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W. RUSSELL, A SCIENTIFIC FARMER
Ford County's First Democratic Solon
Perhaps the most unusal development of the April 12 primaries in the twenty-sixth senatorial district, is that for the first time since the formation of the district with its present boundaries, the minority or Democratic representative will come from Ford County. The first election in the present district was held in 1902. Since then, each Democratic representative has been a McLean county resident. Several Republicans have been elected from Ford, but Joseph W. Russell, Democratic nominee, will break the party record. His nomination on the minority ticket is tantamount to election, and he will go to the legislature in January with the unusual distinction of having been first in a field of five candidates in the primary and carrying his party banner to Springfield for the first time from his county. There are several other things about Mr. Russell which are different. For one thing, he a "dirt" farmer; he and his two brothers, Francis and Richard, carry on the actual operations of a 640 acre farm or which they were born, on which their father was born, and their grandfather its first owner. The Russell farm is the largest in Lyman township, southeast of Roberts. It was wild, unbroken prairie when the grandfather of the present managers selected it for his home in the early 1800's. The farm was purchased by the grandfather, Patrick Russell, from the Illinois Central railroad. For years it was operated as a grain farm, growing principally corn and oats as was the former general practice in Ford county. Of recent years, the ssell brothers have turned more to livestock production, keeping Shorthorn and Hereford cows and raising 30 head of calves a year, selling them at about 650 pounds. The corn, oats, and clover rotation has been adopted, clover growing on all fields every third or fourth year. Limestone has been spread to sweeten the soil and give a better chance, a practice generally recommended by the University of Illinois college of agriculture, from which Mr. Russell was graduated in 1923. The standard farm accounting system advocated by the U. of I. agricultural college has been used on the Russell farm four years, results. indicating the wisdom of the more diversified program adopted, especially the feeding of livestock. Being new in the political game, it is interesting to note how Mr. Russell sized up the situation when the primary campaign was closing. "My brothers and I figured," said Mr. Russell, "that if I could get 3,000 votes in Ford county, with what I could corrall in McLean, I could win. The final Ford count gave me nearly 2,800, which, with 1,951 in McLean county, gave me the high vote for the district." Mr. Russell made an active campaign in his own county and also covered much of McLean, not making speeches but doing much handshaking. Asked as to his politcial philosophy, Mr. Russell said he is interested most of all in reducing the costs of government. "Government expenditures must come down nearer the level with the prices of all commodities, especially what the farmers have to sell," he said. "I have no set program to propose at Springfield, but I hope to promote useful legislation. Our family has always been Democratic. as My father served many years road commissioner, and he got close-up of conditions and people in our neighborhood. He died five years ago." Mr. Russell has known his fellow Ford county house member, G. J. Johnson (Rep.), for many years and says that he will work with him, and the McLean county member, Maurice O. Kalahar (Rep.), for the best interests of the distric.-Bloomington Pantagraph. of The LaHogue State Bank LaHogue was not opened for business Wednesday morning, the institution being closed voluntarily by the directors According to information receive d, there had been no run on the bank but due to general business conditions the directors considered it advisable to close the institution for the protection of depositors and they also state that they expect to be able to pay out dollar for dollar The directors of the institution are J. B.Haubach, president; H. W. Diercouff, vice president; Charles H. Pool, cashier; and Alma L. Pool. Piper City Journal.
