The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-06
SIMPSON At HOME.
EX-COngressman Settles Right
Down to Farming.
Will Give His Personal Atten-
tion to Stock Raising.
HE HAS SAVED MONEY.
While in Congress He Paid Off
His Debts.
How He Has Been Assisted by
His Wife.

MEDICINE LODGE, Kan, April g.
Jerry Simpson is back home again after
his congressional career, and has glided
from the position of statesman to farmer
without any commotion.
Simpson arrived a few days ago and
was met at the depot by small party
of friends who welcomed him back to
Kansas. He made a few inquiries about
some of his neighhors. and ordered
livery team and carriage to take himself
and wife out to ''the ranch" The ex-
congressman owns $40 acres, distant six
miles from Medicine Lodge. About 100
acres are in cultivation and the rest Is
grazing land, upon which feed annually
about 200 head of cattle.
Mr.. Simpson has made arrangements
for enlarging his house and will soon
take UP his residence on the farm and
give its management his personal atten-
ton. He will make d specially of rails
ing cattle and hogs for the Chicago mar
ket When he can get away for a week
or two he will deliver the lecture which
he is now preparing on financial issues,
taking d strong stand for the free coin
age of silver at the ratio of 16 to l.
When Jerry Simpson was elected to
] congress in 1890. he was heavily involv-
ed. his small farm of 100 acres mort
gagged for all it would sell for, and other
obligations outstanding sufficient to
cover his first years salary. Since that
time he has purchased and paid for 4o0
acres of land, paid off his personal debts
and owes 81 300 to a mortgage company
He has marketable cattle which he could
sell now for more than would meet that
! obligation. Simpson is a fnancler. 1t
is conceded by all parties that Simpson
has made more of himself and has saved
! more money in the four years he has
j been in Washington than any man ever
/ elected to congress from Kansas. While
this is true he has been better advertised
! tn an any man in the United States.
! Not all of the success that has come
| to the 'ssockless statesman" is due to his
/ own good Judgment and management.
! His intelligent, industrious and economi-
! cal little wife has been to him a guiding
star From the sod cabin of Barber
county to the society OF the national
capital she has been his devoted COM
| panion and helpmeet. When poverty
and destitution stared them in the face in
the early days in southwestern Kansas
and hope was almost gone she cheered
! her husband with the prophecy that
better days were in store for them. And
when her husband discovered that he
was a member of congress Mrs. Simpson
| advised him to be economical and save
his salary for rainy day This he did
and is now able to live comfortably
whether silver is coined free at the ratio
of is to or not.
An incident in the history of the Simp-
son family will illustrate the character OF
the devoted wife of the ex-congressman.
1t was in 1884 when they removed from
Jackson county to their present home
near here. At that time Simpson had
$4,000 in cash. He bought large trac
of land and then traded the most of it fol
Arkansas cattle. He was making money
when the terrific blizzard of the wiutel
of 1856 swept over this country, which
caused the death of thousands of head o.
cattle. Nearly all of Simpsons hero
died from starvation and freezing, anG
he was left penniless. When the storm
had subsded Mrs. Simpson. in the hope
of saving something out of the wreck
went out ON the bleak hillsides ane
skinned nearly 100 head of the dead ami
mails and shipped the hides to Kansa
I (.itv