The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-23
PEOPLE WHO DWELL
IN RIVER CITIES
Editor From interior Of Iowa Has
Something - Say Regarding
River Cities ard Towns.

Eo1tor FROM INFERIOR OF iowa 0as
! Something - Say Regarding
River Cites ard Towns
A wise man has said. The people
whom you do not like. are the people
whom you do not know" The same
thing will apply to comm unities, to
cities and counties. There has been
much abuse heaped upon river cities
and river counties, by people in the
interior of the state, who knew moth
ing Of the river cities and the river
counties. Had they known these
cities and counties. there would have
been a more just appreciation, more
praise and less abuse. A Cedar
Rapids writer has the following which
coming from an interior city ought
to be read with care by those Of the
people of the interior, who still be-
lfeve all sorts of foolish and wicked
things that have been tod about the
river cities and counties:
The population of the river coun-
ties" of Iowa does not need defense
nearly so much as few political
writer's and speakers of interior coun-
ties need the ability to properly esti-
mate character and good breeding
and courtesy that would allow them
to recognize excellent quality in men
who dare to differ from them.
Not in their newspapers nor from
any other source of comment does
one see or hear sneers from the ac-
cused section of the state toward in
terror counties, their people, their
politics and their other Institutions.
The men Of the river counties attend
to their own affairs and accord to
0<h no ~Rx
entity. They do not compose a body
of regulators to peer in at the win
dows of private matters and mob a
citizen, by means Of a newspaper at
tack, for giving personal affairs his
personal attention.
River Cities and Drink.
II it Is true that the river counties
are welded to drink and that drink
leads to waste, there is somewhere a
miscalculation. Not so many years
ago the savings banks of Scott county
held more money on deposit than was
held by the other savings banks Of
the state. Davenport savings banks
are still the greatest of Iowa, and
Davenport is by far our richest city.
This money has not been gained by
the sale of liquor, but by honest
work. The average man, woman and
child is the average deposition of Dav-
export. There is not typical river
county that g lacking in thrift. Atti-
tude on the license question has moth
ing to do with it. The habit Of labor
and the plan OF saving has everything
to do with it.
The supercilious critics Of the river
counties are fighting rear guard ac-
ton and the pace of their retreat has
been accelerated from a halting walk
to dead run. They have had too
much time to attend to the business
of others.
| Thirty-five years ago the Bohemian
overflow from Chicago. Cedar Rapids
and Iowa City was seeking the land.
West of US they took to the Iowa
river hills, because, for one thing. hill
land was cheap, and for another thing,
the Bohemians liked the mills and did
not understand the superior value Of
the prairie. Americans from the east
ern states held them in contempt
/ Where, or, where Is that self-satisf1ed
American" critic of thirty-five years
ago? He is getting his mail at from
tier points in Montana, idaho, New
Mexico, Arizona, Manitoba, Alberta
and Saskatchewan: the rough farm
land, bought thirty-five years ago for
$40 an acre is worth 5000; the blue
bellied Yankee Is gone; Wencil is
county attorney; Bohumil is sent to
the legislature; Lumir is county sup
ervisor; Sarka is county superinten-
I dent and little Boleslay and lillie
raise the stars and stripes over the
American school house every day that
American school is in session.
Thirty.five years ago OF thereabout
the first farm sale in north Tama
county at S35 an acre was recorded.
The wellinformed blue-bellies were
between two minds. They did not
know whether to have the seller In
dicted for fraud or the buyer arrested
for insanity. One thing they all
knew. The senate of wise men con-
vened at the livery stable, the legis-
lature in session at the blacksmith
shop, the improvement club engaged
in hand carving soap boxes at the
corner store, knew tina. the fool
Dutchman could never pay for it."
But he had paid for it and had
come from Scott county, the land Of
latter-day outlaws, and he had count
ed out green slips bearing photo
graphic reproductions of George
Washington, A. Lincoln. T. Jefferson,
A. Jackson, Jas. Madison and other
notables until the banker was entirely
satisfied as to his social connections
and business standing.
Dutchman Remained.
Moreover, the fool Duuchman" re-
manned Around his first farm he
bought land for all the little fool
Dutchmen," Hans and Karl and
johann and Wilhelm and Heinie and
Frieda and Augusta and Lena and
Minnie. And these misguided de-
scendents of the people of Scott
county are just as happy as are the
men who knew so much more, whose
sons are helping collies burst OUT
lumber cargo at Los Angeles, whose
daughters have been compelled to
seek positions as teachers in the
Philippines. And once again, down
by the shores Of Salt creek, in the