Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-09-02
Tells of Interesting Things About
His Native Town in the Empire
State
FATHER SETTLED THERE
OVER HUNDRED YEARS AGO
Land Values Not SO Great as In
Wisconsin on Account of Boys
Leaving the Farms

Judge James O'Neill OF Neillsville,
who has been presiding over circuit
court in Baraboo for several years,
writes to the Neillsville Republican
and Press from Lisbon, New York, on
tho st. Lawrence under date of Au-
gust II, as follows:
When the Ten thousand Greeks were
retreating, as they reached the Helles-
pont, it is recorded that they shouted
20, Thalassa" 80, Thalassa" "The
sea "The seal" On my trip as /
came to point where / could catch a
glimpse of the great river, on the
banks of which | was born, / felt
like crying out "The st. Lawrence
The st. Lawrence is the most ma.
jestic river in the world, for the clar-
ity of it's waters and the beauty Of the
scenery, it is unsurpassed.
/ am again at my boyhood home.
What precious memories flood the
brain when one visits the spots where
he spent his childhood
My grandfather was the first settler
of this town in 1898. So the farm Of
$50 acres on the st. Lawrence has
been in the family over a century. My
brother and sister still live here. The
county Of st. Lawrence is the largest
and the leading dairy county in the
stSte. IL have a statement from the
secretary Of the Farm Bureau at Can
ton that there are 10000 cows In
the county and 100000 dairy cattle.
There are $4,000 COWS in Clark county
Wis. SO it will be seen st. Lawrence
has over twice as many COWS as my
home county. 1t may be interesting to
farmers to know what is being paid
for milk here. The milk goes to
cheese factories, creamerieS condem-
series and a large quantity is shipped
direct to New York city. / am told
prices are from 64c to 72c for butter
fat. Mr. E. S. Bird manager of the ST
Lawrence Farm Bureau at Canton
gives me the following figures for
milk shipped direct to New York, for
distances 260 to 270 miles from the
city. The prices set for per cent
milk per 100 lbs. are July 1921, Aug.
1881, Sept $3.61 There is added for
every point over per cent 4 cents. So
Aug milk testing per cent brings
$3.71
The crops generally are excellent
this year. Grain is very good, corn
is spotted caused by excessive rains
in the early part OF the season. On
fo1 ic ~ ~ -
8 feet high from Golden Glow seed
which | sent from NeilIsville year
ago. It is like the great crop now
growing on Frank Hewett's farm. But
much OF the corn will be only q
moderate crop. The hay crop is un-
usually large Land values are less
! than in Wisconsin. The value Of the
average farm is from $75 to 500 per
acre. Some farms would bring $125
but the average is less. But there is
every evidence of great prosperity.
attribute the moderate land values to
the fact Of the low birth rate in this
| old settled state and the flocking OF
the boys to the cities. Farm help is
scarce Wages are from SO to 81 a.
day in haying and harvesting.
The state highways are the best to
be found. The travelled tracks are
t18 feet wide and are principally made
of crushed stone and finished with q
mixture of asphalt and tar. The Roose-
welt highway from Portland, Maine to
Portland Oregon crosses this town
and follows the st. Lawrence for .
hundred miles. The president of the
New York Roosevelt Highway Associa
tion, Edgar Newell, was a student in
my school when I was Principal OF
the Ogdensburg High school.
A warm political campaign is OH
in New York as in Wisconsin. Instead
of the Chicago Tribune and Herald.
we read the New York Tribune and
Times.
JAMES O'NEILL