The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-21

survivors were the fittest. They turn
ed their attention to what an eminent
Kansan recently declared the Lord in
tended western Kansas to be--a stock
country. The third period of the eVO-
luton of this section has come. 1t GER
tainIy looks as if the western counties
have found their destiny.
Two residents of two of the extreme
counties, Norton and Stanton, were at
the state capital a few days ago. An
official, having in mind, perhaps, the
former annual plea for help from this
part of Kansas, asked each of the resi-
dents how many families there were
in his county who were not fully able
to take care of themselves The answer
was in each case two.
Western Kansas is coming into prom
inence as a stock country, but as a stock
country with a character of its own.
The evolution produced a peculiar re-
sultIf the attempt had not been made
to farm, and if the eastern investors
had not been f1eeced, this would have
become a stock country, but very diff
ferent kind of a stock cOuntry.It would
have been divided into great ranches
The stOckmen would have been few,
with townships for pastures, and with
herds numbering 5000. Instead of that
western Kansas is divided by the peO-
pie VINO remain into a large NUMBER or
small ranches with herds ranging from
100 to 500. That the rule of small
ranches is far the best for the state
goes without argument.
The line between the farming and the
stock raising sections is clearly drawn.
In the western counties the stockman
owns a quarter section, on which he
has his cOrrals, and where he raises
cane, or kaffir corn, or alfalfa, or some
forage crop to keep his stock in flesh
when the blizzards rage For his range
he depends on the lands which the
mortgage companies were obliged to
take under foreclosure, and which af-
ford him free pasturage.
A Kansas railroad builder, who con-
structed a line into this part of the
state, when there was a settler on ev-
cry quarter, and when it looked as if
this was to be an agricultural country,
talked of the new conditions.
Those who stuck to their locations
and who went into stock are making a
living he said. THAT was the key to
the whole situation. Mortgage compa-
MES loaned from $500 to $500 on each 16O
acres, assuming an agricultural value.
Good quarters can now be bought at 81
and $l.5O an acre, with some improve
ments. The land generally is worth
about so cents an acre for grazing OF
course the loan companies cannot get
out what they loaned. They have fore
closed and taken possession of part of
the land. Some of the mortgages still
stand, the companies being unwilling to
pay the cost of foreclosure. Occasion
ally the stock men lease portions of this
land. More generally they occupy it
with their herds and pay nothing. These
stOckmen are breeders and they have
run up the price of calves so that it is
almost impossible to get young animals
Recently there has been added on
quite a scale of the sheep industry and
it promises to cut a figure in western
Kansas hereafter.
Those who think prices too high for
stocking with cattle are going into
sheep. This is a good sheep country.
My judgment is that sheep growing will
develop considerable proportions here.
I know of two parties who have
brought 5000 sheep into the vicinity of
Cheney and a third who is preparing to
place 1900 sheep in the vicinity of Cal
rO'
Eventually the land in these counties
must pass to the ownership of the
stOckmen. At present it is used by them
without much regard to title. The in
vestment companies and eastern lend
ers, on whom it was unlOaded will have
to let it go at what it is worth, and
charge the difference between that and
what it cost them to profit and loss.
Some of these StOckmen are already
buyers, and some of the investment
companies, recognizing the inevitable,
are closing out their holdings Mr.. Dav-
idsOn, the agent of one of these invest
ment companies, with headquarters in
Wichita, said:
There is not a mail that I don't get
inquiries from these western counties
for the prices of lands held there by
eastern lenders These inquiries come
from the stOckmen. I've sold quarters
recently as high as $500. The loans on
which our foreclosures took place ran
they cannot depend on the lands re-
naming unOccupied and they are buy
ing in order to shape up their pastures.
Free pasturage, with water, is getting
scarce. It is almost all taken
Mr.. Oscar z. Smith, of the Smith &
Allen Realty company, of Wichita, has
been engaged in appraising lands in
these western counties.
There are more cattle and they are
in better shape than has been the case
since the early cattle days of years
ago." Mr.. Smith said. L have just been
down into COmanche county. The pop
ulation is about 400 and the entire coun-
ty is divided into stock ranches. new
er saw such nice fat cattle in my life
before. Some of the ranchmen have as
much as 200 acres of alfalfa They have
fenced in pastures of 10000 acres. The
land doesn't belong to them, but the
whole county is fenced. know of one
pasture three miles wide and 25 miles
long, all fenced A man may own a
section $40 acres. He will fence that
and 10000 to $4,000 acres with it. The
land belongs to the eastern money lend
ers- Not long ago a man came out to
one of these counties where he owned
three-QuarterS. He found his quarters
incIosed in one of these pastures, and
told the men who were using his land
that he thought they ought to allow
him something.
'' If you don't want it in the pasture,
take it out the stOckmen replied.
" How asked the eastern owner.
Z" Fence it, the stockmen suggested.
Yes retorted the easterner, and
as soon as I leave you'll cut the wire
Il know of one man." Mr.. Smith con-
tinued who owns only so feet of
ground, and has fenced a pasture of
OO00 acres. We appraised some of this !
grazing land in COmanche county at 75
cents an acre. The taxes annually are
SAY a quarter. This thing will run on
until the land passes from the invest
ment companies to the stockmen at it's
legitimate value for grazing. The cat
tlemen will pay what the land is worth
for their purposes, and the investment
companies will have to let go of it at
that
q have known of several cases where
hnI ~ to