The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-07-03
BRYAN rs 4 FARMER
He Has a Nebraska Farm of
Thirty Acres.
INTERESTED IN POULTRY
His Rural Life Compared With
Dick BANDS.


New York, July IA special to the
Herald says: If William ]. Bryan
has luck he will be nominated for presi-
! dent in Kansas City not as William ].
| Bryan, the boy orator. nor as William ].
Bryan, free silver advocate. but as Will
lam J. Bryan, farmer.
Silver Dick" Bland, as a conspicuous
| southwestern candidate for the Demo-
cratic presidential nomination, made great
political capital, just prior to the Chicago
| convention of 1886, through his simple farm
life. If the nomination had been awarded
! on that ground alone, Mr. Bland, aid not
AR. Bryan, would have been the nominee.
Students Of politics there are who see
in Mr.. Bryan's present occupation an imi-
tat1on of the simple tactics upon which
the Bland managers depended, so much
four years ago. They admit, however,
that Mr.. Bryan in 1900 has a much surer
chance Of landing the prize than Mr..
Bland had in 1886. although he did not
! have this many weeks before the Chicago
convention of that year.
Lincoln, Neb., will await the result of the
Democratic national convention of this
year in much the same spirit as Mr.. Bland
four years ago awaited the outcome of
the Chicago convention. With sboth ears
listening to the deliberations of the as
sembled delegates, Mr.. Bryan will have
his eyes fastened on his growing crops,
his fancy chickens and his specially Sc
lected landscape. In these respects he will
await the result of the coming conven-
ton as MIR. Bland awaited the result of
the Chicago gathering. But Mr.. Bryan,
unlike Mr. Bland, viii have the assur-
ance in advance that the convention will
do what he wants done, will omit to do
what he wants left undone and will nomi-
nate him for president without let or him
derance.
Already a month has elapsed since Mr..
Bryan announced that he would quit pub
lie speaking and retire to his Nebraska
surroundings to await the action of the
Kansas City convention During that
LlCnth he has turned farmer almost ex-
clusively. He is not a farmer on the ex-
tseu45ive scale that his fr. end Bland was,
bat he is just as enthusiastic a man with
the hoe as ever Bland was. Silver
Dick had 100 acres in his Missouri farm
when he sought the presidency, whereas
the '@Silver Knight has but thirty acres
in his Nebraska homestead But he is
ever bit as enthusiastic about farming as
Bland was and his friends claim for him
a distinction which Bland never had. Mr..
Bryan invented and constructed his own
chicken coop, while, as far as historians
relate, Bland never did more than chase
chickens into a coop constructed by some
other man without presidential aspira-
lions.
Mr.. Bryan's friends. ever eager to en-
thuse over the fancies of their leaders
mind, are repeating with much delight his
story of how he dectied upon the pur-
chase Of his present farm. Here it is:
Il bought the first five acres" Mr.
Bryan says, seven years ago. Mrs
Bryan and T had been driving and we
stopped here 70 admire the scenery. We
paid 800 an acre for the first five acres
We figured it this way: the scenery is
worth 500 an acre, the climate 500 and
the soil 500
After he had bought the scenery and the
climate in the first installment, Mr..
Bryan awaited his opportunity to acquire
more Of the soil st the rate of $50 an
acre So well did he succeed that It was
not long before he had increased his hold
irgs to thirty acres, including scenery,
climate and all other appurtenances to
quiet life in thecountry. Now he is happy
in the possession thereof, and he is shar-
ing his satisfaction with his wife and
their three chill en-.
Mr.. Bryan's farm, according to his call
culations, has cost him just S2,500, iucldu-
ing scenery and climate. He has not
been as lavish in expenditures for i'm
provements as Eland was on his Missouri
farm. Bland spent so much money in i'm
provements that his friends correctly pre-
dicted that he never would be able to get
his money back. But Bryan, evidently
keeping a closer watch on his investment,
has been less lavish in his expenditures,
although he is able TO raise on his farm
more than enough vegetables and butter
and eggs to supply his own table and that
of his caretaker. In fact, he has garden
sass" TO market, and in a way has as
keen an interest in the market price Of
produce as his next door neighbor
Mr.. Bryan, although keeping IN close
touch with the Democratic leaders at his
Office and home in Lincoln. makes a trip
daily to his farm. After looking over his
kilograms and perusing his morning mail
he drives out TO his farm, and spends sew
eral hours day there. He takes espe-
c!a3 pride in his chicken coop and ex-
plains its merits to all corners. Mr.. BRYAN
hlushingiy admits that he is the inventor
of the plank door through which his
chickens gain admittance and egress.