Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 113, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1914 — WATER DISCOURAGES NEWLAND TRUCKSTERS [ARTICLE]

WATER DISCOURAGES NEWLAND TRUCKSTERS

Fields Along Big Ditch Are Overflowed and Indications Are That Crops Are Killed. , . ’ V ' \ . ■ V -' V Many otf the onion growers at New Hand have been hard hit by the recent rains, the high waters having overflowed a number otf the tract® on the lower ground and the indications are that wherever the water stands for any length off time ithe crop will be either killed entirely or very badly damaged. Some otf the higher tracts are not damaged at all, except that seeding has been somewhat delayed, but dismay ha® siezed the law land owners and some otf them are leaving and may not return this year. M. E. Ward and Lewis Stone, two young men tfrom Gary who purchased 14 acres otf land along the south side off the Gifford ditch, went to Gary today, where they expect to obtain work. They will 1 be kept advised about the condition off the ground. The young men were much discouraged. They had put out $lO9 worth of onion sets and they were about 8 inches high. The water 'stood from 4 inches to 6 inches above the ground and the tops of the onion® wa® all that could be seen this morning. The young men had been living in a tent. The water raised all day Tuesday and all off that night. Becoming alarmed the young men decided to abandon their quarters at about 8 o'clock Tuesday evening and they had to wade ffor about 300 yards in water almost knee deep betfdre they reached solid land. They stated that the tent dwellers on the north side otf the ditch were in even worse fix than those on the south side. They stated that the water had raised 4 inches during Tuesday night. John B. Wolf, who has a farm of 200 acres at Newland, had out 7 acres otf seed onions. They were well UP and looked fine, but all are under water. A great many others have crops on the low landjs and it is believed that they will be almost totally lost. H. G. Montay was in tfrom Newland today. He states that he ha® not yet put out any onions but believes that a crop can be raised if the onions are put in before June Ist. He says that potatoes, carrots and other crops will bring big returns even if the onions are a failure. Dr. F. A. Turfler has out 22 acres off onions near the Burks (bridge. The growers are George Zea and John Ballard. Water is standing on only about a quarter off an acre off this, Dr. Turfler reports. He believes the other is all right He also has out about fifty acres bn (his Walker township farm, where J. H. Shell lives, and about 12 acres near Gilford. He has had no report from these tracts. ~