Iowa
Old Press
The Independent
Forest City, Winnebago co. Iowa
April 2 1896
NONE FOR SALE FOR LESS THAN $20 PER ACRE.
Prospects for Immigration Not Considered Very Flattering Owing to
the scarcity of Cheap Lends - Never a Total Crop Failure - Some
Census Figures.
Des Moines correspondence:
While the population of Iowa increased 364,029 in the ten years
between 1885 and 1896, statisticians doubt very much if half of
the increase represents immigrants. They doubt also whether the
State lost any of its population during the decade by reason of
the people emigrating from it. It is believed that the out flow
of Iowa people was balanced by the influx of those returning from
other States, especially from the West, and the natural accretion
of the population is believed to responsible for half the total
increase.
But whatever per cent of the total increase may be classed under
the head of immigration, it is in nowise indebted to the efforts
of Iowa toward procuring it. There is no immigration society in
the State, and removals to Iowa from other States are purely
voluntary aside from the solicitation of individuals. In
localities colonies of people from other States frequently do a
good work in securing the removal to Iowa of friends and former
neighbors elsewhere. But there is no regularly organized society
engaged in the work. Land companies, railroad companies, money
lending associations and speculators frequently get up excursions
into Iowa. While ostensibly for the benefit of the prospective
emigrant, they are invariably conceived for selfish purposes. Of
the voluntary immigrants finding homes in Iowa during the last
ten years a majority undoubtedly came from Illinois, whose
farmers have been especial objects of time efforts of individuals
and capitalists to secure new citizens and home builders for the
State. Thousands of Illinois farmers have sold their farms in
that State for $100 an acre and have invested in as good land in
Iowa at $20 to $50 within the last ten years.
Prospects for Immigration in 1896.
The prospect for immigration for Iowa is not regarded as
flattering. Although the increase during the last decade is
proportionally greater than was the increase for the preceding
half decade, yet the increase for the last five years has not
been proportionate to the first half of the last decade.
Conditions are such as to throw the future increase of population
into the urban classes, while the State is distinctively
agricultural.
Ten years ago not an Iowa farmer depended upon his own or rented
land for pasture for stock. To-day there is no wild pasture land.
There are no more prairie roads in Iowa, and in a large part of
the State the highways are laid out exclusively on section lines.
There is hardly a section of land in the State which is not
fenced, and it is extremely doubtful if there is an acre of
tillable land in Iowa that can be bought for less than $20. The
highest priced land is near Des Moines. Within a radius of five
miles it is held at more than $100 an acre. No land can be bought
in Polk County for less than $50 or $60. The latter prices
prevail everywhere in the State for good farm lands. Little
prairie land exists which has not been well pastured, making it
extremely fertile and therefore not purchasable at less than $25
while bare prairie land is held at $20. These conditions mean
simply that the land of this State is practically occupied and
used. There are no more enormous tracts waiting for settlement
and reductions to agricultural purposes. With the disappearance
of hay lands the State became actually settled, a condition
exemplified by the fact that there is not a point within Iowa
distant twelve miles from a railroad and railway station,
No Government Land in Iowa.
Aside from lands reverting to the Government after litigation
there has been no Government land in Iowa for ten years. Recently
by a decision of the United States Supreme Court about 22,000
acres of land were apparently thrown open for settlement in
O¹Brien and Dickenson Counties in the extreme northwestern part
of the State. As a matter of fact, all the land, with the
exception of perhaps 100 pieces, is already settled by occupants
whose rights to it are wholly protected, and the other pieces
will require long and tedious litigation to determine titles.
Within two weeks the Government has begun suits to recover title
to about 30,000 acres of land in Adams, Montgomery and Mills
Counties, in the southwestern corner of the State, asking for the
cancellation of land grants to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy
Railroad in 1856 and 1864, but more than 1,000 owners of that
30,000 acres are made defendants to the suits, and even if the
land reverts to the Government it is regarded as extremely
doubtful if the present owners and settlers can be evicted. The
Des Moines river land settlers are being protected in their
rights also by direct appropriation of the Government. Three
classes of land are the only ones which come within the public
lands of the State and they offer no encouragement to the
immigrant settler.
Land in Iowa can be had only by purchase at the prices mentioned,
but fortunately for the investor interest rates are comparatively
low. Farm mortgages secure money in this State now for from 5 to
6 per cent. Within five years it was as high as 8 per cent, with
a commission increasing it materially. Within ten years the legal
rate of interest has been 10 percent and farm loans within that
time have brought as high as 10 per cent and a commission. Agents
are content to advance money without a commission and lend as
high as 40 per cent of the present valuation of the land
security. This money is from the East and terms of payment are
made to suit the borrower. Even during the hardest times farmers
have not had trouble to secure money with land security. It has
been of vast value to the farmers for the reason that the banks
of the State in the agricultural districts have not extended
accommodations for nearly two years, one reason being that they
have not had the money to do it. Iowa farmers have not been
unable to hold their grain on account of lack of money - that is,
if they were willing to borrow money on their farms to help them
out until the prices of grain advance.
Public Warehouse Bill Up.
In this connection it is interesting to notice that the General
Assembly has under consideration a law to establish, maintain and
govern public warehouses and inspection of grain in Iowa for the
sole benefit of the farmer and to relieve him from the necessity
of marketing his produce at low prices, as well as relieving him
of the necessity of borrowing money pending a rise in prices. It
is the prevalent opinion that the law will pass. It will
effectually assist the agricultural interests of the farmers of
the State. During the last six months enormously rich grain
dealers of Chicago and the East - noticeably Counselman [sic] and
Armour - have bought on contract and for cribbing at stations in
this State hundreds of thousands of bushels of corn, farmers
being compelled to sell at the low priers that have prevailed or
to borrow money on their farms. The warehouse law is framed to
avoid that necessity in future years.
A much better feeling than has existed for two years in regard to
the financial outlook permeates the business and agricultural
classes of the State. An era of great prosperity is believed to
be dawning in Iowa. Hard times have never cut as deeply into Iowa
as they have cut into many other Western States. This State
always has a good crop. Last year its crops were the largest ever
known in Iowa, although not so reported by the official bureau on
account of the low prices for products that prevailed. Moisture
is the agricultural problem of Iowa, as it is of every other
Western State. Most localities in Iowa are now up to the average
for the season, insuring a good start for abundant crops for
1896.
[transcribed by P.N., February 2012]
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The Independent
Forest City, Winnebago co. Iowa
April 23, 1896
Edison Phonograph Concert
The Edison Phonograph Concert, given at the M. E. church
Wednesday night under the auspices of the Ladies Aid Society, was
highly entertaining and appreciated by the audience. Several
pieces were rendered, among them some or the finest music by
famous composers and selections by the finest bands and
orchestras in the country. Vocal solos, productions by expert
cornetists [sic], some of the latest songs and beautiful old
ballads were reproduced with exquisite clearness so as to be
heard in any part of the
church. The entertainment was enjoyed by all and the wonder of
the phonograph was increased by producing something that was just
heard in the original.--West Mansfield, O., Enterprise.
This concert will be given at the Am. M. E. church In Forest
City, Wednesday evening, April 29. Proceeds for benefit of Ladies
Aid Society. Admission 15 and 25¢.
[transcribed by P.N., March 2012]