davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08

the whole will be so arranged that 1hers will be no element of charity or pension ing in the transaction. The soldier VIII earn all he receives, and the government
 will get back in actual cash every cent it expends and also add greatly to the
 food supply and wealth of the nation,
 This scheme, which originated "itA
 Secretary Lane, has the approval or the
 President. Congress has already ap-
 propriated s2oo, coo for the preliminary
 inyestigations, and another appropriation
 of sl. 100000 will probably have passed
 the Senate before this letter is published. The plans are now being worked out
 by the trained scientists of the interior department. Under the general direction of Arthur P. Davis, chief of the recla- nation service, the government engineers are travelling over the United States in- vestigating the possibilities. F. E.. Wey- mouth, the chief of construction of the 1 reclamation service, has taken charge of | the so-called arid region formerly known as the great American desert This is in | the Rockies and far west. It comprises
 the r arid and semi-arid states, with the exception of the eastern parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebras- l ka, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Those 1 sections and the northeastern part of the | country, including also all the land east | of the Mississippi and north of the Ohio i rivers, is in charge of F. w. Hanna
 another reclamation engineer. It contains a large area of cut-over and swamp landi
 which can be redeemed The southeast.
 ern section. which has the bulk of such i lands, is being investigated by H. T. | Cory, the man who shut the Colorado
 river out of the Salton sea for the South
 ern Pacific railway, and who has Ions
 been connected with reclamation work | of various kinds. In addition to these men the department has secured the serv- | ices of Dr. Elwood Mead, recently ir
 charge of the land settlement problem in California, and for eight years be- fore that connected with similar work ir Australia.
 | The amount of territory we have fol
 such schemes is enormous. I have talked
 with the reclamation engineers and car l give faint idea of the possibilities. Ac-
 cording to them, the area of desert swamp and cut-over landssth that can bt 1 reclaimed is more than S00000 square miles. It is bigger than the whole Ger man empire, bigger than Austria ano Hungary combined and bigger thar ! France or the Spanish peninsula. Put Il l together and it would make territory seven times as big as either Ohio, West Virginia or Kentucky, 10 times as biz l as South Carolina and S7 times the sizs
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08
Washington, D. c. for the soldiers!"

Washington, D. c. lHnS|ARMS for the soldiers!' OO 1 Yes and for every man who
 is willing to work when he
 comes home from France! Not for hundreds or thousands, but for hundreds of thousands and perhaps mill lions if that many converted by the open air life of the army should want to go back to the landl
 This, in brief, is the project upon which the government is working. It is a big project, bigger than the question involved in giving lifework for the soldier. It is project which, thus beginning, prom ises to develop into reclamation of waste land that will increase our national wealth by billions of dollars. and add new empire to the active working forces of the American people.
 But first the farm for the soldier! Thai is the kernel from which is to grow this great tree of national development ] We shall look at it as it lies m tht nutshell. It is to reclaim the deserts, < swamps and cut-over lands of the United States through the soldiers as the em- ployes of Uncle Sam, and to enable them to buy the farms thereby created upon a series of ow-interest payments which l may run through a third or half hfe. time.
 The work of reclamation will be done by the soldiers. They are to be given the opportunity to continue in the em- ploy of the government, constructing dams and canals, blowing out stumps and clearing brush digging ditches for ! drainage and, in short, building group settlements in practically every state of the union.
 The settlements will be model com munity centers, comprising townsites sur rounded by 40 or S0-acre farm homes with all the advantages and none of the loneliness of ordinary country life In doing this the soldier will receive the current wages for the special kind of labor for which he enlists. If he is an engineer he may lay out the canals If carpenter he may work at building the houses and barns, and if mason he may Ge employed on the dams. The laborers will receive their wages from the government and there will be well paid out-of-doors work for all. After the settlements are completed, the houses and barns built and the soil put into shape each soldier will be given the right to pick out farm home of his own and X to pay for it at a low rate of interest on long time, covering perhaps 30 or 40 years. l Stock and farm implements, furnished by the government, may be paid for ill a period of from five to 10 years, and
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08

theland and for immigrants, and this will result in the using of a very large part of this 300 000O,00O acres. That amount turned into new farms will in- crease the number of farms now iH the United States by more than 50 per cent, and add more than one-half to the acreage now under cultivation. Tho acreage value of our farm lands per acre in 1900 was S15 and by 1910 it had more than doubled. being in the census of that date fixed at s32. These new lands will be worth far more than the average, and they will form live interest-hearing investment that will increase in value for generations to come. In another letter shall write more about this project and how 1t is being worked out for the good of the | soldier.
 Copyright 1918. by Frank G. Carpen-
 tel
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08
FARMS FOR THE SOLDIERS By Frank C. Carpenter

ize the new scheme upon an econom- ical and business-paying long time proposition. To do this the congress sional grants must be made without cheese-paring and all pork barrel propositions kept out,
 The plan is to make farms for the soldiers, but the soldiers are to pay back to the government every cent that 1t expends in their behalf. Now it is estimated that each farm of so acres with it's Improvements will cost at least s5000. If 10 per cent of the 100000 men now in the army should elect to take farms We shall have ere ated 400, ,000 farm homes costing as a whole something like $2,000.000.
 But those farms will be only the be- ginning of the reclamation. They will be followed by the creation of others for civilians who wish to go back to
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08

comprise the bulk of the area possible for the new proposition. I have had talk with Mir. II. T. Cory, who has just returned from trip through the great
 CT part of the southern states, where he has been Investigating this subject for Secretary iane. He tells me that lands of this character are to be found all along the coastal plain from Virginia to Texas. They are the lands where the
 timber has been cut off by the great lumber companies and other parties from time to time. The stumps still stand and new trees have grown up among them corresponding in size to the time which has elapsed since the | first clearing was done. MT. Cory says
 that there is something like 200,000,000
 acres of such land in the south, and
 that a large proportion of it has as good soil as the average farm of h.
 diana. At the above estimate those lcut-over lands would make about nine states the size of Indiana, or eight states the size of Ohio, Kentucky or Virginia. Reduce the estimate by one half and the available territory would | be bigger by the size of Kentucky than
 the United Kingdom of Great Britain
 and Ireland, which now has something
 like 45,000000 people,
 1 A great deal of this cut-over land is 1 being reclaimed yprivate parties, and
 some of 1t is paying more than it's original price by the first one or two crops. MT. Cory told me of man who
 bought a cut-over farm two years ago
 and paid one-tenth down. This year
 the seller told him he would be glad
 to accept the crop on the land for the
 balance, but his offer was not taken
 Some such lands are used for raising peanuts, which is now one of the profit
 able crops of the southwest. others
 are turned into cotton plantations and iothers to corn. These lands are usually
 held in large tracts. They are owned by lumber companies and individuals who have made their profits out of the timber and~~will be glad to get rid of
 them at a low price. am told that there are so many Of them that the government can buy all it needs for the soldier experiment at almost its own terms.
 There Is one thing, however, that
 must he emphasized in connection with this reclamation. This is that it is a by 8 billion dollar country, and that 1 there are billions nit for the United States if 1t can be kept outside poli- ties and handled after scientific busi-
 ness methods. In reclaiming the desert l lands, which, as I have said, are pay ing their own way and furnishing
 millions year for new projects, the government has developed a large di- vision of reclamation experts, and
 through them it will be able to organ
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08

Over s1ooo0 has been realized by fete held by the workers in the Royal Dock yard. London, in aid of fund for the erection of a memorial hospital at Wool wich.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08

Coming to the cut-over lands whicf
The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-08

These swamp lands are in many cases close to the 'centers of popula- tion. They are to be found in almost every state of the live, up-t date east, and some of them near the big cities. Others are surrounded by farms worth $100 an acre, and nearly
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
"REDv KUHN LOSES EYE.
Bath Towel In Thoushtless 6unkey's
Hands Ruin Good Soldier.

Hands Ruin Good Soldier.
Dallas, Tex. March pa playful
swapping Of heavy bath towel cost
Uncle Sam good soldier and deprived
a promising catcher from participating
in any more baseball games
Red" Kuhn, formerly of the Chicago
White Sox and later of the Coast Lea
que and star receiver for the Dallas
Giants when they won the Texas league
pennant last year, was drafted into
the army last fall. He was glad to
serve Uncle Sam. Along with several
thousand others he went to Camp Ira
Wis at San Antonio and in a few weeks
the husky ball player was transformed
into a regular soldier and made cor
po-al.
A few weeks ago he was lounginS IN
the barracks when the troopers started
scuffling. One had a bath towel with
a long heavy fringe. Red said some
thing and his companion snapped the
towel, the fringe striking him in the
right eye. The army surgeon found
that the fringe had struck the pupil
with enough force to destroy the sight
permanently.
Kuhn was given an honorable dis
charge from the army. His sight was
gone and he was of no use as a fighter.
Now he's back in Dallas. His baseball
days are over but he's not dis
heartened.
"TI come out all right" is the way
he expressed it. His home Is In Call
fornia
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
DISCHARGE LONG WITHHELD.
Veteran Secures Papers Fifty.five
Years After Service.

special TO IlmeS-Repu Dl1Can.
Iowa Falls. March 23.-ClintoH A.
Bamber, former resident Of this
city. who moved to California few
years ago, has figured out that it has
taken the United States government
fiftv-five years and three months to
secure for him his discharge from the
Illinois regiment in which he served
during the civil war. But this delay
was notSWholly due to the government,
since Mr.. Bamber neglected to secure
his discharge until several years after
the war and by that time several af-
fidavits necessary were hard to Sc
cure A search was made for many
years to find lis army comrades.
Mr.. Bambe- enlisted for three
months service, April 10, 1861, but
never received his formal discharge
papers. He again enlisted and served
in company Of Illinois cavalry until
Dec. %, 1866. He had nothing to show
that he had been discharged from the
Seventh illinois infantry in which he
first entitled, SO took the matter up
with the war department. After fifty
years he was able to locate his former
comrades tn arms and secure the af-
fidavits necessary to establish grounds
on which his formal discharge from
the Illinois infantry are based.
Mr.. Bamber was a resident of this
city for upwards Of forty years and in
following his work as contractor
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
MOST VALUABLE BIRD EVER
RAISED BRINGS BIG SUM FOR
= RED CROSS.
SOLD At IOWA FALLS
4 AUCTION FOR $4,000
Will ,. Sent to EIdora and viii Re-
main There Until Creator Sum 10
Paid-Two Days Sale at Iowa Falls
Enriehes Red Cross by $4,000 -
Great interest Shown IL Sale.
special to T.mes-Republican.

special to T:mes-Republican.
Iowa Falls, March 23.-Iowa Falls
went over theotop in splendid style at
the big Red Cross carnival and auction
held here the past two days. While
all Of the returns are not in, those
in charge OF the undertaking state
that the totals will run over $4,000.
The most valuable goose ever raised
in Iowa brought $4,000. and set a new
record for poultry in Iowa. The peo-
pie Of town and country entered into
the real spirit Of the occasion and it
was this attitude which put the enter
prise over in such a splendid manner.
All were willing to do their bit and
success followed. While all had hand
in the affair, personal credit is due ].
w. Brown, who acted as auctioneer
and for two days gave his best efforts
to make the auction a success. At it's
inception he placed the mark at $10,-
900, but a short time later it was evil
dent the amount was low and the later
returns confirmed it.
A big crowd attended the first day
of the auction, but even at the sale
yesterday, when most of the produce
and live stock was sold. the bidding
was spirited and everything sold
strong. The goose which laid this
golden egg for the Red Cross will now
be sent to Eldora- If he brings more
than he was sold for here, Eldora will
retain the valuable bird, otherwise he
will be returned here and retained as
the most valuable bird ever sold in
Iowa.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
Alden News Notes.

Special to Times Republican.
Alden, March 23.-Dr. Bond, district
superintendent Of the M e. church,
will preach at Alden Sunday, March
81 at the evening service. A service
nag will be dedicated. representing tbs
boys of the community who are in the
army and navy,
A brother to our local merchant, w
T. Jurgensen. who has been here a
few months, has gone back to Pierre,
S. d.
William Stevenson is about to leave
for France to enter Red Cross work.
Mart Smith is new road superin-
tendent for Alden township.
The town election will be held next
Monday.
Miss Gertrude Hess Of Waterloo, ie
visiting her friend, Miss Grace Mott,
at her home north of Alden.
Alfred Idso was elected president OF
tho school board for the new term.
All teachers were reelected for am
other year. izi
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
DenoIi.hins Last Of Buildings.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. March 23.-Work in de-
molishing the flats east of the state
house which are among the last Of
the buildings 70 be left standing in the
capitol extension tract will start Mon
day of next week. All of these flats
are occupied by state offices. which
must be accommodated elsewhere.
The state board Of education and the
office of the industrial commissioner
will move into fiat on Des Moines
street about n block north of the north
entrance to the state house.
The state veterinarians. office and
the state labor, commissioner will move
to a flat nea- Ninth and Grand. The
state dairy and food department. which
requires considerable room. will prob
ably occupy a church building on the
corner Of Ninth and Dss Moines The
property has not yet been purchased
by the state out will be soon.
Work on the laying Of the pavement
east Of the state house and on the
cement walks will also begin as soon
as weather will permit. The council
expects to let contracts for consider
able cement work within few days.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
built many Of the grain elevators now
in service in this part Of the state He
is now residing with his daughter,
Miss Clara r. Bamber, in Pasadena,
Cal ~
FINDS HE is NOT CITIZEN.
Voted For Years and Held Public OF.
flee But 10 Alien.

Special to Times Republican.
Nevada, March 23.-After living IN
America practically all his life, COM
ing here with his parents when "a
child Of less than year Of age. Amos
Lande finds he is not citizen Of the
u. S. A.
Lande is about so years Of age, has
voted and held public office in his
home town Of Slater for years, having
been member Of the school board for
twenty one consecutive years.
1t was not until he answered his
questions on citizenship while making
an application to secure Il license to
handle explosives in his drug store
at Slater that he discovered that while
he came here as a mere child and his
father had taken out the necessary
naturalization papers before the boy
was of age. technically he was not a
citizen and he had to give up the idea
of securing the license.
He went home and at meeting OF
the school board that evening he ten
de-ed his resignation from the board
and explained his position to the board
members.
Lande has been a druggist in the
county for a quarter of a century and
is today the only druggist in Story
county to hold permit granting him
the right to handle and sell intoXicat-
ing liquors. He is one Of the leading
citizens OF the neighborhood and has
been a citizen loyal to the core.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
GOLF BALLS COST MORE.
But They Will Carry Much Further
Than Heretofore.

Golfers are going to be obliged to pay
more for their golf balls this season,
but there is silver lining to the cloud.
so some of the players say, for they
declare that the better grade of gutties
will carry 20 to 30 yards farther than
last years models.
The increase in the price Of golf balls
will average about 10 cents apiece.
But
"All reports which we have received
from the winter courses indicate that
a number of manufacturers have de-
veloped for 1918 a ball with decidedly
longer carry than the kind used II,
1911" says prominent golfer.
1.-THE new balls are constructed OF
higher tension rubber and other MATER
ials to assure long carry. Last year
Tn, So same balls w*ie built for carry
and run. They can be had in practically
any weight from - u 81 pennyweisht.
the heavier ball being the most pop
u!ar.''
Golfers predict that the improve
ments In The golf ball will force a
change, likewise, in virtually all of the
country's golf courses. "Bunkers"
placed at anywhere from 100 to iSa
yards Tor the old type Of bali will be
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
Fearing Norman Dead.

special 10 IlmeS-HepuDllc1n.
Gearing. March 23.-Mrs. E. r. Fry
passed away at her home on Thursday
afternoon at 2:30 after an illness of
three months. Burial will be Sunday
morning at 1875 from the home to the
Gearing cemetery. conducted by the
pastor Of the Evangelical church. Mrs.
Fry had been faithful Christian since
the ages of Is and always active in
church and Sunday school work. She
leaves a husband, one son and daugh-
ter and two brothers.
r B. Pollock and wife have sold
their residence in Clemens and moved
here. They will build this spring on
their lot in the north part of town.
MIR. Pollock will, assist his father in
the bank.
Elmer Updegraft came from Minne-
s.,ta this week and spent a few days
with friends.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
oRTH's WORK ENDORSED.
y
State Council Of Defense Approves Ef.
forts Of Patriotic Organizer.

Special to Times Republican.
Des Moines. March 23.-Rev John
C. Orth, president Of the German
american Patriotic Association. who is
working thru the state council OF ma
tional defense to enroll loyal Germans
in the newly organized association
and secure their help in prosecuting
the war here at home, reported to the
state council at it's meeting Friday.
He has all of the speaking dates he
can possibly an for three weeks ahead.
Il discover in my work in German
communities in this State that the
German people do not want to admit
hellish atrocities which we all know
she has been guilty OF during this
war; said President Orth in discuss
ing his work.
Z. 1T seems hard for them to realize
that this is a part of the present Ger
man war policy.
II also discover peculiar attitudes on
the part Of some politicians. In some
communities the politicians would
rather would not promote this work
as they say they don't want to stir
things up. Other politicians, however,
want things stirred up so that they
can find an issue for campaign"
The state council of national de-
Tense passed resolutions of apprecia-
tion Friday of the work of Mr.. Ortiz
and of F. j. -Alber, of Des Moines. sec
rotary Of the organization.
Labor Commissioner A. L. Urick
submitted reports on labor conditions
on the farms. He believes that there
will not be much difficulty in securing
farm help. The wages being offered
are from s45 to $50 per month. de-
pending on the experience of the man
applying.
Something .of the work the county
council Of defense are doing was re-
ported on by Charles &. Rawson. A
more thorough organization Of the
county councils will be perfected.
Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-03-23
good for him don't expect to be re.
leased soon. AZ least I have not heard
that he has asked waivers on me-"
DISTRICT ORATORS At ELooRA.
High Schools To Hold Contest Evening
of March 20.

Special To Times Republican.
Eldora. March 22.--The district ora
torical contest, comprising the high
schools of a number of cities In this
vicinity. will be held in Eldora the eve
ming OF March 20. Miss Eunice Ayres,
OF Eldora. recently won in the sub dis
tfict contest. thereby giving her place
on the program here. Miss Ayrcs sub
ject will be "Belshaazar. the King.
Following is the program to be given
here during the evening OF March wv
oRAToRICAL.
Gaylord easel, Cedar Falls Nceded
a United Country"--Root,
Elmer Lcnthc Reinbcck, The World
Must BE Made safe For Democracy"
Henry schultz, Ninton, Tho Roose-
welt Theory of War Wamhcau.
Wilbur Towlc. Lansing. The Battle
Of GETTYSBURG Mason.
DRAMATIC.
Evnice Ayrcs, Eldora. "Belshazzar.
the King"
Hazel Green, Northwood, "A Real
Gentleman"
Velma Levasseur, Marion, Inc
Littlest Rebel"
Helen Molumby. Elkader, PRO
Patria."
HUMOROUS.
Ferol Ballard, Rockford, Brothers OF
Angels "--Tarkington.
Alice Kramer. McGregor, "A Chapter
In Revelations"-Odlin
Mildred Laushren. Lamont, Man
dy's Organ'-Higginson
Marcella Mowery, Traer, Abandoned
Elopement" Lincoln.