Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-05-02
'1F IT DOESN'T rain"
AS APPLIED TO IOWA
Some Pertinent Observations Con.
cerning the Iowa Highways.
NEGLECTED OPPORTUNITIES
FOR NEEDED DEVELOPMENT
Interesting Article on Iowa Road
Situation by Joe l.. Long,
Editor ROadmaker, in
Successful Farming.

Back in the days OF our good old
grandmothers, it was considered
sacrilege and imperiling the souls
salvation to make a positive state
ment in regard to any future action
without adding to it as a sort Of saw
ing clause, eff the Lord is willing"
In these times, when only the indi-
gent and the most affluent use the
railway trains for trips of fifty or
hundred miles, this time-honored
appendix to all promises has been
supplanted by one less reverent, per-
haps, but undoubtedly fully as per-
tinent to the case-"If it doesn't
rain 4,.-s-.
The full meaning Of this express
sion upon which the business affairs
Of humanity as we'll as all of the do
ings of society in the mid-western
country depend, cannot be fully .aD-
preciated unless you have been tray
cling over one Of the dirt boulevards
of the mid west on a beautifuk sum
shiny day and been suddenly. over
taken by a rain storm which turns
that splendid highway into a canal
filled with oozy, gooey gumbo such
as can be found in unlimited quanti-
ties almost anywhere in the upper
Mississippi Valley. ..rs,.a.
Included in it's history there is
tragedy, there is comedy, there is
adventure, there is involved life and
death often and il many ways, and
it enters more largely into the every
day life Of the people Of the great
Black Dirt. Belt than does any other
-four words in the English language.
! The market supply Of livestock,
of poultry, OF butter and eggs. OF
milk, and fresh fruit and vegetables
may be carefully estimated by mer-
chants and commission men, but,
added to every estimate, included in
every calculation, must be that dire
contingency upon which every plan
may possibly be wrecked-''If it
doesn't rain .. .-. rF D.,
Every picnic, every celebration.
every festival, every Homecoming,
every convention, may be carefully
planned for, every arrangement car
ried out OF, the smallest detail and
not single thing omitted that will
contribute to its success and to the
enjoyment Of those, who are, sto ,as-
sembie, but after this is aAdone and
indeed during all OF the time tAat.it
Is being coneaid lced, everyshaAgs y
based upon certainty except Ton. the
possibility that it may all lbo waateAs
for the picnickers can picnic.,Y the
home-comers come home, and, the
convention convene, only--"f it
doesn't rain" 49,
Thousands upon thousands Of
I tourists bound from the eastern
} states to the city by the Golden Gate
| to view the wonders of the exposi-
} tion and the much greater wonders
with which man has had little to do,
eagerly looked forward to the trip
across the beautiful states of Illinois
, Iowa and Nebraska. No more won
} derful sight awaited them than these
: millions of acres, rich almost be-
, yond human conception, waving with
r the bounteous crops that feed the
: nation. However, the wise ones al
) ways qualified their pleasant antici-
) pations with that most successful Of
l joy-killers-"If it doesn't rain" In
! cidentally it did rain and six thou
l sand automobile loads of people
I spent from a few days to three
weeks waiting for the sun and the
wind to again make travel possible
, and reunite the $4,000 scattered
units represented by the farms Of
Iowa, and a relative number in the
states on either side, ilto communi-
, ties and, temporarily at least, into
, great commonwealths.
Even Cupid, in all his intrigues
and affairs Of the heart, has to take
into consideration the vagaries of
the weather, and the fair maiden
who is looking forward to an eve
ning's joyride, seated il the car with
her beloved, watches with anxious
, leye the fading twilight, because
across the roseate vision of her heart
is written in big bold letters that
terrifying threat-"If 1t doesn't
rain"
out on the old home farm father
! La nathan ara nraDa ring for fha