The Republican journal., 1898-03-03
Kansas "Prosperity" Stories.

The manager of one of the largest coal
companies in Kansas told me that in No
vember last he went into the flour mill OF
an acquaintance in Larned, Pawnee
| County, beyond the centre of the State and
almost on the border of the ''short grass
country He met farmer past middle age
coming out of the mill. The farmer was
tucking little piece of white paper into
his pocket. The man had been in such
straits of poverty that his trousers were
patched with burlap. His boots We're
broken, and through the holes his bare
feet showed. The man 5 attire was really
that of a tramp.
| ''Do you see that farmer going out?'
said the miller to the coal man.
"4 es," said the visitor
Glow much money do YOU suppose
just paid him in a check?''
"Oh. $500 OF $500
''Wel, | gave him a check for $1,000"
That $1,000 represented only part of the
wheat raised on $1,000 farm. The farmer
had 1000 more bushels to sell That man
had owned his farm clear, but had little
working capital. He decided that under
no consideration would he run in debt.
His family lived on the dairy products of
his farm, and went without those things
for which cash must be paid usually.
The first thing he did with his money
from last years wheat was to fit out his
family in clothes, and then he went in f, r
some luxuries. He bought two carriages
and a piano. Then, to show his faith in
Kansas farming, despite droughts, he put
the rest of his money, except the receipts
from the 1000 bushels of wheat held in re-
serve, into more land.
There is farmer in town near the CEN
tire of the State-I am not at liberty to give
his name-who had a section of land, $40
acres. 1t was worth probably $1,000 He
had mortgage on it for $4,000, and Bank
Commissioner Breidenthal had been urg-
ing the bank which held the mortgage to
have the Indebtedness reduced He re-
garded the mortgage as a rather shaky
security. Early in October he received
letter from the bank officials SAYING that
the farmer had raised SIT, 600 worth of
wheat on that land had paid eff the $4,000
mortgage, and had bought an ad Joining
quarter section of land for $500. He had
cleared, deducting expenses, S14, 500 on
his wheat, and he had $4,000 left after
making his purchases, with which to i'm
prove his farm and to lay aside for a rainy
day, which in Kansas means another
drought.
Out in Thomas County, in the ''short
grass country, lives a former member of
the Legislature. He had a $50 acre farm
Its value was not more than $1,000 The
hard times sorely pressed him. He went
to Topeka, the State capital, and hung
around his former associates, fairly beg
ging them to give him some kind of Job,
even if it was worth only few hundred
dollars year He failed to get place,
and went home discouraged. He put in
crop of wheat on his land-there was moth
ing else for him to do-and, almost hope
less, he sat down to watch it grow 1t did
grow. and when he had harvested it be
got $4,000 for it. That man is no longer
looking for political job.
In Sheridan County, adjoining Thomas,
there is a man who had half section of
land, 320 acres, on which he owed $780,
He put 800 acres of his farm into wheat.
He raised 1000 bushels, which he sold at
IS cents a bushel. bringing him in $3.50.
He paid off his $500 mortgage, paid $500
for whole section OF land adjoining his
farm, and had $3.50 for improvements and
reserve fund. Franklin Matthews,
in Harper's Weekly.