Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-12-17

not good and no work to he had. He |
was compelled in 1880 to seek elsewhere
for employment and, leaving his family
on the claim, he went to New Mexico and
worked nine months on the railroad. The
following spring ne went to Denver and
obtained work there for several months.
In the summer of 1881 he worked for E.
L. DRAKE. neighbor, in harvest and re-
ceived 70 cents day as compensation,
boarding at home except at dinner. In
the summer of 1879 he went sixty miles
west of Banner and gathered bones and
hauled them to Wa-Keeney. Shipping
bones was quite an industry in those
days and about the only way we had to
obtain little ready money. There were
several dealers in Wa-Keeney and prices
ranged from Sc to S. per ton. The high
est price Mr.. Courtney ever received for
bones was $40 ton paid by DR.. F. 81.
Conger and he was required to trade out
the amount received.
Mr.. Courtney helped organize the
county and helped elect the first county
officers and has been identified with all
of the material interests of the county.
He thinks there has been considerable
change for the better, as regards seasons,
ETC., since he came here, although the
grass is not nearly so good. They used
to NOW the buffalo grass for hay and Sc
cured any quantity of it. When he first
came here there was not a weed to be
seen-nothlng but thick mat of buffalo
grass. Now there is more or less blue
stem and in some localities the weeds
have almost choked ont the native grass.
As buffalo grass thrives best in dry
climate Mr.. Courtney thinks this is one
of the best evidences of change in the
seasons.
Mr.. Courtney is an old soldier and a
member of Captain Trego post. Three
years ago he was elected sheriff of Trego
county and was reelected year ago.
He came here thirteen years ago with
nothing but team and pair of willing
hands. He now owns $50 acres of good
land and the residence where he resides
in the city.
DANIEL COUNTRYMAN.
D. Countryman is another of Trego
county's pioneers, first coming to Wa
Keeney on May 14th, 1880, and on the
following day Theo. Gavitt located him
on section 2S, township IL, range %,
about nine miles northeast of Wa-Kee-
ney, where he now resides with his FAM
lily. The following day he filed a soldiers
declaratory statement drawn up by A.
FL. Blair.
G. 81. Gibbs, Hiram M. Shaw, Theo.
Gavitt and William Burns were his near
est neighbors- of them now resid-
ing in Trego county. G.. w. F. Street
lived about four miles from Mr.. Coun-
tryman and was considered neighbor.
In fact all we're considered neighbors
who lived within ten or twelve miles.
The school house was distant five
miles. The first teacher was Mr.. Scho-
field.
Times were very close. Mr.. Country
man resided here seven years without
owning team or COW, but he stuck to
his land. 1t was almost impossible to
get work at any price for the reason that
nobody had any work to do and no money
to pay for labor or improvements. The
first work he found to do was for J. w.
Wilkin and he received $3.50 for a half
months work. To our reporter he stated
that during those early days he saw the
last crust of bread disappear without
knowing where the next was to come
from and without cent in his pocket.
In addition to all these hard times Mr..
Countrymau fell into we'll 45 feet deep.
He fell from top to bottom and miracu-
lousy escaped with his life although he
had large doctors bill to pay, and other
expenses incident upon such an accident.
In answer to an interrogatory Mr..
Countryman said that there was an i'm
provement in the climate. When he first
came here there was no blue stem. moth
ing but buffalo grass, but now there are
large patches of blue stem that can be
mown every year for hay. Instead of the
rains descending in deluges as they did
we now have gentle rains at shorter in
tervals and it penetrates the ground. We
don't have hot winds as we used to years
ago. Have seen corn 3 and A feet high,
strong, vigorous, dark green in color lit
orally wilt and dry up in day and now
we can raise pretty good corn. So far as
vegetables are concerned we can raise al
most anything We plant.
Mr.. Countryman thinks this is as good
wheat country, one year with another as
he ever saw. He enjoys much better
health here than in other places and-all
in all-he is well satisfied to remain here
which he expects to do.
This year he raised 1,5OO bushels OF
grain besides other produce. He has a
good farm of 100 acres besides stock and