AGE's Cyclist: He Spends a Day in Spring Valley 

(SOURCE, Clinton Morning Age, Sept. 7, 1895)

Township-Something About Gardens-Norman Horses-That Bull Dog. 

            Going out Main street and turning to the right after leaving Whiskey hollow, and A. J. AIKMAN was found in his garden.  He has 6 acres, all in fruit and vegetables.  On the top of the hill is the Aikman school house,  In which school has again commenced.  Off in the field on the left, the home of CLAUS GREVE was spied, and on talking with him he said he had 153 acres. His corn is good, as were also the oats. His stock is composed of a number of cows, hogs, etc..

            A half mile farther on and 176 acres, belonging to JOHN SHOEGT, was discovered.  He has a large number of hogs and a few cows.  He said his oats turned out well and his corn promised to do likewise.

            HANS, CLAUSEN was next visited. He has 40 acres, 8 of which are in corn, which is very good; and 5 were in oats, which went 40 bushels to the acre,

            Reaching the corner and turning to the right, as there was no other way to go, unless the backward track, a very steep hill was descended.  Another steep hill was climbed, and turning to the right, the home of Christ Weedman was reached.  He has 7 acres of nice corn and 18 acres in pasture, in which he has a few cows.

            At the top of the hill JOHN H. MEYER was found on 40 acres.  He says his corn is splendid, but his oats were only fair.  Thirty-five hogs and four cows take care of the pasture.

            Taking the back track and turning to the right, on a road leading west, and PETER LARSEN, is engaged in conversation.  He has 40 acres in corn, oats and pasture.  His oats were fair and his corn is good. He has a nice orchard, or rather had, until the storm in the spring destroyed the best of his trees.

            Taking the back tack the AGE’s wheelman at last found himself on the road running east and west (piece torn out of page next few sentences)---one he first struck.  Turning---------- left and going to the bottom of ----------- he found JOHN HANSEN.  John -------??50 acres. He said he had bad luck with his hogs and has only a few now. He got 580 bushels of oats from 15 acres, and his corn is very good.

            The wheelman next called on OTTO KROUS, who has 275 acres.  His oats went 38 bushels to the acre and his corn will probably go 50. He has a few cows and hogs and 9 horses.

            The cemetery is now reached and going up the north road, PETER FLEMMING was visited. He has 20 acres in fruit and vegetables.  On the hill are about 30 rows of rock, which are piled up and which remind one of the seats in a circus. It was found that they were called terraces, between which many grape vines have been planted.

            Leaving here the home of JACOB BAER, St., was soon reached.  Mr. Baer runs a milk wagon and has 32 cows from which he supplies his customers, Monday he returned from New Mexico, where he has been for the past two weeks, on business.

            Fifty-five acres of AUGUST HANSEN’S next attracted attention.  From August it was learned that his corn was pretty fair.  His oats went 25 bushels to the acre.  He has 26 hogs and a few geese and chickens.

            The Highton school was soon sighted and the place across the way was found to be the home HENRY TREMKAMP.  Mr. Tremkamp  has 190 acres.  Twenty-four head of cattle and 88 hogs comprise his stock. With several others he left Thursday, for Texas to look at farm lands there with the intention of moving there later.

Taking the road to the left, up by the school house, HENRY DIECKMAN on 90 acres and FRED WENGEL on 140 acres, were found.  They report their crops as being good.  Both have a number of hogs and a few head of cattle.

            Coming back by the school house and continuing up the main road, OTTO RIXON was interviewed.  He has 145 acres.  He was just threshing his oats.  And equal number of acres of corn he reports good,  His hay was nothing brag of.           

            ALVA RIXEN, his brother, runs 145 acres just southeast.  He says hi scorn is excellent and that his oats went 50 bushels to the acre.  This is unusually good.

            Just across the road from Otto, but in Hampshire township, is the 140 acres of GEORGE COOK.  He has 160 hogs and many chickens.  From 20 acres he got 1000 bushels of oats. His corn is good.

            A little farther along and THOS. McGRATH’s 240 acre farm, 120 in Hampshire township is reached.  Tom has two Norman horses, which he just bought and paid $250 for.  He says his small grain is fair and his corn is good.

            Farther along in Elk River township, the 400 acre farm of ADAM MEYERS is reached.  He says his corn is good and oats were fair.  In the barn yard were 100 hogs and in the pasture 30 head of cattle.

            Going back to the four corners and then down east, and MATTHEW CRAFT’s 250 acres are at hand.  Twenty acres of oats yielded him 400 bushels.  He has in 40 acres of corn.  Forty-five hogs and 28 cows are also found on his place, 

Leaving here and going down the road, Bulger’s hollow is passed through and the railroad track is reached.  Having secured a tie pass before starting, the AGE’S wheelman mad track for Clinton.

            On account of the rain the AGE’S wheelman did not start out Wednesday morning, but after dinner he left, going out Main street to the Two Mile house, and then north.  The first home called at was SAM CREVALING’S.  One hundred and sixty acres is the extent of Sam’s farm.  He has 80 hogs and 30 head of cattle; also a large flock of sheep, among which were four black ones.  His oats did well and his corn promises to do better.  A little farther along and the wheelman stops for a drink at the Dierk’s school house. A little girl, coming to the well for a drink, said LILLIE LUCKLAND of Lyons, was the teacher.  Just north of the cemetery is a lane which leads to the home of JOHN RUDDY.  He has 107 acres.  His oats were pretty fair.  His rye went 18 bushels to the acre and he has 25 acres of corn.  Forty-five hogs and 26 head of cattle constitute his stock.  When the wheelman was taking his departure, the bull dog, evidently thinking he was taking something else, (that is it bull dogs are capable of thinking), took hold of him just above the shoe top, which rather hastened than retarded his progress in leaving the premises.

            The next to be greeted was FRED LAMPA.  He has 160 acres, most of which is in corn, oats and pasture land.  A few hogs run over the latter.

 “Fur sta nix” was the greeting at the next place and a retreat was in order.

Across the road from the Four Mile house is the home of FRITZ BRENDENBURG.  Mrs. Brendenburg, the only one home at the time, understood only a few words in English.  With the English and German well mixed, and a little sign language, it was found that the farm contained 80 acres, 22 being in corn, 12 in oats and the rest in pasture.

            The next man to be visited was JOHN H. LINDMEIER, who has 286 acres.  He has 50 of it in corn.  His 35 acres of oats yielded him 1750 bushels.  He has 100 hogs.

            The 300 acre farm of HENRY MANEMANN  was the next  stopped at.  He had 200 hogs and 25 head of cattle.  One hundred acres of fine corn greeted the eye and the 24 acres of oats were out of sight.

            HAMMON HORN was the next man to be interviewed.  He has 100 chickens, 90 hogs and 20 head of cattle.  His farm consists of 280 acres, 65 of which are in corn.  His oats went 25 bushels to the acre and his wheat 15.

            The old government road being next reached, the track for home was then taken.