Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-06-25
The Hunger fo- Land.

-" e"ey eSAS shAS ySdi men
who came here at an early day,
and who are now far advanced in
years, are, many Of them, now in
the land counties, on the front
Ter, first exercising their pre-
emption or homestead rights
They have lived heretofore in the
eastern counties, have followed
different lines of business, and
have not succeeded. Their fell
low pioneers who took up claims
and became farmers are almost
universally in good circum-
stances; their homes are comfort
able; their farms highly improv-
ed; ey have laid something up
for rainy day; they no longer
fear an old age of poverty and
want; they have the means to
educate their children IN the best
of schools and colleges; the hopes
OF youth are realized, and they
enjoy serene and blissful old
age. This sight has had, and is
having a marked effect upon the
large class Of men who are still
poor, farmless and almost home
less. They have lived on our
eastern border, and have distrust-
ed every movement TO a new tier
OF western counties. There is
no rain there" they have been
saying for thirty years; "the soil
is thin and dry; if you 60 there
you will fail, and come back here
disappointed and penniless." The
Donipha2esunt man sneered al
the hig Of siries of Blown coun
~; tlt hin stesi man said that Ne
-" v..e Gee eM nothing; the
Nernaha man said Washin ton
county was good for nothing bu,
sheep. So We have been talking
all these :, ears, and now half OF
the people of Kansas live in the
counties ives: OF Washington
Clay, Dickinson, Marion, Butler
and Cowley. These half million
people have all gone there
against the advice eff us old set
tiers who have lived in Kansa:
from the beginning, who have
.known Kansas" and all abou,
it, and who were the only person:
that did know Kansas. Verify
there is no fool like an old fool
The old tools are now marching
west, to the extreme frontier, ant
and taking up claims. On theil
way out they go by the prosper
Gus farmers of Jewell. Osborn.
and Rice counties, whom the,
cautioned. only seven or eigh
years ago, against going to west
ern Kansas to starye.
The old Settler who is the new
homesteader, is very strong OF
the timber culture and irrigation
he will make . farm if he is com
PEELED to irrigate every foot of i,
and he will SNAKE it." Hope
is the leading trait in character
of the true Kansas man; ii re
mains with him in his dying hour
The old settler, just now Is the
most enthusiastic new settler
Pretty soon We shall hear of the
Finney county Pioneer Societ,
with John Speer and Judge L. d
Baily as charter members; Col. S
s. Prouty will do duty in the
same line in Ford County, anG
Noble l.. Prentis for Thoma:
county These men all belong
to the Kansas class who have
distrusted western Kansas, bu,
now believe in the whole state
and are not afraid of making /:
home in any part oft.
Judge Baily has recently TOLD
us that he had renewed his you'll
in Finney county; his last year
on a claim there, had been on,
of the happiest of his lite. HI
and John Speer (who came t,
Kansas in '54), now have adjoin
ing claims, a few miles west o
Garden City. Mrs. Neff, a daugh
ter of Mr.. Speer, and a very intel
ligent lady, has another adjoining
claim. The irrieating canal run.
by the side of their land, and
flsnsn yennts. HE hnn,o fohdor.