Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-01-04

harvesting we kept the horses or
trot and used the mudsticks again ana
that was the only way we could cut
the small grain. After it was cut we
couldn't get on the ground ito stack Or
thresh it and finally set fire to 1t
after it seemed worthless and the
straw burned up but the grain was SO
green with sprouts it wouldn't burn
and my stock went out in that heid
after the ground was frozen and horses,
cattle and hogs helped themselves and
l,actually did well on the stuff, The next
year I began to tile and from that
time to this that farm has produced
good crops. I paid for it when
bought it. wasn't in debt at all but that
| one year was not what was looking
for and the wakeful nights l spent try
! ing to figure out "a way to accomplish
something that refused to be accom-
piished bleached my hair for me and
while. the good crops Of later years
were highly satisfactory they were not
! hair restorers except-in a figurative
sense"
An illinois picnic" in this section OF
the country ought, with full attend
ance Of the people who have settled
here from that state, to call out about
80 per cent OF the population Of the
community. II strangers meet here and
talk ten minutes together the latter
| half Of the session Is sure to concern
some former mutual friend in the
Sucker state.
| In the early spring of the year 1880
a special train load Of Illinoisans came
and settled indifferent neighborhoods
/ of this county. Some OF these are pros
porous farm owners here at this time,
some have retired, few became d1ss
satisfied and returned to the old home
and yet others turned to other occupa-s
| tons. One thing that can be stated
\ truthfully about this section Is that
there are very few dependent farmer
| failures Of other days. Almost every
body ever in the business here had his
chance and made good" to atsreater
or less extent:
The community in No. 6. Lake town
ship. north OF Clarion have established
an annual rabbit hunt day.. At an
appointed time they gather at some
farm home, choose sides and go
after the rabbits. BY abouts3 !. Tn. they
have settled the question OF superiority
In the matter and return for G:iner
which the housewives OF the district
| have ready for them. Then date IS
selected for an oyster supper TOT tna
| same crowd. which Is furnished ano
| served by the men of the losing side IN
the hunting contest. The initial feature
Of the third annual event OF this Kino
has Just passed into history and the
| five lacks" and seventy "cottontails
that bit the dust or rather snow were
taken to Clarion and sold TO peopie
who don't shoot rabbits themselves ana
the proceeds were used to defray part
Of the expenses Of the dinner. These
neonIe who style themselves the
Prairie Dell Rural Life Club, are noted
flor their. social activities and the ex-
cenence OF their little rural school. 1t
was organized eight years ago.
A few years ago q young couple came
4 To a worn out farm few miles from
.lhera and settled down. to the work OF
Tcleaning out noxious weeds, restoring
the soil fertility and putting up better
IblildIngs. The burrs and weeds nave
! since disappeared and there Is a new
barn on the place. Why not new
lhouse?" asked a man of his companion
and the other one said. Il will tell you.
That man Is going to sell out. He
lisn't satisfied here because there are
none of the rural activities here like
those Of the. community above noted.
| The new house will have to be built by
the next or subsequent owner OF the
farm, which is one OF the fine ones OF
the county.
One evening last week a young man
rose from a restaurant table In Clarion
and started for the street door. He was
neat in appearance and well dressed.
On, his way out he passed by an ac-
auaintance OF other years and the re-
Hned and friendly manner in which
he approached the other indicated In
teIligence and general good breeding.
IOtsler young men werestheEe. The kind
that wear q rakish cap, light a cigaret
lin most dextrous manner and go. out
with some remark that characteristics
I the 8 sport. ne first mentioned Is the
| son OF a respectable old farmer and q
man who has not passed the stage OF
Tenant farming 1t Is a ten to one
chance that one or more Of the latter
i are the sons of we'll -tozdo land owners,
not the least of whose worries are the
doings OF Maynard boys. It would be
a mistake to say that the renter In this
case Is not successful man. He has
4 succeeded in doing what Q great many
4 wealthy men farmers and otherwise
have failed to accomplish: he has
raised q first class crop of boys and
girls. - c. E.WVLSoN.
o...l -. A..A...~l.s. esslH..