Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-12

Mcorcsor, Jan. 13-"Three score
years and ten and n by reason OF
strength II shall DO four score years"
A gnaried apple tree near Monona,
Iowa shivers its stiff, ioe-bound limbs
In the January storms and pondsrs
the familiar old text as It enters upon
the seventy first winter Of IT. content.
What 4 fine sermon tnA veusra0ls
tYse could preach 70 those Sh0usAnds
Of 1oWans who have nigy1tsd from
the homo farms 70 raise apples In
OREGON, Washington and Colorado.
But lst ne sermon walt for another
tina. This II rust The story OF the
most ancient apple tyee In Iowa, 1t
Is q fcrty-nlner. grew its first leaves
ana sent out rs first shoots tho sum-
mer all the world staupeded across
Iowa 10 California to dig gold. The
trse II q survival Of the 1fttsst OF
the apple orchard famous IN Iowa hor-
ticuitural lore, which Page p. oimstsd
had tho herdihood to plant In 1915 at
Poverty Point"
Four Generations Old.
-Four generations OF Ofmsteds have
lived on tho homestead, have sat In
the shade Of the old trec. inhaled the
fragrance Of It's bloom. eaten Of its
fruit, and watched It's bare boughs toss
In winters storms. To the north a
great windbrcak Of tall. wide branching
pines, almost as old a. the apple tree.
have broken the force Of these winds
and Sivsn the protection that perhaps
has had much to do with its long life.
But now "The Pines" has passed out
Of the hands Of the Olmsteds and the
apple tree has 4 new owner Mrs. Clara
Olmsted Curtis, tho last Of tho family
to live on tho homestead. has sold the
place. In her memory linger pictures
of tho days when tho Indians used to
beg apples from her as curiosity and
q rare treat
Apples from the old tree were exhfb-
tied at the st. Louis Exposition and
carried off prize. showing that tho
forty-niner has served we'll no less
than long.
First Experimental Farm.
| When, eighty years ago. Page Ohm
sted and his brother David. with a tent
blankets and guns, tramped north
eastern Iowa looking up a location. they
had real surprise when they found
| on tho great, uninhabited prairie nice
| well-fenoed, well-tiled farm Of a couple
Of hundred acres which Uncle Sam was
farming. It was Iowa's hrst expert
mental farm. and the farm experts In
charge wsrs engaged in the thanklsss
task Of trying 70 teach the lordly Win
J nebaxo Indians the peaceful arts OF
| agriculture WnirlinS Thunder, chief
| Of the tribe living on the Farm, did not
as you might slcxs from his name, TAX.
kindly to following the pillow. snor dc
the rest Of his braves. Yet they
greeted the Olmsteds without hostility
when they decided to drive their home
stake nearby, and they watched with
curiosity THAR white brothers engage
IN farming. At ths time there was not
q white person north OF the Olmstsds
in IOWA, except the traoers at the fur
posts.
David Olmstsd rose 70 prominence
serving as a member Of the Iowa con-
stitutional convention in 1914, a lieu
tenant in tho Mexican war. and had
charge Of tho Winnebagoes when. re-
bellious. they were removed from Iowa
to Minnesota. In Minnesota he be-
came wealthy and influential and was
elected president Of the council Of the
first Minnesota legislature.
Brother Kept tho Farm.
Page Olmsted liked farming and
| while his brother sought and gained