Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-26
Ways;de Notes and Impressions
BY A. ID, scougal.

BY A. d.
B. G. Hurd, who owns and operates
twenty acre farm in the suburb Of
Eldora, Is demonstrating In a remark
able way the possibilities Of the small
farm This is how he and his little
farm figure up this year: He will have
$1,000 worth OF hogs to sell, forty head
some of which will weigh $50 pounds,
but averaging about 800 pounds, or be-
tween $45 and $3.50 at present prices.
He has sold $500 worth Of chickens and
eggs, and over 500 worth Of milk and
butter. These figures total $4,000. He
has done all his own work. Naluing his
twenty acres at 100000 price he has
rcfused-with 8 per cent interest,
leaves him $4,000 for his years work,
out Of which he has only to pay taxes.
1t, therefore, is fact that he has made
81, 800 this year, besides his own supply
of fruit and vegetables. Mr. Hurd
claims this is better than he could
make ten years ago off quarter Sec
ton. OF course, it is not to be over
| looked that the Eldora man Is high
class farmer and energetic, but out OF
it he has also earned health and hap
piness. Twenty years ago he started
in as a tenant farmer in Grundy county.
Today he owns a quarter section flVe
miles west of Eldora, which he has let
to a tenant, and the twenty-acre farm
upon which he has won such a signal
success this year. He is not egotiHtic
in his achievement: he says what he
is doing others may do and that tho
door of opportunity is wide open.
II
Henry Bowers, who is a crop tenant
on the Webster farm which adjoias the
state training school grounds, this year
has raised eighty five acres Of good
corn that will average sixty bushels to
the acre. If the product will make the
best grade, this looks like $500 at
present prices.
A visit to the Iowa State Training
School for Boys at Eldora lmpresscs
the wayfarer with the dignity, power
and benevolence Of the great state OF
Iowa. There $50 boys are being trained
to become useful citizens. The school
and farm comprise about 800 acres, on
which are many buildings. The boys
80 to school, farm and learn trades.
Boys with well to- do parents who seno
them to schools and colleges turnout
the land have no better opportunity to
develop into sterling manhood than do
the boys who by reason Of bad environ
ment get into trouble and become
wards Of the state. Many Of those un-
der Superintendent w. l.. Kuser's
charge are handsome fellows and so
far as personal appearances are con-
cerned might adorn the home circles OF
the best families of the land. But, alas,
In many instances fathers and mothers
forgot that manhood and womanhood
depend for their very being upon the
sacrednees Of the home. These boys.
all Of them, are hungry for the love OF
mother and he who takes passing IN.
terest and lends them sympathetic ear
can not but feel the tug at the heart
strings Of the little fellows who never
knew what it was to kneel at mothers
knees to learn the simple prayer OF
"Now I lay me down to sleep. Sad
indeed, are many Of the stories told by
the little fellows, how father and moth
er parted how mother or father for
sock them and how they now do not
know Of their parents whereabouts.
While the state is so benevolent 1t sur
rounds the boys with every comfort,
vet the one that would do them most
good IS there only by proxy-the love
and care Of father and mother. NO
visitor of experience in life can come
away from the school without at least
inwardly thanking God the state loves
it's unfortunate children and provides
them with custodians who love them
and find their greatest JOY In teaching
them the way of life.
Eldora made wonderful strides this
year in building comfortable and cost
ly homes. Every ward in the city has
a number of dwellings either recently
completed or in process Of construction.
Thirty-th blocks OF paving haze
been added to the wealth Of the city
this year, and nowhere in my travels
is prosperity so outspoken in material
comforts as in Eldora. ALREADY rated
as one Of the six most slightly cities
in the realm sof Iowa, the county seat
Of Hardin county, If its present pro-
gressive speed is maintained for long,
can not be restrained from taking rank
as first among the six. Civic pride
runs high in Eldora; it has history
Of good deeds in the flesh and the glory
Of spiritual awakening. 1t has
reached the point where the hands on
the dial Of the big clock that adorns
the court house do not only point the
passing Of feeting moments, but ad-
monish it's public spirited people to
avoid the clash of clans and the blck-
erings of factions in order that what
they already have may be efficiently
preserved to them, and to which future
generations of as sturdy a stock as
ever were born may point with pride
and use as a foundation for progress.
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