The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-02-24

rev years.
The Almighty mas done His part.
He has given us soil of unexcelled
fertility and an ideal climate for the
production of the worlds great sta
ples-corn, wheat and grass.
1t is up to us to do our part. Will
we do 1T? Straighten the river and
there will be Joy within the. valley
when the floods shall cease to roll. "
We have been trying for three
months to write some verses that
would describe this valley. You know
real poem must not only be truth
full, but it must contain beautiful
thoughts expressed in beautiful Ian
guage. We can get the truthful
part all right, but the beautiful is
beyond our power. There is some
thing about the subject that causes
ugly thoughts to intrude in spite of
all we can do.
Here is our best effort up to date:
(This is truth but it comes a long
way from being poetry. 1t IS mere
"doggerel." There are 10 more stan
zas just like these but the editor will
not publish them. He knows how
to run paper and can not afford to-
There's a wide place lying squirting
at fierce old summer sun.
There's river in the wide place that
knows not which way to run.
1t meanders toward the northeast,
then toward the south sea,
And when there comes a shower it
meanders up a tree.
Its banks are choked with willows
that wiggle in the wind,
There are clumps of pesky alders by
frisky rabbits skinned.
There are weed trimmed green scum
med bayous where lordly bull
frogs growl.
IT'S the wide place of the Weldon,
where the floods get up and
howl
There are heaps of rotting driftwood
by summer freshets strewn
Emanating dread uriasma that pene-
trates the bone,
Scattered DER this wide place are
many oozy boys
Where myriad shiny tadpoles change
to hopping frogs.
But we are going to fix this wide
place so it will give the lie to the
above verses-every word of them.
Make them as objectional to the low
er of truth as they are nauseating
to the poetic sense
We are going to fix it so that farm
ing will be sure thing, not
gamble. Fix it so the farmer who
wants to sell out can do so at price
greatly in advance of what he can
get now and let the purchaser as
sumo the cost of Strengthening the
river.
Fix it so that we old fellows who
have got tired of hard work can move
to town and live off the rent, while
we white dry goods boxes and ex-
ercise that blessed privilege so dear
to the heart of every farmer, namely:
Voting against every proposition for
city improvements that calls for in
creased taxation. We have brains
and are going to use them to better
our condition.
Here is description of the valley
as it will be when our work is done,
when we have done our duty by our
selves and our posterity. Not bit
overdrawn, but as incontrovertible
"as proof of Holy Writ No ugly
thoughts here
There's valley lying dreaming in
the sunsets golden glow,
There's dimpled laughing river
where the creamy alders blow;
Widely sweeping to the southwark
ringing with the wild birds call,
IT'S the valley of the Weldon where
the corn grows green and tail.
Berries ripe in all the highways, or
chards meekly bending low,
Gladly yielding up their riches, now
ers chattering to and fro,
Blue skies blushing into silver, paint
ed by hand Divine
In His matchless living colors that
within the rainbow shine.
In the long soft summer twilight
while the west an opal CLOVIS,
And the binders whir and chatter
while the day sinks to repose,
Then all heard strains of sweet music
from a mellow elfin horn,