Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1897-01-02
AN EXAMPLE OF KANSAS PLUCK.

From the Kansas City star
The action of the Commissioners of
Lane county, Kansas, in declaring the
county insolvent, and in giving up the
attempt to continue paying interest
on its debt, cannot be surprising to
anyone who has had occasion to look
into the resources of the county. The
wonder is. rather. that the county
could have kept up its interest pay
ments for so long time in the face of
poor crops and a decreasing popula-
tion. The Indebtedness of Lane coun-
ty-including township and school
bonds-is nearly 500, 900, and the ag-
gregate value of the products of the
county in recent years has amounted
to only about $4,000. In other
words. the interest on the county's
bonds amounts to about - per cent of
the total value of the crops of the
county. How the people of Lane
have succeeded in carrying such a bur-
den up to. the present time passes
comprehension. In addition to this
interest on bonds there Is interest on
the money borrowed by individuals on
farms. which in itself must be d great
burden on people who. as a rule,
borrowed money to pay for their
farms. and to make improvements on
Them The population of Lane coun-
ty now cannot be over 1.500. 1t was
$500 seven years ago. and the value of
crops then was twice what it is now.
\ comparison of the Lane county
RunraS with those nf n
county in the reliable part of Kansas
emphasizes the hardships which the
people of western Kansas have to en-
dure in the way of debts Marion
county is fair example of the pros
porous part of Kansas. Marion coun-
tvs township, school and county in
debtedness amounts to fifth of the
value of its crops. The interest on
the debt is II per cent of the yalue of
the crops. The bonded debt of
Marion county amounts to S21 per
capita, and the value Of crops is SI20
per capita. In Lane county the bond
ed debt is almost sl20 per capita, and
the value of crops is less than so per
capita.
The fact that the people of Lane
county have for so long a time carried
their great burden of debts is a SPLEEN
did tribute to their honesty, and the
default which they are now compelled
to make is no discredit to the charac-
ter of the people of western Kansas.
1t rather serves to call attention to
their sterling integrity under unpar-
alleled difficultitieS. 1t is safe to say
that no community ever made more
heroic struggle to maintain its good
name and credit before the world.
The critics will declare, of course.
that the people of Lane county de-
serves little sympathy, since they
should never have been so foolish as
to create such a burdensome debt
But this debt was assumed during
boom times, when everything looked
promising, and when the issue of
bonds to secure railroads and to build
schoolhouSeS and make public i'm
proyements was looked upon as an
evidence of great enterprise. The
people who loaned the money on these
bonds are quite as much to blame as
the people who assumed the burden of
them. Certainly very poor Judgment
was shown both by the borrowers
and the lenders But that is a mat
ter which belongs to the past. The
fact remains that the Lane county
people have shown remarkable de-
termination to keep their credit I'M
stained, and their failure at last under
most distressing circumstances affords
no grounds for harsh criticism on the
character of the citizens of the conn
ty and of western Kansas.