The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1919-09-18
When Uncle jim Came to Town.

Wlen OlQ uncle jim refers Was
young he worked & on a farm over IN IN
and washing. He was a mighty
good hand one of those who could
be trusted to look after things when
the boss was away. That's the rea-
others not SO trustworthy were glad
saved his money. He got suit for
bald more than $3.50 for a pair OF
"fine boots" By the way, in pass
ing it might be mentioned that a
good pair of fine boots,' used only
on state occasions lasted man"
several years. So Jim saved most e Of
team by buying a pair of colts and
pasturing them cheaply, "a harness
and wagon, and then he married
Sarah May Smith, old Bill Smiths
daughter, down near Prairieville.
Bill gave her COW. They rented a
piece of land and had pretty good
luck for the first three years. Then
for the wagon box, they stretched
factory covering over the bows,
loaded few things in along with
the two younguns and started for
the Iowa farm Jim had bought for
$145O an acre with 500 down and
twenty years tlue VI tue gu
payments.
it was raw prairie except forty
that had been in wheat. They built a
Stable out Of a straw heap that
hadn't been burned after threshing,
and went to farming for themselves
on their own place. Times went
had to wait too long in the spring.
Sometimes he replanted corn when
he had to stick the grains in the mud
under water. But the. COW had
calves and calves grew and did their
duty also, and the pigs fattened and
little by little they paid for the place
and managed to keep clothes on the
but they banked up the house with
straw and somehow they made it.
Then came little squirt of good
times" then a little legacy from
Old Bill Smiths estate, and things
were easier after that. So on it
went, getting better and better until
he became Uncle. Jim and she Aunt
countryside. The oldest girl, mar
ried young storekeeper and the
a ai4eS' Willie uncl eo jim bought some
bank stock in the First National and
his youngest boy worked in the
bank A mighty contented pair OF
elderly folk were Uncle Jim and
ern, ought to be, it cost $4,000 to
build, the barns and granaries and
double corn cribs were big and red
with mineral paint. Uncle Jim
listened to the boys in town and
bought an automobile, learned to
drive it, and was snugly content
ed man.
Then it happened. The son of one
of those Illinois farmers who, forty
Iowa land would never amount to
much, came seeking Uncle Jim's
farm. 1t was corking good farm
we'll improved, and had been kept
up, covered MANFRED and rotated
the crops. He simply raised Old
Uncle Jim out and scared him by the
price he offered. Jim didn't actual
sist the profit between s14.5o an
acre and $500. Then, too. the boys
said it was big price and he ought
to cash it in. SO old Uncle Jim and
Aunt SADIE, swept off their feet by
the tidal wave of big money, signed
the papers and got out the draft.
Now there is a big tree in the
pasture of the back forty that Jim
he eu came me to the farm arm It is big and
tall and settled in its spot. Nobody
ever thought Of transDlanting that
big tree to a lawn in town or to a
side street in the village. They
knew it couldn't be done. It's roots
ran for rods in every direction and
it would wither and die if they were
torn from the soil that nourished it
and that it loved.
That is what happened to Uncle
Jim and Aunt SADIE. They have been
transplanted and they are whitening:
Uncle Jim walks down town and
wanders around. Everybody. is
busy except him. He goes home to
the lunch that used to.be dinner on
the farm, eats too much, and won
ders why he feels so mean and
meachin. Aunt SADIE goes to
church three times on Sunday visits
little with the neighbors and
spends a good deal of time with
''the girlsl'' Picture shows? Oh
yes, but they get blamed sick OF
picture shows. They are both
Of nothing: Ii Like as not pretty soon
they'll haul Old Jim out to the hos
pital and cut something with big
name out of his insides, and maybe
he'll come back from the hospital
and maybe he won't He doesn't
care much either way. He's wither-
ing. He's been transplanted He's
broken home ties. He never had
but one real home, and never will
unless heaven has attractions that