Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-08-03
MACHINERY HELPS
FARM PROBLEMS
LABOR SHORTAGE BEING OVER
COME BY IMPROVED ME-
cHANIcAL METHODS
COOPERATION IN TIME
OF HARVEST GENERAL
Few Dronss Among Farmers or
Those Who Have Retired From
Farms-EIsvators Find it Difficult
to Keep Up With Demands for
Faster Methods Of Handling Grain.
IBy G. y. Wilson,

FAot0r MoShooo OF Handling Grain.
LBy G. T.. Wilson, q
Gladhrook. Aug. 3.--A postmaster
complained the other day because
occasionally he found it necessary to
go out on the street and remind his
rural mall carriers that it was time
to start on, the three hour trip with
the farmorS' mail. Nobody seemed
to want 2 job or to be particular
about keeping one after he got II.
He could appreciate the situation in
cases where concerns OF any kind
were not always able to give the
quality Of service expected OF them.
Hearing these complaints, which arc
being made constantly and every
where, we are apt to find ourselves
specializing on the possibility OF
keeping things going even as they
are on the farms, In the shops and
other places OF business and en-
deavor.
A Tama county farmer took a.
tractor. two binders and four men
into = twenty-acre fold OF oats and
at 10 o'clock In the forenoon started
to harvest his crop. BY s in the after
noon tho job Was done. They broke
q reel, entertained q visitor or two,
losing nearly two hours. but finished
in the time noted. Another farmer
a rro - CO. w,l<h h{a v>l0hhor -, r~v,oo
for q day with the 1atters machine,
went to the nearby town and per-
suaded a retired farmer to go with
him and drive the formers binder
and another field was harvested be-
tween morning and night. That
evening. the retired farmer sat on his
porch and told how he would like to
take life q little easier buty that
somebody was after him ovefy day
and he kept going. He remarked on
the difference now and q few years
ago when retired farmers were
criticized for taking Jobs that some
needy laboring man ought to have.
It was the two eight foot binders
and the retired farmer that made
this second farmers harvest pos
sible In the short time used In the
work.
At the town Of Conrad an ele-
vator man found that = large per-
centage Of his farmer patrons were
bringing their grain to him In
trucks. This was a saving OF time
and labor to the farmer but not to
the grain dealer for the big truck
load could not be dumped with the
old style Of elevator equipment and
must be shoveled In the old FASH
toned way. Then came another Inn
provement to save hand labor. A
new dump apparatus was installed.
the whole thing large enough for
trucks and broken" portion for
wagons. and now grain IL dumped
In that elevator much faster than
formerly and with less man labor
than ever.
The Farmers Elevator Company OF
Gladbrook. II spending good many
thousand dollars in the construction
Of another form Of labor savtnS
vator and chute. When 1T II finished
Manager b. Z. Ray win have some
thing to work with that win excite
the envy Of his fellows the country
over. This structure IL $50 feet in
length and has q capacity Of $50
tons of coal. Three cars Of fuel q
day easily can be unloaded into the
pit at the side of the sidetrack on
which the loaded cars are run and
from there elevated by q big shovel
into the bins above and from these
passed thru chutes into wagons as
they come for loading. and all this
with q very small amount OF man
labor. It is claimed for this method
of handling coal. also. that the waste
incidental to loading 10 reduced to
almost nothing. The chutes are
equipped with screens 20 that no
extra labor for screening is required.
A Ave- horsepower motor furnishes
the necessary power for the elevat-
Ing process ana the shovel has y
capacity of ono ton. It trips when
the bottom comes in contact with
the contents Of the bin.
The Gladbrook company Is also
building . new modern grain ele-
yator that when finished will be one
Of the finest plants of the kind in the
state. 1t will be almost entirely Of
steel and concrete, will be eishty six
feet in total height and Will have
net capacity of 25,4o0 bushels.
The above and other examples
which may be noticed everywhere
are the evident answer to the prob
lem OF labor shortage. Mechanical
ingenuity il constantly at work de-
vising q substitute for the man
power that in these days 10 so diff
cult to ind.
A young man and q companion
were engaged In conversation. No."
said the first, I'm not going to loaf
next winter. I'm going to Rockford,
III, where / can get an inside sob at
$50 @ week. I have IN aunt there
who will room and board me at
cost" And then he added, That's
pretty good winter wages but at that
won't have ANYTHING left when
spring comes" He was the son Of
an immigrant from northern Europe.
the kind that saves his money and
demonstrates American possibilities,
but this was Of the second gen.
Grafton.
One Of the finest rural dwellings In
Hardin county is being built on