The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-07-24
VERY ACRE M0RTGAGED
,or1NTIES WITH SMALL POPULA-
TON AND ENORMOUS DEBTS.

II. ana Ol6AT00 OuJ.
From the Boston Herald.
Topeka, KAN, July IL Southwestern
Kansas boasts of the shrewdest financiers
the world. How the people live and
shat they can hope for in the future have
uzzed the brains of the eastern part of the
tate for many years.
The attention which the recent killing OF
Dol. Sam Wood has turned toward the dis
rict bordering on No Mans Lald has re-
ulted in bringing facts before the public
,hich otherwise would have passed unno-
iced for years, and when the story of the
tempted development of Southwestern
Eansas is fully comprehended, the skllful
manner in which the east has been robbed
" the unsophisticated pioneers must COM
ca9d even the admiration Of their victims.
The Thirty-second judicial district is COM
,4sed of six countieS-Seward, Stevens and
horton. on the southerly line between Kan
as and Northumberland, and Grant, Haskell
md Stanton Joining them on the north.
Zach of these counties is twenty-seven miles
ouare. A few years ago every acre of
heir area belonged to the government.
since then they have been taken up by
,Ileged farmers, who, as soon as they could
ecnre titles from the land office, mortgaged
mem 10 lOAH CUM LpA all bu6 dkHuLS
would advance, and abandoned them.
Now the loan companies are in undlsputed
possession of 80 per cent. of the claims, and
bout the only remaining evidence that the
,ountry was ever populated are the ruins Of
rod houses and dugouts that dot the bread
)ain at regular intervals. Occasionally a
windmill is seen, which is a certain indloa-
ion that the little hut near by is occupied,
md that water is being pumped for the fam
H. fYsOr 20
eet.
Towns which were abiding places for
nery Of from 500 to 5000 people are now
other entirely deserted or nearly 3d.
Jounty seats which contain fully a hundred
business houses seldom have over three in
se and
THERE ARE ENOUGH BUILDINGS
% furnish two for each man, woman and
.hd resident. City lots, which were onca
demand at 81 500 each, and many Of
which have brought $4,000, now have no
'alue, and their owners do not pretend to
)ay taxes upon them.
These counties were organized In pros
,erous times, when eastern loan companies,
through their agents, were dealing out
money by thousands Of dollars to bogus
etters. The population was then large
nough to entltle them to county organiza-
ion under the state law, while now there is
lot one that has half enough. Abortive
attempts at farming have almost invaria-
ply proved complete failures, and the only
srop that has been raised has been one of
bonds and mortgages.
In Seward county, which is traversed by
The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail-
'oad. county debt has been contracted for
nearly $l50,000, ana there is not a single
public Improvement TO show for it. Bonds
we're issued for S35, 900 to purchase right of
8ay for roads. The legislature in 1889
declared every section line in the state a
public highway, and Seward county issued
bonds to pay settlers $40 per acre for
"trip of land thirty feet wide on either side
II the section lines.
Nonresident property owners did not
share in this distribution of the public
money, and the loan companies are now
paying the interest on the bonds Every
county, municipal, township and school
district organization has voted all the bonds
taot the market would stand, and in many
cases more than it would stand School,
houses which cost from So, 900 to $4,000
stand out prominently in the midst OF va
can't houses in every settlement, and in
some cases they loom up on the prairie
mIles away from every other building, a
teacher or pupil never entering their doors.
Sugar bonds have been one Of the favor
tie commodities in which
THESE FINANCIAL NAPoLEONs
have trafficked. Four fine looking mills
cave been erected on tho branch Of the
Rock Island road which peuetrates this
'eg.o1, each al cost Of $1S00l, and two of
hem have never turned a wheel, while the
remaining two we're only operated for about
aReei, or long euought0 get possession OF
.he bonds. One Of these mills. located at
Anneola, could not make sugar, even
4 WREN supplied with sorghum, aud its mar
s ager hauled quantity Of sugar there in
barrels from Dodge City, ran it through tie
Eettles, and. showing the product. claimed
aud received the bonds.
81 The township of Voorhees, in Stevens
county last year voted sugar bonds to the
AMOUNT Of $4,000 to subscribe to the stock
M the Voorhees, Syrup and Sugar Company,
the vote standing / for TO against. The
bonds were issued and turned over to u
director OF the company, but voorhees,
0Wnship bonds were not in demand and he
could not dispose of them. Finally he closed
acoutract with an Indiana windmill COM
pny to exchange them for enough wind
NILS to supply the directors of the sugar
company, but before the trade was made
le was enjoined by the courts from dis
posing Of the bonds for that purpose
Niagara township in the same county
Nntalns five families in which there are
aeVen voters. They voted $l5 900 worth of
ugsr bonds, but, being unable to sell them,
0gIed $1,000 for a township poorhouse,
winch would have been more, ten times
yer, than all of their private houses were
worth. These also failed to find a pur-
.asser, and the other day they wrote to the
attorney general and
INQUIRED IF 1T WOULD BE LEGAL
Nvoe school bonds for well, windmill
snd $50 barrel tank.
IN Morton county there is little jail
WIN q steel cage, the entire structure being
IoAEO feet and one-story high. This was
erected at an expense of s., 600 The sane
oIhpany at about the same time built an
T TeE jail, an exact fac smile of the one in
~OrIon county, in Hugoton, and Stevens
county paid 81, 900 for it.
., rive cents each is paid by these counties
~ ele scaps OF jack rabbits and gophers,
~ le thrifty people have done a thriving
SS e 1oo N these staples. Stevens county has
800 SoDVyV Invested in them, and Grant county
d. due mat sum. The same scalps have done
sly J III nearly all counties III the Thirty
second district.
fo1n SA and stationery companies have
s vlHu m county clerks excellent customers
rI 'ouits IN the court houses, which, as 8
b,Ts are leased buildings, are filed with
O-u'gds OF books that have never been
Gpenel, and never will be. but the officers
cba., Tue commission at the tune of the pur-
w.I The banks of the state are flooded
No Nunty scrip. which is only drug on
lo.Ia ket at 80 cents on the dollar. the
i7; no'a.ure having repealed the law author
Rs Nouhty commissioners to issue funding
rert1 Win which TO redeem county war
bsnk boa u.HeaIIy every county seat the local