In The Country: The AGE Wheelman Makes Another Trip

(SOURCE, Clinton Semi-Weekly Age, Sept. 10, 1895)

What He Sees:

It was not more than three or four days after leaving Clinton Wednesday morning, that the AGE's wheelman found himself out on Main street from Lyons, at the Four Mil house; then a mile of the old Government road was traversed and Detlef DIERKS was visitied.  He has 3?0 acres, 80 of which is in corn.  His oats went 27 bushels to the acre.  Eighteen head of horses, 60 of cattle and 95 hogs constitute his stock.

John DIERKS, Jr., a brother of Detlef, was next greeted, cordially, at his home.  John has 200 acres.  John has some nice horses, 18 in all.  One hundred and ten dollars is big money for horse flesh now, but that amount was refused by Mr. Dierks for one of his horses this morning.  His stock consists of 40 head of cattle and 104 hogs.  Mr. Dierks has in 70 acres of corn.  His small grain turned out pretty good.  The next house was the Dierk's school house.  School will begin there next Monday.  A young lady from Lyons will ascend to the throne.

August BOWERS, near the Six Mile house, has two acres and works for the neighboring farmers.  He is considered an upright, honest and industrious man by all who know him.  Two hundred acres, belonging to Peter Dierks, now have in sight, fifteen shipp were seen in the pasture and 49 head of cattle were out of sight (over the hill), whild 125 hogs made music in the barn yard.  Oats are pretty fair and corn good.

One hundred and eighty-eight acres, from which Thos. GAVIN makes his living, was next sighted.  He has 45 in corn.  His oats went 25 bushels to the acre and his wheat the same; rye 22 and barley 20.  He also has 30 head of cattle and 120 hogs.

Just this side of the Six Mile house is found Henry BOWERS, who has 5 acres, most of it being in garden truck.  Adjoining is 25 acres which Hans LOUCHS owns.  Hans put in a little corn and oats and left the rest as pasture.

Now the Six Mile house is reached, and passed.  On the right is Theo. ANDERSON.  While in conversation with him a thrashing machine turned into his place for no other reason than to thresh his 20 acres of oats.  Near by is 40 acres of corn while the rest of the 120 is left to pasture.  Mr. Anderson has 80 hogs and 25 head of cattle that help to keep him busy.  Across the road is the home of Christ. LUEDERS.  It was found that he had 200 acres, on which he has 80 head of cattle and half as many hogs.  Large fields of corn and oats keet Mr. Lueders busy this summer, and his corn will yet give him something to do.

A road leading south was now reached, at which junction was found 40 acres belonging to Ed. STOLENBURG.  Ed. has 20 acres in corn and from 8 acres of oats he got 160 bushels.  Across the road is a building which once did service as a school room, but now, as announced by the letters A. O. U. W., it is used as a lodge room.

A half mile south and a school house was sighted.  Recess was just then in order and it was learned that it was the Six Mile school, presided over by Miss Hattie Tolson of Lyons.  Here the road lead directly west, so, following its lead, the home of Nick NAEVE was seen on his 170 acres.  Nick is just improving his home to the extent of $1,200.  When it is completed, it will be one of the nicest looking places in the country.

Adjoining is the 160 acres which is run by John NAEVE, a brother of Nick.  John has 140 hogs and 75 head of cattle.  His corn covers 40 acres and his oats 50, which went 36 bushels to the acre.  A walk through the orchard revealed several plum trees, the plums of which bent the boughts with their weight.  A couple of apple trees and a crab apple tree helped to complete the orchard.

After dinner, C. F. MOHR was seen at his home.  He has 190 acres, 65 in corn and 30 in oats, which went 30 bushels to the acre.  He also has 40 head of cattle and 120 hogs.

A cross road is now reached, and turning to the left, the 400 acres of A. H. STUDEMAN is at hand, or more truthfully speaking, is near by.  One hundred and twenty hogs and 102 head of cattle comprise his stock; 1085 bushels of oats were taken from 35 acres and 80 of corn are good.  Three hundred and sixty acres belonging to W. J. SCHWARTZ next attracts attention.  He has 90 acres of very nice corn and his small grain was very good; 15 is the total number of horses and 100 of his cattle.  He has 300 hogs and sells many to the Iowa Packing Company.

A halt is now necessary in order to visit Henry DORMAN, who has 206 acres.  He has 75 acres of corn and had 30 acres of oats.  A number of hogs and cows also roam the field and rule the barn yard.

About the middle of the afternoon Henry LAMB is visited.  He has 177 acres and was found superintending the building of an addition, 18 feet square, to his house.  He has 40 acres of nice corn, but his oats did very poorly.

The world renowned town, Plug Town, is now reached.  It is seen at a glance; a blacksmith shop and a house or two.

Beyond is 140 acres belonging to Chas. MANGELSEN.  He has 17 head of cattle and 50 hogs. Thirty acres of corn and an equal number of oats make up his crops.

Down in the field at the left is found John STRECKLOTH on 120 acres.  He has 60 hogs, which will probably help to make away with some of his corn, of which he has 50 acres.  His oats went 30 bushels to the acre.

Chas. SEYMOUR, on the corner, has 120 acres, 20 in corn, 20 in small grain and the rest in pasture.  He has just slold 10 hogs, and has only a few left.

The next man visited was Chas. MOOHR, who has 160 acres.  He has 60 hogs and 23 head of cattle. His 30 acres of oats went 25 bushels to the acre.  He has 65 acres of corn.  Two pet pigeons attracted more attention than they otherwise would if they had not acted as if they were foot ball players.  When fed, they would run against each other and push and try to keep each other from getting a more dainty morsel.

Coming back to the road, running north-west and following it up, the home of Peter LAMB was stopped at.  He has 160 acres, as many hogs and one quarter as many acres of corn.  His ten acres of oats he mowed for hay.  The 320 acre farm of Henry LAMB, a brother of Peter, was next visited.  He has a good many hogs and cattle and about 70 acres of corn and 35 of oats.

P. MURPHY, at the corner where the road leads up to Charlotte, was the next man interviewed.  Although an old man, he runs 240 acres.  He sold many of his cattle and now has but 26 head left.  He also has 40 hogs and 28 sheep, young and old.  Twenty-five acres of oats yielded him 700 bushels and his corn covers ?? acres.  From 7 acres he got 171 bushels of wheat, from which he has his flour ground, knowing then that he has No. 1 flour.  The road to Charlotte was then followed, at which town our wheelman spent the night.