Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1918-04-25

grubbing had cost him 1900. They
moved there in January because of
bad health. He had lung trouble
and his wife had been an invalid
for several years. Now they look
healthy and are doing their own
work and said, Money could not
buy us to move back TO Iowa"
We then saw another stock farm
and drove north seven miles to Ed
inburg, the county seat. with its new
1000 court house. Then We saw
the land yet for sale and the first
four forties we stopped at were sold
in less than five minutes at $3.50
per acre.
A man in the crowd who had not
seen the land since it was cleared,
did not know it, as his renter had a
splendid crop of broom corn which
now covered the ground.
After dinner we visited another
splendid four year old farm, real
ly wonderful change in so short a
time. Here a Danish farmer named
Hansen. in his funny broken Eng
lish, told us how three years ago he
came there on crutches, suffering
with rheumatism. He said he could
now kick as high as any one and he
proved it by doing so. He said he
spent $1,000 in doctors bills in the
north. but not a cent for that pur-
pose since coming to the valley, and
said not to forget his children, Il
got eleven" he said. He went in
debt for over half of his farm and
has it all paid for now.
After investigating the Rio Grande
Valley some facts stand out prom
inently in my mind; they've got the
climate, the soil is thirty to sixty
feet deep, a splendid irrigation sys-
tenn with inexhaustible water sup
ply, cheap labor. good markets, no
winters and splendid crops the year
around. Every month in the year
is a planting or harvesting month.
Under these circumstances / hope to
be excused. for breaking my promise
not to buy land in Texas. l did buy
land. but not in the Texas known in
the North, but in part of the state
where anyone who sees it cannot
help but invest if he is able Land
that sold four or five years ago at
500 per acre is bringing now $500
to $1,000 in lemon and grapefruit
orchards. Hundreds of well TO do
Northern farmers flock there twice
a month the year around and the
people are catching on"
Before we left the valley Mr.. Nc
Coll asked if any one thought he was
still a liar. NO" was the answer
He further stated that if anyone was
disappointed or thought that he had
not got his moneys worth all he had
to do was say so and his money
would be refunded. Not one in the
crowd asked for his money back.
The Mexican trouble. CD That is
further west and north and mostly
in the newspapers. No one in the
Valley seemed to give it a second
thought. The next morning We we're
rolling over the rails along the Gulf
towards Galveston. through the wide
prairie cattle country, the rice fields
and oil country, arriving at Calves
ton at ten o'clock. We Immediately
boarded a boat for trip on the
Gulf. In the big harbor We saw
vessels from Denmark, Norway, ia
pan, Sweden, England and France. A
black orchestra furnished us music
and song. In the afternoon we took
trip along the boulevard next to
the sea wall, which saved the city
from destruction last summer. In
spite of the strong wind and high
sea quite few took dip in the
Gulf. A splendid trip and SPLEEN
did city.
We left at dark and in two hours
were in Houston, where we stopped
to take in the theatres, leaving at
midnight for home. The next day
we passed through Dallas, Dennison
and Oklahoma. Most of the farming
country, with the exception of a few
counties in northern Texas, appear
ed poor. more cotton than anything
else. McAllen and Muskogee are
good, live cities. The big oil fields
between them were great sights for
us. Tuesday morning we arrived in
Kansas City and there spent a whole
day. We visited the stock yards,
which were quarantined. The land
company even furnished a fine room
in one of the city's biggest hotels,
where the ladies could rest and have
view of the busy streets. At 6:2O
we took the Burlington train for
Aurora, where we arrived at seven
Wednesday morning.
have travelled quite little, from
the Atlantic to the Pacific, from the
Canadian border to Mexico, but new
er in as good a company and never
with as much pleasure, including
sleepers and meals on train for the
price of the railroad ticket, $3.50,
for a trip of nearly $500 miles. Ev-
cry member of the company appear
ed to be a gentleman and no one
stuck up" but natural. Any one
contemplating a trip-here's your
chance. 1t is an education, pleasant
and nothing cheap but the price.
While you feel sorry for the suck
er" who bought land in Texas. we
feel sorry for the man who judges
and condemns something he has
never seen and knows nothing Of
N. p. Clausen, Cortland, III.
(The Danish farmer mentioned,
Mr.. Hansen, was formerly from Ex-
ira, Iowa. Next excursion May 9TH.
See Leach or phone 315. Special
low rates.)
NOTICE OF PROBATE OF WILL
District Court, in and for Audu-