Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-07-29
CROPS BEING HARVESTED ON
TIME DESPITE SHORTAGE OF
"HlREp MEN,"
HAS WAGONS MAKING ~ -.
TOWN MEN PROSPEROUS
Many Small Towns Almost Deserted
During Day Because Able Bodied
Mon Have Gone To Harvest Fields
BY Auto Route--Future Harvest
Hand to Be Town D,~eller.
Special to Times-Republican

Special TO Times Republican.
Lscomb, July 2s,-If the farmer Of
ten years ago had been asked to out
line a method for harvesting a big
crop of grain and hay and threshing
the former with the farm labor situa-
ton as II is this year, he would have
answered in most cases that the thing
could not possibly be done, or perhaps
he would have said that only by the
use of labor saving machinery at that
time unknown could the work be ac-
complished; but haying, harvesting
and threshing are all done in much the
same way as they were a decade ago
and so far as this part OF the country
is concerned these farm Jobs are being
finished in their seasons and without
noticeable distress for the farmer or
waste of his crop. \ business visit to
small town. one that takes the visitor
TO Mr.. Average town dweler's home,
explains how the thing is accomplish
ed. Some of the business men, most Of
the women and children, the old peo-
pie these are TO be found thru the day
in the towns. The remainder which
forms a considerable proportion Of the
whole, are scattered thru the surround
ing country helping the farmer and re-
ceiviug as good or better wages than
would be the case in town or any kind
Of town job. In one small town
hardware dealer was out on farm at
work, practically every day laborer
was gone, several feminine family
heads were out cooking for thresh-
ers," and so it went. If the farmer
questioned ten years ago had been in
formed that at the present time a large
percentage Of the present day town la
boringmen would be owners of motor
cars and could easily trayel up TO ten
miles from home and yet run in"
nights the matter OF answering the
question would not have been helpec
any for hadn't his banker and hun
dreds of other good authorities told
him that such Il condition would bank
rupt the state? The steady working
farm hand of other days is gone, no
body seems able to say where all the
returned soldier labor has betaken it
self, man power is still necessary to
get in the crops, as in past years, yet
1t is done. The present tendency if it
continues win soon place the great
source of farm help supply in the
smaller country towns, owners of
homes and automobiles as independent
and thrifty as the common run of man
kind.
There is a growing feeling among
the people we meet and talk with that
some surprising effects of the prevail
Ing land dealing transactions may be
expected next spring. a northern Iowa
banker declared the other day that in
his community nothing except a fur
Their sale before March l next would
prevent at least a dozen land buyers
of his acquaintance from losing what
they had put into the farms they had
agreed to buy. In one locality an auc-
tioneer is said to have made already
sixteen farm sale dates. something
very unusual for this time of year.
Evidently the dealer in real estate is
not the only kind of man that is meet
ing with unusual prosperity these days.
1t is told that a little more than two
years ago young man went into bust
ness in small town in central Iowa
with the insignificant capital of So,
that he could call his own. A friend
furnished the financial backing, how
ever, and the other day the young fell
low sold out to a farmers concern that