The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-02-17
KANSAS PROSPERITY" STORIES.

The manager OF one of the largest coal
companies in Kansas told me that In No.
vembsr last he went into the flour mill
Of sn acquaintance In Larned, Pawues
county, beyond tho csntrs of the state and
almost on the border ot the ''short grass"
country. He met farmer past middle
ego coming out of the mill. The farmer
was tucking piece Of white paper into
his pocket. The man had been In such
straits Of poverty that his trousers were
patcned with bulrsp. His boots were
broken, ana through the holes his bare
feet showed. The mans attire was really
tnat OF tramp.
Ibid you SEQ that farmer going out"
said tho miller to the coal man
"Yes. said the visitor.
"IIow much money do you suppose
just paid him, in u chcsk?"
"Oh $500 or $780,
well. gave him q check for $1,000.
That $1,000 represented only part of the
wheat raised on $1,000 farm. The far
msr rad 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 GARY pro-
ducts of his farm. and went without those
things for which cash must bv paid nsu-
slly. The first ii ing he did With his
money from last years wheat was to fit
out his family in Clothes and then he
went in for some mxuries. lie bought
two carriages and piano. Then to show
his faith in Kansas farming despite
droughts, he put the rest Of mis- money,
except the receipts from the 1000 bushels
of wheat held in reserve, into more land.
There is farmer in o town near the
centre of the state--I am not at liberty
tn give his name-who had "a section Of
land. $40 acres. IL was worth probably
5000. lie had mortgage OIL 1t for st0O0
and Bank Commissioners Breidenihal had
been urging the bank which held the
mortgage TO have the Indebtedness re
duced. He regarded the mortgage as n
rather shaky security. Early in October
officials saying that the fsrmer had
raised $1,000 worth Of wheat on that
land had paid Off the $4,000 mortgage and
had bought an adjoining quarter section
of land for $500. He had cleared, deduct
ing expenses. Sl4 $50 on his wheat. ard
he had $4,000 left after making his puT-
chases, with which to improve his farm
and to lay asids for rainy day, which
in Kansas means another drought
Oua in Thomas county in the short
grass country, lives a former member
of the Legislature. He tad 350-nore
farm. Its value was not more than $1,000.
1he hard times soiely pressed him. Tie
went to Topeka. the stats capital, and
hung around his former associates
k%an Of job. even If 1t was worth only
few hundred dollars year. he failed
To get n place and went home discour-
aged. HIS put in a crop CT wheat on his
land-there was nothing else for him to
do-and, almost helpless he sat down to
watch 1t grow. 1t did grow. and when
he had harvested 1t he got $90C0 for IL.
That man is no longer looking for q
political Job.
In Sheridan county, adjoining Thomas.
there is nan who had q falf-section Of
land, $40 acres, on which he owed $500.
He put 300 acres of has farm into wheat.
He raised 1000 bushels. which he sold at
65 cents bushel, bringing bin In $3.50.
He Paid of his $500 MORTGAGE, paid S250O
for whole section CT land adjoining his
| farm, and had $3.50 for improvements
ana reserve fund. Franklin Matthews
in HaIpsr's Weekly.