending it for what he
wants. Proof of this is the fact that
one out of every ten automobiles sold
in the United States in the past year
was purchased by an Iowan. Iowa
goes in strong for electrical utilities,
talking machines. jewelry: in short, all
the modern conveniences and luxuries.
as well as the necessities. Hy Clymer
and wife want everything looking
spick and span. everything up-to-date.
down lat the heel farms are al
most as much of rarity in Iowa as
are icebergs in the Indian ocean.
Iowa Is the most intelligent COM
monwealth in the union. Boosting the
lowest percentage of illiteracy Il $40
per cent? of any commonwealth. This
is largely responsible for the growth
Of her exceptionally good newspapers
and excellent agricultural publications
that unite to cover the state as the
waving corn covers her rolling hills
Iowa Is doing big things in the pro-
duction of womens underwear, mems
work shoes. children's garments.
sleeping garments and sunbonnets.
Her wonderful state agricultural coll
lege at Ames is turning out scientific
farmers and teaching her daughters
the knack OF making buildings and
patching quilts. accomplishments
equally as important as playing hand
at bridge or interpreting Beethoven.
Iowa is sending an immense amount
OF raw materials to neighboring states
to be made into finished products. En-
terprising wideawake manufacturers
in other states are marketing these
trade marked articles in enormous
quantities. profiting by the prestige
created for them and building up great
industries affording livelihood to
thousands of workers. They are car
rying corn flakes, corn starch and
canned corn to Iowa" and Iowa is
paying the price while outsiders reap
the benefit
Iowa needs one thing to complete
the alliterative combination of three
"Ps." She has prosperity and prog
ress. She needs far more publicity. 1t
Is well-nigh inexplicable that so wide
awake and up -to-date a state has thus
far employed this great modern force
to so comparatively small a degree.
With 1owa's strategic location In
The Heart of the Corn Belt" admir-