Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-02-20
HORSE PRICES At s
LOWER FIGURES; SLUMP
ONLY TEMPORARY

near Belmond the other day the horses
sold at what was considered dir
cheap. One man said that horses
| would never be high again. that the
motor vehicle in its various forms has
finally begun to exert its inevitable ef-
feet and THAI the next change Will be q
yet lower price for horses. Another
man thought the automobile. etc.. had
nothing to do with the matter. declared
that the offerings of colts and young
horses with which this part OF the
country appears &c be ahnndantls sup
piled at the present time, have tended
to crowd down prices temporarily Of
all classes of horses and that 1t re-
quires about so many horses for farm
work regardless of autos. tractors, en-
gines or anything else. In the mean
time a. ]. Williams a local farmer. has
just sold a team for $4T5 and says
horses are not low in price at all fof
the grower Of them who refuses to
raise any except the kind that Is in de-
mand. namely, high grade or full blood
draft animals. which never do have to
be sold al low figures. The price OF
horses has been depressed. too, In this
part of the country because OF the fact
that many farmers have been rough
ing the animals thru the winter be-
cause Of the high price of feed and
they consequently are not in the con-
dition demanded by professional buy
ers.
There is such thing in Iowa farming
as the getting together Of good ten
,Sr> Ia ~
the former on Belmond route who
has operated 200 acre farm for the
past half dozen years used up haif
hour explaining that he and his land
lord had got along during that time
without any written agreement. that
outsiders had offered higher rent rates.
etc. etc. OF, course there are reasons
why the man stays. Since he moved 10
the farm hedge rows have been clean
ed ont. fences built new and the old
ones repaired. Crops have been raised
too. otherwise Mr.. Landlord wouidn=
have received $1,000 for use OF his
farm last year which he did. the share
rent system being used in this case
There are possibilities for landlord and
tenant both on an Iowa farm when
harmony prevails: none whatever for
owner OF renter when the opposite. con-
6ision exists as may be observed IN too
many instances all orsr the country.
The old farmer told hired man
story which is reproduced here because
i; IS an unusual experience of an EN-
ployer Of floating" labor. man.
'tranping,t thru the country. presented
himself at the farm yard gale and. ask
ed for employment. What can you
do p inquired ihe farmer and 20 this
the other boldly declared he could, do
Whatever there was to be done. Can
you drive five horses questioned the
skeptical proprietor. and the tramp
vowed he could drive all the horses
that could BE- hitched together. He
was given a trial we hooked Ave
horses 70 suiky plow.r said the farm
er. and the new hired man climbed in .
TO the seat could see, as he pulled
them around for the start that he ur,-
desstood the business In hand. Days
and weeks went by and the tramp
hired man stuck to the job. He SEEM
ed 10 know how &c do everything and
WAS wiling and Trustworthy besides.
He was asked how long he wanted TO
stay and he replied that ne would give
plenty of notice Of his departure. One
morning after about four months OF
steady work he announced that he
would finish the week and then pull
for new scenes. He did both and a
few days later we received word that
our Tate hired man had secured a
place on the Minneapolis police force"
1t doesn't require mich time 10 sell
a car load OF coal in such times as
these and 10 such farmers az those
living in the vicinity of Bows az was
shown by what happened in this line in
that locality las; week Sunday after
noon, Feb. II, there was Tine mes
sage" to the effect that two cars Of
coal would arrive next morning and
would be sold In small lots to those In
need of fuel The cars came and 80
also did the fuel seeking farmers. A
citizen OF the town counted twenty
four teams lined up al one time await
ing their turns" Ii was told that
within two hours from beginning of
empty and the coal that had filed
them was being hustled 70 rural coal
houses and Easements all over the
country.
A blue print in possession OF Con-
tractor Gochenouer at Olaf outlines
great drainage project now in process
Of construction In that section OF coun-
try. 1t is joint county ditch being
put in by Wright and Hancock. There
viii be twenty-seven miles Of covered
ditch in which will be laid tile running
from eight to thirty-six inches In di-
ameter. also an open dredge nine miles
in length. Some idea Of the magnitude
Of the undertaking may be conveyed by
the fact that Mr.. Gochenouers contract
10 haul the tile and al the ditch into
which II Is laid will call for public
expense Of 1900. He expects 20 use
about twenty teams In the work later.
about one third OF full outfit Is being
worked at this time the ever present
car shortage making it impossible TO
ship material at the rate that was
expected when the contract was sign
ed. This project when completed VIII
make possible the drainage OF several
thousand acres Of very productive land
the farming OF which has been preca-
rious business up to the present time
because OF the likelihood Of wet peri
DDS like that OF last spring when enor-
nous damage was done to crops on
imperfectiy drained land in this part OF
the state.
There was real birthday party held
at the home Of the Charles Stevens
family near Clarion Feb. s. That cate
hesiaes te;ur the anniversary OF Mrs.