Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1916-01-13
Then AND NOW
Some Early North Audubon
County History
By Audubon Shelley

Away back in the eighties l re-
member Of father farming some
land in section twenty-five, Gamer
on township, and the man with
the hoe on the other side of the
line for there we're but few fences
then--was the present editor of the
journal. That was about third
OF century ago and let us look at
. few of the changes that have
taken place since then. OF course
We might go back to an earlier
date and show greater changes but
what ] wish to make clear is what
I third of a century can do in
$he making Of history. At that
time you could buy choice Cameron
land for twenty dollars per acre
and less-and get all you wanted
az that price II you had the mon
s ey. To-day tie same land sets
for ten times The price then. In
other words an eighty acre farm
then cost about the same as eisat
cores would to-day. II the land
ahould continue to rise as fast
during the NEXT third OF a century
aR 1t has during the past, the rent
e of 1913 will pay about fifty
dollars per acre rent. But of course
such will not be the case for 1t
hardly seems possible Tor the fu-
Sure TO equal the past in the rise
sasf land values. In those days our
only mode of travel across the
country was by some horse drawn
vehicle. To-day Hal Wells crosses
the state by auto leading the rail-
road train. and everybody else is
trying to keep up with him or go
him one better. II the auto is not
fast enough for you, you can take
the aeroplane which will go at a
ilsTefd never dreamed ~ thirty
Nhree years ago. At that time the
\ horse furnished the motive power
for tbreshing, shelling, grading and
pther kinds of heavy work. To-day
khis is practically all done by me-
Iehanical power. The houses back
v lin the eighties were not very large
las rule and were as cheaply built
las possible. To-day the country a
bounds in houses of every kind
Band description many of which
scost quite considerable sum of
bnoney. If there is as much advance
Ealong this line during the next
thirty three years this will almost
Ebe country of mansions then. On
IN high hill on our farm is the re-
smains of an old sod house long a
sgo crumbled to ruin and farmed o.
syer. The soil there is almost as
{black as coal. Everything on that
.slspot grows luxurient as though it
lwere attempting to rise as a monu-
ment to that old home Of the pio-
.aneer of the prairies. l sometimes
think that he was just as happy
then as the man is today who lives
in bungalow surrounded by al
most every luxury. He looked out
across an ocean of waving grass
and flowers. but today our view is
almost wholly artificial. And the
day will never dawn when man can
improve on natures beauty. In those
old times we ruralites usually got
our mail from the office not of
tener than once week--sometimes
much longer. Now it is delivered
at the Goor or at least not far dis
tant to all those residing in the
country. Then how changed are the
surroundings about the dwelling.
When the country was new our
yards were unfenced and unkept.
To-day nearly every farm home has
an enclosed yard and many of these
are kept in such a way that they
are truly attractive and ornamental.
In the old prairie schooner days
and even much later, the farmer
went to the nearest slough fol
water--while to-day it is the rule
and not the exception that water
is arranged conveniently for ali
purposes. Another great change
that has taken place since then is
the destruction of the thousand OF
ponds that were found in every
slough. We live short distance
from one pond that in early days
would easily float row boat and
had such dimensions that it would
afford pleasant. little ride. And
there were many Of that kind too
scattered here and there. But to-
day those little beauty spots have
fallen under the hand of the tile1
and instead of a piece OF inviting
scenery to greet our eyes, we see