The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-12-12


Men Have to Say About II.
An idea originated in the brain Of some
Populist to disorganize the thirty-eignt
most western counties Of Kansas and re-
| organize them into four large counties.
The main object, ii seems, is to convert
the western third of the state into cat
tie raising district. A bill embracing the
idea will be introduced in the incoming
legisls ture, and 1t will attract enough
attention to make it the most conspicu-
Gus bill Of the session.
A reporter for the Eagle asked several
persons their opinion of the proposition
yesterday, and all but one seemed to
think it was a good thing.
Mr.. Charles H. Brooks, who has legal
business in at least twenty of the coun-
ties for an eastern company that has
investments there, said in substance:
81 believe the proposition is a good
one, and ought to be enacted into law.
1t seems to me absurd, as it must TO
everybody else, to maintain a county
government in a great many of our
western counties. Take, for instance.
Barber county, and that is one of the best
western Kansas counties. There are
5000 people in it, and yet the expenses Of
the county are practically as large as
this county, with It's 40,000 people. What
is Barber county today but vast cattle
ranch, and it is mighty well for it that
it is. 1 was down to Medicine Lodge a
few days ago and I was informed that
there are something like 800, 900 head Of
cattle in the county. The Grand hotel
looked like old times again. I saw about
twenty men there and they were all cat
tie men,. Years ago Barber county was
used exclusively for stock raising, but
the farmers wanted it and crowded the
cattle men out.
The farmers experimental with agri-
culture, and after spending ten or twelve
of the best years of their life at it, the
only result was to prove that the cattle
men were right when they said the coun-
try was valuable for nothing but grazing.
1t was terrible experiment and one that
was costly, as it destroyed the hopes and
ambitions Of many man who might
have gone somewhere else or in some 9th
er business and make a success.
One of the great troubles in the sue
cess Of the proposition is the heavy
bonded Indebtedness. 1 am credibly in
formed that if Kiowa county, as a
whole. was sold under the hammer today,
ii would not bring enough money TO pay
its bonded indebtedness The school dis
trict taxes are a great burden. In sew
eral school districts there is only one
family. I know of one case where there
was only one family in the district that
had children of school age. The father
was a school director and he employed
his own wife at $40 per month to teach
her own children. I have heard Of an
other district where a farmer wanted
q 81, Ii Il -
sew scattering friends, they voted school
district bonds to dig q school house we'll,
Ind erect a windmill, and that is how
this clever gentleman got water for his
stock l believe. the new proposition
would be a good thing for the state at
large. 1t would cause useless land TO bel
utilized for grazing purposes, and thus
not only bring in taxable wealth in the
shape Of stock, but it would create mar
ket for the corn and some Of the other
products of the counties in the middle
west of the state"
Mr.. James r. Meade, who explored
western Kansas more than a third of
century ago, and who has been acquaint-
ed with it ever since. said: II think the
proposition is a good one. 1 have al
ways said that God intended western
Kansas and eastern Colorado for a buff
falo range. A great many years ago
told the officers of the Santa Fe road
that western Kansas was not fit for ag-
rficulture-that it was a cow country
and they said. Ugh! Time, think, has
proven that was right"
County Attorney-elect Sam Amidon
said: 81 believe the proposition Is a
mighty good one. The only trouble would
be the bonded Indebtedness Of the coun-
ties. That would be hard matter TO
settle in the reorganization OF the coun-
ties. II that could be settled. / believe
the proposition would be good thing all
around
Col. Nicholas Bird said: 81 think the
is a good one. I don't know
about the details. but the
scheme in general looks feasible
Judge David NJ. Dale of the district
court said: The proposition is too non
sensical for discussion, either from
legal or property standpoint"