Cabbages and Kings are ripe in the Land of Mears

Volume XXXVI
November 11, 1949
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Issue Text
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The time has come , the walrus said , to talk of many things , of birds and bees and humming things , and cabbages and kings . So runs the vein of childhood's famous book , " Alice in Wonderland . " Coming along the Blooming Valley road this afternoon I saw a farmer's wag- the on full of cabbage and chunk wood . See , here we have it , here are cabbages and the farmers are the kings , if they only know it . But they will be kings of their domains only so long as they retain the control of their fields . When any bureaucratic set - up is allowed to step in and lay down rules and mandates : " Thou shalt not plant this , thou shalt not ent thy timber , thou shalt not plow this field " then we no longer have a free agriculture , we no longer have the freedom of our fields . Six or seven years ago this " soil conservation district " business tried to creep into Oceana county , quietly , little noticed , like it did into some other jurisdictions , by passing the word along to the gravy train boys that they and their wives were expected to turn out and vote for it some unsuspecting day while the rank and file of the farmers would hardly know what was going on . But it didn't work in Oceana county . The soil bureaucrats were met with a Lexington and Concord and Bunkerhill , and the county folks were up and to arms . Columns in the public press were used to show up the things hidden in the wood pile . how the farmers could be fined and jailed if they did not conform with any of the so - called land - use regulations . That is exactly the way the obnoxious law read . But Oceana voted the forming of a soil district The next morning down by an overwhelming majority of ten to one .

after the election Lansing woke up and rubbed its eyes . The election cutcome didn't sound so good to the soil experts , many of whom couldn't earn their salt if they had to get out and run a farm for them- selves like the common dirt farmers . They felt like they had been knocked right between the eyes . And they took counsel among them- selves to see what they should do . They said among themselves : " The eyes of Michigan are upon us . Not only has Oceana sorked ns in the eve , but after all this publicity all the other counties may look upon our district forming with suspicion . We simply will have to change that law and toke out some of the obnoxious clauses . " So they con- sented to amendmente , like a lion lying down to have its teeth pulled

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out so he could woo the beautiful princess , ( which , of course , was Oce- ana ) . In submitting to the dental subtraction it is fairly possible that you the laying aside of the teeth in the law was but a temporary expedient and that the teeth would be resurrected later when their disalarming tactics had accomplished their territorial expansion . Believe it or not , the crusade of this little paper to bring light in dark places was re- sponsible for about twelve pages of now legislation in the public acts . The new revision of the soil district law was to ease the mind of the public and disalarm agricultural opposition . But , believe me , there still are things lurking in the woodpile the ordinary farmer would never notice , even if he saw the volume of public acts and read the re- vision . I know , for I have waded through every inch of it and scruti- nized every word in every line . After the legislative alterations and dental subtractions the soil boys began to feel their way around again , trying to get in an entering wedge here and there in this community and that . You could get little inklings of what was going on by little lines in the county correspondence of the rural press : John Gusheasy addressed the Podunk Farm Bureau Thursday evening on soil conser- vation . A resolution was introduced favoring the formation of a dis- trict . " Of course , the item didn't say that spell - binder Gusheasy had brought along the resolution , all typewritten out , and slipped it to the secretary behind the pantry door . Still it is possible that it was whis- pered around that such an endorsement was expected . Or maybe country correspondent would say that the Fish & Game club listened to some pictures by Roscoe Gas - em - again . and a resolution was offered favoring a soil district . Maybe nine out of ten of the farmers present didn't say aye when the resolution was slipped through but if one two said yes the secretary would mark it down as carried . Dearly be- loved , did it ever dawn on you that these emissaries were sent out from Lansing for a purpose with a specified golden text all stamped on their brains , which they were supposed to transfer to the consciousness of Oceana farmers like a colored transfer picture is stamped on your kit- chen cabinet door ? As I said before , I have been watching these an- tics , these inroads upon the sympathies of our honest farmers for some time . Our honest , unsuspecting fruit growers swallowed the propagan- da because they hadn't read the new law and didn't know its possibi- lities . The time to speak has come and I will tell you . The new law still contains the provisions that a soil district is a body corporate and politic . It still says that a soil district may acquire property , real and personal , by purchase , gift , bequest , or OTHERWISE . That word other- wise is a terrible all - inclusive word . It means that if a soil district is set up in Oceana county the soil experts can seize any man's farm , any man's creek , horses , tractor , barns , fields . anything that the farmer owns , and pay for the property siezed only so much as the jury awards . It is extending to the soil district the right of eminent domain . with that right go all the penalties of enforcement . If they sieze your And house , your team , your tractor , your crops , or anything they want , and you resist the siezure they can put you in jail , while they go ahead and drive your flocks from your fields . In other words , even if there were no enacted land - use regulations and no visible penalties , they could still make you conform to their idea of agricultural practice , or they could say they needed your farm for some demonstration idea . They could put a quietus on your free operation of your fields . Friends In Oceana , we don't want that sort of set - up . Leave off the shackles and let us farm as we have farmed , without any soll conservation district . We can still conserve our soil without any $ 5000 expert to run Gelds . Farmers of Oceana county , bt on your guard for this menace ,

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For that insurance tyou need , " See Reed . " Leonard T. Reed office on main street in Mears Phone 23 .

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Shaw Insurance Houses , Lots Pentwater

Phil Wurthner

heals Autos

Roy Geisinger gold watches .

Joe Jetleb , Hart Stop ! Shop !

Gleason's

Body Shop

Installs Glass and

Painis Cars

Wictzke

For Radios , Appliances

Furniture

Hart Petroleum Batteries , Tires

Neil Wheeler Insurance

Real Estate

Harold Frazee Hart Cleaners

and Dyers

Op . Courthouse

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Orel Burdick ..

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Keys , Radios Hart

Fresh Meats Nixon Market

Vegetables

A new highway post office bus will start making regular trips along US - 31 on Tuesday , Nov. 15. There will be in initiation trip on Monday . The time table calls for it to leave Montague at 9:05 , Rothbury at 9:20 , New Era at 9:30 , Shelby at 9:40 , Hart at 9:55 and Pentwater at 10.1 ; a . m . By virtue of a new act of the legislature a county school board was organized in Hart Monday afternoon by representatives of the different school districts of the county . The new board does not replace the present district boards but is a central board to determine educa- tional policies and so forth , and also to name the county superintendent or commissioner of schools . Harry Philo , the present county commis sioner , will continue for the duration of his term and then it is quite possible he will be renamed by the county school board . Chosen as members of the new board were Chester Ray , E. G. Van Sickle , Al Bond , Earl Friday and Hull Yeager Carl Hirleman has gone to Iowa to celebrate his mother's 100th birthday . - Swan Johnson of Pentwater celebrates his 80th birthday . - Charles L. Jensen , 77 , of River House farm en the road to Pentwater was buried Tuesday . Born in Norway . he came to this country when a small boy . For 30 years he was a blacksmith in Holton . Then he came to Shelby and ran a second - hand Store in the Runner & Spellman location . His wife ran an orphan- age boarding home for children on a small scale there , a business which they continued when they moved to Pentwater . The big house where they stayed in that village burned and then they went out River House . Mr. Jensen was a tall and kindly man . The children lov- ed him and he was well liked by those who bad the privilege to know him.-W. P. Kappler has gone to Milwaukee to attend the canners convention , and he hopes the little bars of soap in the hotel lavatories will not turn his hair green when he takes a shampoo . Bill says : " Rit ? Nit ! Never again ! " - August Schultz was ill but now he is circulating on the street again and is able to sit on the bench under the big elm by Doc Corliss ' food store in Hart .-- Walt Mischley and Ann have mov- ed to Manistee where Walt is city manager . Walt's manager is Ann.- Bob Kelley's new daughter is named Martha Jean . - Hugo Krantz breezed in from Atlanta to visit at the Sam Krantz farm on quarterline road . Miss Fannie Near , 74 , a nurse for 50 years , is dead . She was one of the co - founders of Shelby hospital 24 years ago . Later she sold out her interest to a group of physicians and operated a maternity drome . Lately she had gone back to hospital work and private cases . Her father was John Near , a Mennonite pioneer who settled east Shelby . She leaves one sister , Mrs. Ann Fogelsonger , and two brothers . Irvin Near of Muskegon and Fred Near of Vancouver , Canada- Phyllis Lorenz is minus her tonsils . - Rev . W. A. Horn is preaching in Hesperia at the Presbyterian church . - Lolamay Fuller is moving out of her beauty shop in Hart and Olive Fuller , who works in the dime starr , will live in the beauty shop rooms . - Th

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Anderson's Grocery , Mears , now mentions box social lunch things .

Foks are crying for places to rent . Why don't folks with the money buy up some of these good old homes and have they for rental ? Rent- als are bigh and It is a good way to make your money safe and sure . an investment in the earth and what's on it Gordie Osborn and his Mom . Eva , have some of the best of bargains . Easy terms if you don't want to pay all cash . Adv.-

Phil Wartliner can fix your car and thake it purr cheerfully He sens

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Easily accessible at the axis of the universe in Hart is the filling sta- tion of The Hart Petroleum Co. , ministering to the needs of your car

-CASH WAITING for all kinds of large and small farms , lake and river property , for my buyers . WM . C. WADE , Realtor , Shelby . THE SPORT SHOP OF MUSKEGON HEIGHTS is

THE ECONOMY HARDWARE , 1315 PECK STREET .

Gayle Joslin for Insurance . Hart

The Mears Newz is published weekly by The Inner Life Press , Mears , Michi- Kan . Entered as second - class mail matter August 8th , 1914 , at the post office In Mears , Michigan , under Act of March 3 , 1879. Swift Lathers , Editor and Bot tle Washer . Subscription rate 50c a year ; or $ 1.00 for 6 months ; or $ 2.00 for Phone 161 .

Flood's Wrecker Service ,

Night No. 3

Weeks Lumber Co , for windows and sash ,

Sam Broutman's Auto Accessories at Max Field's old place has bat- teries for sale . Also tires , and glass to fit Fords , Chevrolets and Ply- mouths from 1935 on . It payys to trade in Broutman's store .

THE LIQUIDATING SALES CO . , 66-68 W. WEBSTER AVENUE , MUSKEGON , IS THE LINOLEUM CAPITAL OF WEST MICHIGAN The fellow who plants a fruit farm doesn't usually sell it ' till he reaps the harvests , so when you have the chance to get one , all set out beautifully , soon to come in bearing , grab it , especially when it has right up - to - the - minute buildings with every convenience ever heard of . Twenty - four acres in all , some of it land to grow the produce and land to pasture a few cows . On a fine improved road in a community of the most elegant homes in the country anywhere . This little diversified farm home is a dream . It may mean a dozen thousands to get it . So what ? Nothing left for the buyer to do but to start living , in his dream home . Hanson - Osborn at Hart have it . See ' am . adv . I saw some sam- Illinois , Ohio and even California ' folks own Lake Michigan frontage Bring your garments in now for dry cleaning , pressing and dyeing work to the Hart Cleaners & Dyers , expert cleaners , across from courthouse , for new life and freshness . Harold Frazee . proprietor It is time to get in your winter supply of coal at the right prices . We have premium coal . We still buy junk and batteries . Snider's Coal & Junk Yard . US - 31 at the trax in Hart . No parking meters near here ! -If you need some gravel to build with or some black top dirt for your lawn . see Bill Lathers . He hauls with his big lump truck- 0. A. KEELER & SON , electrical contractors , Shelby . Gibson re- frigerators and rauges ; ABC washers . Office phone , Shelby 211 W. Residence . 113. Hart phone , Ted's Service Station .

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Roy Geisinger repairs watches in Shelby at the corner of Sixth and Pine and sells new watches , field lasses , clocks and barometers Herbert Newton has gone to California for the winter . Gale Berger . the Mears barber , bas opened up a business in Marion . Mears still has a barber three evenings a week , with Barber Wyckoff engineering the chair . Nina Berger is still staying in Mears with her parents until Gale flnds a house in Marion . - Ethel Lorenz , a nurse in Fremont , comes home once in a while to see ber mother on Fair Ground road and watch brother Harry hitch up a horse . The Thomas Welsh family have gone to Florida to get away from the snow - Maynard Sytsina of Vroon's Colder Storage went to Frankenmuth to attend the frozen food lock- er conventioti and learn how to ge strawberries colder sooner Mens school is planning a box and plate social at the sehead on Nov. 22 .

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