The Des Moines Register from Des Moines, Iowa • Page 33

ferilmt of (Sfo mtoag jggtstgr attft Ifoafor, gpfgmto 2fl, 1014 College Home From Tour of i ItiBEi hsal rJ sn is el; frji- to.PSwa Luther DECORAH, Sept. 19. Special: The celebrated Luther College band of Decorah, which has Just completed a triumphal conquest of Norway and many of the great cities of Europe, has Just returned home. On July 24 the band landed In New York harbor, Just three months after the date of em-barcation. Behind them they left Europe a seething cauldron, quiet when they departed, but ready to dud Die over in war.

coincidental with the voyage of the Iowa musicians and the later developments in the war rone, the trip home through Europe followed, in large share, the momentous lines of march of the uermans upon me mstonc cuy 01 Liege in Belgium. President C. K. Preus of the college, who had charge of the trip, made the surprising and flattering statement that the band in all probability would pay the entire expenses from the Income of Its li V't' vv tlnill.ll. JIM miMHIimi.muM l'l' .1,,., way.

Sweden and Denmark wore visited with a stopover dt Copenhagen. While in Christianla, the members of the band were guests at a banquet attended by 2,600 dignitaries. Including the king of Norway and Governor Hanna of North Da-kola. Dr. Preus says the feeling of friendship toward America manifested, is appealing.

Even on the seventeenth day of May, the Norwegian Fourth of July, the waving of the Stars and Stripes or the playing of American anthems, brought tremendous ovations. Dr. Preus declares that when the grand old flag was raised on that occasion a greater cheering occurred than even for their own inspirational acts. Mr. Speratl, conductor, was presented laurel wreaths by enthusiastic admirers after almost every appearance in Norway.

The great Student Singers society, which sang In the United States in 1905, made him an honorary commander in the society Widow of Iowa's War Governor Celebrates Her Ntnety-third ffirtbday Fatrvtew Farm at Odebolt Series as a cModet for Farmers of Iowa TSand gettes. At the British museum men were compelled to sign up for the good behavior of the ladies in the party." A portion of the time on the return was spent in Berlin, and little Journeys were made to acquaint the students with many valuable points of information about the kaiser's empire. The tour was under the direction of Dr. C. K.

Preus, president of Luther college; Carlo A. Speratl, noted conductor of the band, and Professor Tlnglestadt, business manager. Sixty youths make up the organization. Fifteen are from Iowa, twelve from North Dakota, fourteen from Minnesota, eight from South Dakota, eight from Wisconsin and the remainder from widely separated states, east and west. The band has a double orchestration.

It carries every variety of instrument and Just before starting the trip acquired a new instrument KIRKWOOD fice Of Mr. Kirkwood in the early days when he was Just beginning his political life. The structure was removed to the yard of the home and now remains as a little monument to the useful career of one of Iowa's greatest statesmen. A great deal of Governor Kirk-wood's success was due to the tact and resourcefulness of Mrs. Kirkwood, who was noted for her hospitable and cheerful manner.

She did much to preserve the records of her husband. Governor Kirkwood died on the anniversary of Mrs. Kirkwood's birth, Sept. 1, 1894, at the home here. concrete, and connects all of the main travel from the east to the city.

The first'to drive over the newly completed bridge was "Billy" Burgess, an early pioneer of this city, who drove a stage coach across the gulch whpre this bridge now stands in the "fifties," and there Is now a movement on hand among a number of the citizens here to call this improvement the "Burgess bridge" in honor of the man who opened It and who little dreamed back in the early days that such a structure would ever be builC across he "run." Europe Such an audience as greeted th band in Milwaukee very seldom has honored any musical organization. The sergeant of police notified Dr. Preus that fully 32,000 persons were in the crowd. "We are feeling fine but are glad to get home," said Dr. Preus.

"The old country has been a great delight, but when the shores of the United States came in sight, yea more, when the fields of Iowa glowed under the fuding sun, heHvy with rich harvests, we felt the deepest sentiment of gratitude in just being home, and a content that we have been able to do Iowa a service and send her name out among nations as a contributor and a patron of the higher arts and intelligence of men." President C. K. Preus of Lutheran college is shown in the lower right hand insert. Conductor Speratl is shown in the lower left hand corner. FARM AT ODEBOLT.

crew of men, no matter what they may bo doing, is accompanied by a subforeman on horseback, who Is with tho men all the time. The men have good, comfortable quarters to sleep In and a large dining room in a separate building supplies them with plenty to eat. From forty to a hundred men are required for the farm work, according to the season of the year. SIS fJli The Journey home will be of particular interest at this time to the sixty young college men. As they recall their pilgrimage over the revered scenes of Martin Luther's life, to Wittenburg and Wartburg in Saxony; to Cologne and its beautiful cathedral, now surrounded by thundering guns; to the ancient city of Liege, where the first great battles of the general European war are being fought, and on down to Paris by way of the quiet valley of the river Meuse, they will feel the thrill of having an intimate acquaintance with the country now bathed in the blood of soldiers of many nations.

At Paris interesting and historic sights were visited. "The Tate and National galleries were closed," said Dr. Preus, "on account of the crazy women. "You can say, too," he continued, "that while the boys were attending a service at Westminster abbey the occasion was disturbed by the violent actions of two militant suffra CLARK Moines, United States senator and secretary of the interior. in President Garfield's cabinet.

The house itself Is a roomy two story building well preserved and set far back in a shady yard. From here one can look up the street into the country or back at the city where pretty homes have been built long after the old governor first took up his residence there. In the front yard stands a relic of the past that is doubly dear to the heart of Mrs. Kirkwood. It Is a weather beaten little building hardly as commodious as a country doctor's office.

It was in reality the law of called the nabimba, and Ib the only band carrying such a music maker at the present time. The Luther college chorus is made up of forty-five members of the band The double programmes thus given are of highest talent. At the Norwegian exposition at Christianla the band made its first European appearance. The greeting tendered them has never been surpassed in the home of the vlkingB. The band headed the grand march from the American embassy to the parliament building, where Governor Hanns of North Dakota presented Norway with the statue of Lincoln.

Sixty thousand dollars was, at that time, given by Norwegian-Americans to the home government for charitable purposes. In Norway the band visited sixty-two places and played seventy-three concerts. It made a railway trip en tirely across Norway which termi nated in a boat trip along the west coast to Christianla. Besides Nor Drainage Canals Prove 'Big Factor In Iowa's Wealth WOODBINE, Sept. 19.

Perhaps no one factor has contributed to the recent advance of farming lands and the unusual prosperity that marks the agricultural Interests of Harrison county bo much as has the construction of the great drainage system that has been launched and carried out to a state of unlooked for success within the last few yearB. It was at first believed to be but a visionary scheme on the part of a few interested citizens and it was counted too great an expense to be afforded in this day and generation. Every farmer and business man In the county knew that there were tens of thousands of acres of the richest land to be found on the face of the globe which was not bringing in enough per acre to pay the taxes. Everyone admitted that if the water could be turned into ditches and speedily carried from the flat, swampy lands of the county that no fairer, no richer soil could be named than that within the "Kingdom of Harrison," yet they saw no posslblle way to thwart the natural current of crooked rivers and open up the flat lands between these streams. Lands of this character were to be found In all the northwestern and central sections of this county.

The Soldier river, the Boyer river and others were all within unsurpassed valleys, famous for their fertility, but about two years out of five (sometimes oftener) the valloys were covered by waters from these streams which were so meandering In their course from the northeast to the Missouri river that It was Impossible to reap the native hay crops that in dry seasons were a great source of wealth to the owners. Agitation, science, experiment and "lots of high taxes" served as forerunners to the great system that now Is looked upon with general favor. While there is always some expense that comes to the land owner who is not especially benefited by such gigantic internal Improvements, yet on the whole, every man who has been taxed for these open ditches in Harrison county, as well as in ad-Joinlng'counties, has In the end been benefited to a greater extent than was his original thought. None would care to have thousands of acres of waste land and swamps standing In numerous portions of this county, as was the condition before these waterways were opened up. In the cases of the main ditches the Boyer and Soldier rivers have been lessened from 30 to 60 per cent in their lengths.

Where the waters of the Boyer used to run forty miles the straight cut canals has reduced the stream to about one-half the distance. Where the Soldier ran rampant, overflowing thousands of acres of crops and hay land, the waters are now conveyed by a short cut ditch directly into the Missouri river, while in places the old river bed is now dry enough for agricultural purposes. This county has profited by the system begun In Monona and other counties. Lakes and morasses have been drained into these big ditches, and now one finds corn growing in a soil that would rival the valley of the famous Nile. A sanitary measure Is lessening the malaria and cutting short the mosquito crop, which In early days was such a pest.

The landscape scene Is all changed the green scum of pond and swamp, the CONTINUED ON PAGE FOtH. and presented him with the insignia cross. The afternoon the band returned to Decorah, a great gathering of citizens met the players and escorted them to the college auditorium where they played a concert. The following day a concert was given on the college campus, and that evening a grand welcome banqurt was tendered by Decorah citizens. The last concert was the one hundred twenty-fifth of their tour.

All great American cities as well as the great cties of Europe give the band great and worthy Indorsement. Since the return to America it has played thirty-two concerts, beginning at Boston, and with stops at Cleveland, Milwaukee, Minneapolis and Fargo. Directly on the hand's return, a letter awaited Mr. Tlnglestadt from the Panama exposition management offering a proposition to play at the big national exposition next year. SCENES ON FAIRVIEW the farm work.

When a mule or a horse has become blemished or is too old to work It is killed. The farm is not a heavy producer of cattle and hogs, but until a short time ago large numbers of sheep were brought in from the west to be fed on the rough feed produced on the farm. Work on the farm has been systematized as much as possible. Every Bit ODEBOLT, Sept. 19.

Special: One of Iowa's model farms of large size is Fairview farm, near here, owned by Adams Son. It contains nearly 6,000 acres and improvements made upon it within the last few years makes it one of the most valuable farms in the state. Farming is being carried on on a scale that would have pleased even David Rankin of Missouri, known before his death as the biggest farmer in the world. The foundations for the Fairview farm were laid in 1871, when the late H. C.

Wheeler broke out the prairie sod. The original farm as purchased from Mr. Wheeler contained 6,330 acres, for which Mr, Adams paid $180,000, or between $33 and $34 an acre. The original farm was purchased in 1898 and a few years later a section of land adjoining in Wheeler township was purchased from the late W. W.

Fields at nearly $50 an acre. When Mr. Adams took possession of the big farm he found it a mass of weeds and the land was in a condition that needed much attention. There were no fences and the farm buildings were of an inferior sort. The first move made by the new owner was to build a central set of buildings, and the next was to tile the farm, which, when completed, restored several hundred acres of land to cultivation, which before had been waste land.

It now raises the best corn on the farm. The old cottonwoods on the farm are being cut down and are the principal supply of fuel on the farm, but unless some other use Is found the Cottonwood trees will be standing for many years. The roads in the township where the ranch is located have in late years been reduced to fifty feet in width, which left several rows of trees in the fields. But elm trees are being set out around the sections now and In time will make beautiful roads. Since the changing of the bo-der lines nearly fifty miles of fencing has been built.

Cement posts were used, nearly 60,000 being required for this immense task in fencing. The woven wire, three feet in height, and two barbed wires at the top, would, if used in one continuous wire, reach San Francisco, Corn, grain and clover crops are rotated on the farm. Plenty of cribs have been erected to care for the Immense corn crops. An elevater on the farm and one in Odebolt take care of the grain raised. About acres of barley were raised this year, while 3,000 acres of the ranch was in corn.

A larger acreage was devoted to oats, too. A fair yield of corn forty bushels to the acre would make the year's crop 120,000 bushels. The ranch teams have been busy for several weeks now hauling the 1913 corn crop to the market. The motive power used on the ranch is the Mussourl mule, principally. It requires between 160 and 200 head of horses and mules to HOMC Or MRS-MIRKWOOP IOWA CITY IOWA CITY, Sept.

19. Special: Recently a group of old lady residents of Iowa City, all of them 80 or more years old, met to celebrate the 93d birthday of one of Iowa's loved pioneers. The guest of honor was Mrs. Jane Clark Klrk-wood, widow of Samuel J. Kirkwood, Iowa's famous was governor, United States senstor and member of the cabinet.

Her birthday came on Sept. 1. Mrs. Kirkwood is living in quiet retirement in the old Kirkwood mansion, which stands in one of Iowa City's beautiful residence streets, the avenue that hears her name. She lives alone with her housekeeper, Mrs.

M. R. Pritchard, an- old friend Of the family. Her time is taken up with managing household affairs and in doing fancy work of which Bhe is very fond. She does not seek publicity.

In fact, there are many throughout the state who are unaware that this venerable pioneer lady is still living and residing in the city that has been her home for fifty some years. But when visitors call they are received with a cordiality and pleasantness that made the Kirkwood home famous for its hospitality in the old days. Mrs. Kirkwood is remarkably active and mentally alert for one of her advanced age. She Is keen in her memories of the early times, and the visitor is always charmed by her reminiscences of the fifties and sixties.

At the same time she is alive to the topics of the day and is a constant and tireless reader. Probably no other woman in Iowa has had such a wide acquaintance with famous men of her times. She was the steady companion of her husband wherever w5t and always accompanied him on his campaign tours. In this way she formed friendship of such men as Har-ian, Stone, Grimes, Wright and other prominent nnlltlcal leaders of the tlvll war period. The house In which she lives was built by Mr.

Kirkwood in 1860, five rears after they came to Iowa. Before that time he had been in the farming and milling business at Co-ralville, near Iowa City. The house ret standing, has been her home for nore than fifty years, with the exception of the times during which her lusband served as governor of Iowa, iftar 'the capital was moved to Des IOWA FALL'S ROCK RUN VIADUCT OPENED. IOWA FALLS, 19. Special: The concrete viaduct known as Rock Run bridge has Just been completed and opened to the public for travel.

This bridge is considered the greatest improvement ever made in this city and was built at a cost of by Frank X. White of Eldora, and was designed by County Engineer S. B. Gardner. It Is a remarkable piece of bridge construction, being made of reinforced concrete with brackets supporting the sidewalks.

The bridge Is 381 feet in length and has a thirty foot roadway paved with.