The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-01-23

A Prominent Instance-sacoeaa OF n Ly-
on County Farmer.
Hartford Call

ceeds like success :, And this is true IN all
branches of business. Kansas, perhaps,
furnishes a larger number of instances of
men who have built up trades from
small beginnings than any other state;
This is particularly true of that branch OF
industry known as farming Zach one
of US can point to some one who stands
out prominently as having come 10 Kan
sas with no capital other than willing
ness TO lay hold of anything that held
out the least Involvement or hope OF ac-
quirIng competency
In 1857 III. j. Stratton came from Iili-
nois and settled in Eagle creek valley.
His capital was limited, but be possessed
an indomitable energy, head well bal
anced and a will TO dare and TO do what
he could TO accomplish his object With
all his worldly effects he settled as
sduatter on government land near The
then county seat of Madison county,
having in view the fact that land would
more rapidly advance in value thus To-
Gated, and furnish market easier of ac-
cess But years rolled by, and with
them came a breaking up of county
lines and Madison county became myth
and the old town of Elmendaro only ex-
lists in the history of Madison and Brock
enridge counties and the traditions re-
peated W the coolest inhabitants" But
the obliterttion of county lines and the
death of Elmendaro did not discourage
the man, nor lead him to relInquish the
land which his clear foresight, con-
WINGED him would, in course of time,
become the rock upon which he could
safely rest the superstructure of for
tune. With years he gathered capital,
and with capital added land to land
and farm to farm. Mr.. Stratton had a
hobby, and upon that hobby he believed
he could ride to competency, and, per
chance. To fortune. That hobby was cat
tie breeding. To be successful breeder
and raiser of stock he was aware that
rangc, belonging to him exclusively, was
necessary, for he knew that such land as
surrounded him was destined in few
years To be occupied, hence he must pur-
chase sufficient to secure the end or
abandon the raising of cattle, save on q
limited scale, which did not cope with
his ideas of business. Acres multiplied,
and deed after deed found a record, in
his name, until he foots up the number,
in one body, 960 acres. The land was
chosen with an eye 10 its advantages for
his prospective business Water, living,
never failing water, WIS prime object,
hence he bought upon both sides of
water course that would at all seasons of
the year supply an abundance. Nature
cold blasts of winter and protection from
the summer sun, and he chose n forest.
Food for his herds was necessary, and
he selected land clear of timber TO pro-
duce II. Time went on his hands found
no idle moments; chaos gave place to
order; fields sprang into existence and
tame products took the place of wild;
houses, barns and cribs arose; fences
crossed and recrosscd this magnificent
tract; orchard was added to orchard;
cattle, hogs and horses seemed 10 come
at his bidding, until he possesses farms,
houses and herds that many of lesser
means contemplate with almost wonder
at his success. He went into the fight to
win-selEreliant and believing he could
do what others had accomplished before
him. Yet he had Il capital 10 back him
as solid as the bank of England. His
checks upon his resources were frequent
and large; but always honOred. You,
reader, have the same bank to draw upon.
You can accomplish what he has.
Your capital is the same that his was,
and is to-day-industry.
In 1865 he commenced to build upon a
foundation thus solidly laid, and 10 &C.
ment together the rocks of the super
structure he had quarried in his early eff
forts in the mine he had chosen to delve
upon. Closer and closer he laid them
together; rough and hard to fit at times
they were, but with Il patient, determined
will that knew not the word fail, he
drove them into place, and now his
structure stands ont as pillar of fire
by night" to guide others on the road to
fortune His is an example that the
youth should choose. We do not intend
that our words shall be construed to
mean that wealth is IL necessary part of
prominence, but we do mean to convey
the idea and establish the fact that in
Kansas the field is still inviting 10 those
who desire to accomplish the end Mr..
StraitCn has, and that no other capital Is
needed to begin with than lie had. He
began, in 1865, the cattle business, hrSs
dealing in Texas stock, and for five
years he handled each year a consid
successful. But tins class of cattle
was not 10 his liking, and AT
the end of tine period mentioned he con-
clu,lcd to substitute thoroughbred and
graded stock, hence he sold offhis origi-
nal stock and began the purchase and
breeding of his present herd of short
horn cattle until, at this writing, he is
the owner of herd of thoroughbreds,
the reputation of which is not merely
local. He has now four thoroughbred
calves, and if his COWS drop their get
we'll he will increase the number to
fifteen in the spring; seven two-year Odds
and ten head Of cows ranging from two to
five years old. One of his cows, which
is a beauty, has taken the first prise
wherever shown, NOTABLY at Emporia
eighteen months ago, and at that place
and Neosho Falls last fall the first in the
sweepstakes ring. She is faultless in
form, of deep red color and as breeder
has no superior. Besides his short-horns
he has 135 head of grades, the females of
which he is raising for breeders and the
males for market. After being shown
through his herd of cows and
| calves, we We're taken TO
| the lot in which he keeps his thorough
bred bull. Mr.. Stratton has good reason
| to believe this bull is the best in the state.
| He weighs . ,330 pounds. We give below
his pedigree, as taken from the "Ameri-
can Herd Book" which cattle breeders
will understand: Granger (2G747), deep
rcd, calved Aug %, 1878, bred by G. NJ.
Bedford, Paris, KY, owed by r. Byram
& Bro, Abingdon, Knox county, Ill, got
! by 14th Duke of ThOrndale (2S459), out
of Atossa Sd Vol. Il by Duke of AIrdrie
2733-Atossa by King Cyrus 509-Susan
by Young Paragon [1lSS6l-Josephine
by Victor 1067-Flower by Young Com
ct Holley 1134-Miss Franklin by Frank
1
terloo-by Hero [1110l.
A half sister of Granger" Alrdrie
Duchess Sd, was purchased by Albert
| Crane, OF Durham Park, Kansas, for
which he paid the magnificent sum of
$23, 600; and another half sister was sold
to the same party for $21 900. The aboS e
is more eloquent than anything We can
utter, and speaks volumes to stock men.
We will, however, venture the assertion
that Mr.. Stratton will, in few years, be
the pOSsessor of ii herd of shorthorns
that will stand upon level with any in
the west He already has state reputa-
ton as a breeder, and as his stock in
creases it will spread. and Lyon county
| will feel proud of having in her borders
such herd. And why not, with such a
sire standing at the head of his herd ?
Mr.. s. deserves much praise for his eff
forts in the way of making II within
the reach of all to improve the present
breed of cattle in this section. 1t is
| hardly necessary for us TO say more In
this connection further than that the
main advantage in improving stock by
intcrmiXturc of finer blood is the fact
that graded stock will take on flesh more
rapidly at less expense and are more
marketable, and larger carcass.
In conclusion we will say that Mr..
StrattOn is not the only breeder of fine
stock in this and Cotfey counties, and as
fast as we can we will visit them and
tell what we find out, with the hope that
our eastern readers will take into ac-
count the fact that much can be accom-
plished in Kansas from Il small begin
ming.
We are convinced that the country sur
rounding Hartford is eminently adapted
not ouly to stock raising. but is rich III
! all that ,ro IN make mn "A country dcSira
BILE tor homes We often wonder why Sc
many pass over this portion of Kansas
and go to the border for homes, wheT
| l.ntinr Ind .an he had rinhl hnre nj naar