Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-05-01
MADE GREAT ~ RICH SUR
Ro0kplNos AND ITS HIGH
GLASS;. INHABITANTS.
AL coNvGNIGNcEs
OF LARGER CITIES
schools. Homes, Library Community
Center and Irtsl|iss"es erab's'
People 10 Enjoy Their Prosperity
70 the Fullsst-Thrss Banks With
Combined Resource, Of st,soo,coo.
rBy a staff Correspondent


Traer. May 1.-Two OF the biggest
little towns in Iowa have their sites
on the prairies Of Tama county. These
towns are Traer and Garwin, with
one OF the most productive reaches
Of soil 10 be found anywhere lying
between. Trasr has popd.a ton Of
approximately 1900. Both business
and residential sections give to the
visitor ths impression Of town Of
double that size. Yet one does not
have to seek far for the reason. 1t
il the trading and business and social
center OF one Of tho most. prosperous
rural communities TO be found any
where, on earth.
Tile first and foremost reason for
.Trotr's position Is, of course. the
people themselves. They have made
possible the erection Of one Of the
best consolidated schools In Iowa.
They support q public library. They
maintain = commodlous and credit
able opera house which is used as a
community center ON occasion. There
is little Of the country town appear
ance Within or without the fine and
modern homes. Traer Is touched by
two railroad lines, and the grain
shipping business justifies the main
/. tenance OF three eleyators. Women's
clubs are sufficient in number to
maintain city federation. Intelli-
gence and contentment predominant.
go
Three banks find q profitable field
here and are added evidence of the
wealth or the tributary rural terri
tory. These banks have combined re-
sources OF $780, 900, Traer also has
"Tama Jim" Wilson, who broke the
record for length OF service as cab
met membe q few years ago. The
former secretary OF agriculture IS
passing HIS declining years quietly on
his farm near town and some of his
neighbors boast that they have bet
ter farms than this venerable agricul-
t1ral expert.
One Of the novelties OF Traer is a
fraternal hotldinS. A three-story
brick block n the heart Of the bust
|. ness section u owned Jointly by "a
urug company. the Odd Fellows and
he Masons. The drug company owns
ne first floor. the Odd Fellows the
cond. and the Masonic fraternity
e third. Asked II the three inter-
IL found Joint ownership congenial.
citizen laconically replied. Some
hes.
No reference to Traer would be
complete without few words re-
ardinG Elmer e. Taylor. He Is tho
dttor. owner and chief mogul Of the
;taT- Cl:pper, one OF the best small
avn weekly newspapers in the state
~ The middle west. The Star-Clip-
per has circulation Of 5000 copies.
which IL going some for paper in a
town OF 400 population. These are
paid in advance subscribers, one and
all. Mr.. Taylor says his circulation
was 1t one time In excess of this
! number, but he decided that the cost
Of print paper did not justify him in
carrying 4 subscriber who would not
or did mot care to pay In advance.
Taylor has prospered and Is investing
his surplus in farm lands and PC
casiona1 Jaunts to California.
,zs555sz7=s55
Another publishing house unusual
for . small town has It's home here.
This II the Farm Journal, which has
worked mp q strong business az the
medium thru which buyers and SELL
ers of farms in this and adjoining
states communicate.
At Belle PLANE your correspondent
met J. Frank Miller. long time engi-
neer on the old Iowa Central and It's
successor. the NJ. & st. L., and a
former member Of the city council Of
/ Marsha1ltown. During his thirty
yexrs Of service on the railroad Mr..
Miner gained a wide acquaintance
up and down the line, and his friends
will be interested to know that he is
At the head Of . prosperous business
!: In Belle Plaine. He owns and con-
duets : clothing store, has associated
Nth him one Of his sons. and has ac-
cumulAtsA : competency. He held q
]: reaekabie record AZ an engine
driver. Daring al thsJyears Of his SER
.vico No Vas never censured by the
manae omsnt. never met with . per-
1,nal accident and never injured or
filled another person. with this rec
1lrd az thirty years behind him he
thpught q tins % quit tbs railroad