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Elgin Echo
Elgin,
Iowa
December 19,
1929
Front Page
Farm Bureau Activities; P. V.
Quartette Wins
Record Crowd at Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting
By actual count 325 people chanced icy roads,
slippery hills and dangerous walks to attend the twelfth annual
meeting of the Fayette county Farm Bureau at the American Legion
Hall in Fayette, Monday, the 16th. This was the record
meeting for all time, approximately 200 of those present being there
for the picnic dinner at noon, which was under the direction of the
Farm Bureau ladies of Westfield township.
G. E. Sauerbry of Jefferson township, was
re-elected president, as were all the other officers, namely, P. O.
Stewart, Harlan township, vice-president W. L. Peters, Illyria
township, secretary, H. R. Young, Fairfield, treasurer, Mrs. W. H.
Turner, Westfield, county Chairman Home Project work, Mrs. Will
King, Fairfield, County secretary and publicity chairman home
project work, Mrs. John G. King, Jefferson, county Girls’ Club
Leader. County Girls’ Club committee, Mrs. Ray Rowland, Mrs. W. C.
Hoeger, Mrs. Edwin Benz.
The male quartette contest far exceeded the
expectation of everyone. There were six entries, each singing three
numbers. Judges were Miss Clara Hoyt, Fayette, instructor in voice
U.I.U., L.G. Meyer, West Union county Superintendent of schools, and
G. B. Farrell, Oelwein, superintendent of public schools. First
place in the contest was awarded to the quartette from Pleasant
Valley township composed of John Larson, first tenor, Russell
Larson, second tenor, Clarence Johnson, first bass, Clifford
Kittleson, second bass, accompanist Gladys Larson. The other entries
were: Banks, Hillis Noon, Alfred Leyh, L. A. Burrow, Matt Leyh,
accompanist Mrs. Jason Noon; Pleasant Valley, Clarence Kohls, Karl
Miller, George Durscher, Edwin Bauman, accompanist Hans Keiser;
Illyria, W. L. Peters, Reynold Strong, Otis Rothlisberger, Fred
Rothlisberger, accompanist, Harold [fold, black]. . .Reuben Blake,
Ben Meyer, Joe Miller, accompanist, Mrs. John King; Banks, W. A.
Notbohm, Fred Messerer, Pete Messerer, R. O. Dietel, accompanist
Mrs. Fred Messerer.
The winning quartette will represent Fayette
county in the statewide rural quartette contest to be conducted
during the annual meeting of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation meeting
January 14, 15, and 16.
Earl Elijah of Clarence, Iowa, speaker of the
day, emphasized the need for a sympathetic attitude toward the
Federal Farm Bureau and urged the support through membership of
general farm, organization and cooperation. He stressed the need for
revision in our taxing laws, stating that the laws now governing the
collection of taxes in the state are past 70 years of age and are
wholly unfair to the property owner. Forty per cent of the
population of Iowa are farmers according to Mr. Elijah and they pay
seventy per cent of the taxes on thirteen to eighteen per cent of
the state income. Of the $103,000,000.00 total tax levy in the
state, $100,000,000.00 is collected on real estate while the other
$3,000,000.00 is collected on money and credits while the total
value of each is approximately the same and this in Mr. Elijah’s
opinion is an unfair burden on the Iowa property owners and
emphasize the antiquated taxing system being used in the state.
The meeting closed with all the quartettes
forming a chorus and singing, “The Blind Ploughman,” and with a
special request number by the winning quartette from Pleasant
Valley.
Lyrics via
http://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=51560
Set my hands upon the plough, my feet upon
the sod:
Turn my face towards the east, and praise be
to God!
Ev'ry year the rains do fall, the seeds they
stir and spring;
Ev'ry year the spreading trees shelter birds
that sing.
From the shelter of your heart, brother drive
out sin.
Let the little birds of faith come and nest
therein
God has made His sun to shine on both you and
me;
God, who took away my eyes, that my soul
might see.
Nelson Eddy version: Much less dramatic than
the original cover by the Russian he mentions, also on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EEuhJBUoeI
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