Near Low Moor and Camanche

The AGE Cyclist Calls on Many People

(SOURCE: Clinton Morning Age, Aug 24, 1895)

In This Section Corn is a Fair Crop, Oats Light, and Chickens Plenty -- Poor Roads

GOOD ROADS.

There is no disputing the fact that roads leading into Clinton need improving.  Where the AGE's representatives have been the past few days, in the systematic riding through the country, are many fine farms and rich farmers.  The population consists, within ten miles of Clinton going west and between Low Moor and Folletts, of at least one hundred and fifty farmers who do the greater part of their trading in Clinton.  The families average at least five persons, including hired help, probably seven, maybe ten.  The usual means of coming to town is by wagon.  If they come on the Camanche road they find sand, sand, sand.  A team cannot trot through it with the lightest vehicle.  To walk through it a team cannot make more than three miles an hour, and a ton would be a big load for a large team.  From Mill creek bridge up by the Northwestern right of way to the stock yards, and into the city that way you get over a mile of it continuously.  Up the Eleventh avenue road it is no better.  Beyond Mill creek bridge you get it on both the Camanche and Low Moor roads, and the road leading past the Dunn farms is the same thing over again.

What is left then for farmers to do, who wish to come to Clinton.  They must drive in a round-about way and come over the Hart's mill road hills, and in the city over Bluff Road.  Is this any better, well, but little.  From the end of the paving at Fourteenth street to Mill creek bridge you have the same road bed.

On these roads over a third, perhaps a half of Clinton's trade with Iowa farmers comes, and has been coming for years.  The farmers want some encouragement.  One large farmer living seven miles out said some months ago he would be only too glad to give the labor of man and team several days to improve the roads, if some concerted action was made, and some systematic and advisable work was done.

What is needed is a hard road bed, gravel or macadam, bedding in clay, or something equally good.

CAMANCHE -- LOW MOOR.

Going out the middle road from Camanche you will find W. G. HARMON on the left, on his 140 acre farm.  He says his corn is good and thinks his oats will average about 30 bushels to the acre.  He expects to thress them the latter part of the week.

C. E. ROSCOE's 200 acre farm adjoins this.  He says his corn and oats will be pretty fair.  He has 10 cows, 5 horses, and about 150 chickens.

Now a road running south is reached and John WILLETS' 160 acres come into sight.  He thinks his corn will come up to the average.  His oats yielded him 20 bushels to the acre.  He has 10 cows, 10 horses, and a good many hogs, the latter doing well.

A little further down on the left hand side will be found Carl FRAHM's 80 acres.  He says his corn will be pretty fair and from 8 acres his oats averaged 42 bushels.  He put up a new house last fall and is now having the tinner put the valley, etc., on it.

Coming back to the road running east and west you will find M. P. NISSEN, who came from Clinton about a year and a half ago.  He has 120 acres and thinks his corn will yield pretty fair.  His oats did not do very well.

Now Ernest WELLER's farm of 80 acres comes in view.  His corn is good as is also his potatoes.

At the corner is found George WALL's farm of 80 acres.  His corn is not extra good.  His oats averaged but 16 bushels to the acre.  In this crop he seems to have been unfortunate for no one yet visited has had so light a yield.

On the cross road is to be found the 160 acre farm of A. J. VOSS.  He says the prospect is good for corn, if we have rain. (He got it.)  His oats were poor and he had no hay at all.  He has 20 cows, 7 horses, 70 hogs and a few chickens and is prospering nicely.

R. P. SMITH is also found on this cross road.  He says the prospects are that his corn will be very good.  His oats did not do very well.  He has a flock of 200 fine chickens and a number of young hogs.

Now J. SLAUGHTER's 40 acres appear in sight.  He says his corn is good.  His oats did not amount to much.  He thinks a good rain would help things considerable. (He got it.)

In this section of the country there is considerable sand, which makes wet seasons preferable.

H. B. HOLMES is found next.  He says his corn did not do very well.  His oats averaged 23 bushels to the acre.  He has four cows, 10 horses and 100 hogs.  Mr. Holmes just sold $25 worth of chickens and has a good many left.  He is batching now as his wife went back to New York state to visit relatives five weeks ago and was quarantiened on accunt of getting in the diptheria district.

Next to Mr. Holme's place is found H. A. HANSEN, who cultivates 80 acres.  His corn is not very good.  He has 7 cows, 33 hogs, 150 chickens and 4 horses, which are doing well.

Jens PASSIG is next found on his 120 acres.  His corn is good.  His oats averaged 18 bushels to the acre.  he has 21 cows and 7 horses.

Henry SIMMONS' 160 acres is next reached.  He says his corn is the best he ever had.  His oats averaged 25 bushels to the acre.  He has 7 cows, 5 horses, 9 hogs and 145 chickens.  He lost a good many hogs with cholera.  He trades with Burken Bros. grocers.

The cross road leading into Low Moor is now reached.  On this road is found Jeppe FREDRICKSEN on 80 acres.  His corn crop is pretty fair but he had few oats.  He has 60 turkeys and 100 chickens.

G. P. Van EPPS lives on a 100 acre farm.  He says his corn crop is good but he got about one-half a crop of oats.  He has 40 hogs; also 5 horses.  Mrs. Van Epps was putting up fruit which reminds the people of the coming winter, and its happy hours.

Next is found Robert LEE on his 80 acres.  His corn will average about 35 bushels to the acre.  His oats were very poor.  He has 8 cows, 8 horses and 60 chickens.  The cholera took off many of his hogs, so he is short in that money making line.

Ferdinand SALLE cultivates the next 160.  His corn crop is pretty fair.  His other crops and his stock will average with his neighbors.

John PATRY is a short distance farther on and cultivates 200 acres.  His corn is not very good.  His oats averaged 25 bushels to the acre.  He has 10 cows, 10 horses and a great deal of poultry, which will find a ready market this year.

On the cross road is found Henry BARKER on 160 acres.  His corn is pretty fair.  He has 10 cows, 17 harses, 30 hogs and 120 chickens.  He is a regular customer of Diercks & Hinricks, the grocers in Frahm's old stand.

Coming back the next road north you will find the Stone school house.  This side of it is found August KELLERMAN, who is employed on the stock farm of Harry BLAKELEY.  Harry is just this side of Mr. Kellerman and has 200 cattle and 400 hogs.

Thomas HILL makes his home on the next 240.  He says his corn and oats are not very good.  Hay is short, but other products are up to average.

J. H. BOWER, on his 60 acre farm, is next.  His corn looks very nice.  His oats turned out pretty fair.  He has 5 cows, 6 horses, 30 hogs and 100 chickens.

Just west of Low Moor is found H. BOWER, Jr., who works 160 acres.  His corn is good.  His oats averaged about 25 bushels to the acre.  He has 30 cows, 10 horses and 100 hogs.

A short country trip from Mill Creek bridge to Camanche is frequently taken by Clinton people out driving, and yet many do not know anything of the farms they pass.  The first farm to the right is the great farm of C. C. FENLON, occupied by Mr. BOYNTON as a dairy farm.  Here also Mr. Fenlon maintains the equine asylum, where several old horses are turned out to spend the remainder of their lives.

Just beyond is found Louis WESTFALL, who works the 290 acre farm of M. J. STRAND.  He says that his crops are good with the exception of hay.  He has one potato that weighs one-and-one-half pounds.  It is a wonder for this country.

Nex is the HUNTOON farm of 160 acres, worked by Wm. G. HARING.  He says his oats did not do very well.  Fred LEITZ's daughter is visiting here.  The young lady hurt her hand very badly in trying to assist a beginner on a two-wheeled horse, but the wound is improving very rapidly.

 Across the N-W track is the little brown school house in which Miss DICKINSON taught last term.  That her efforts are appreciated is shown by the fact that she will teach there next term.

John VORN's 200 acre farm is now reached.  He says his corn crop will be good and that his oats turned out pretty fair.  His rye averaged 10 bushels to the acre.  His hay did not amount to much.  He has 90 hogs.

On the edge of Camanche is Thos. VOORHEES.  He says his corn is splendid and his potatoes are very large.  He has 19 hives of bees which are doing nicely, and seem to be storing plenty of fine honey.