The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-04-19
A KANSAS POOR FARM.
Cost $4,000 and Has Had Only One
Pauper to Care for In Fourteen
Years.

| Years.
Kansas officials say that Kansas has
fewer paupers, according to its popu-
lation, than any other state in the
union While it is admitted that Kan
sas once went broke and was an
object of charity, the people of Kan
sas now say they have money to
burn" and that there is an occupa-
ton for everybody within the Dor
swept by grasshoppers, but that
was in the dead and forgotten
past. The Kansas of to-day is an
entirely different state. An example
of the present prosperous condition of
the state has just come to the surface,
says the New York Herald. In 1886
Finney county spent $4,000 for a
county poor farm, and during the IA
years since there has been but one
pauper to take care of.
The years sc and 81 were the years
of hard times" in Kansas. The state
was overrun with tramps and beggars.
Through a succession of crop failures
the farmers had become bankrupt.
Their money had been used up, and
many of them-most of them, in fact
were in actual need of the necessa-
ries of life. The failure of the farmers
had resultant effect upon the mer-
chants and business men in the towns
and cities. To express the situation
tritely Kansas was dead broke" 1t
| nh l.. l,4 4
his ''army of the unemployed" in Kan
sas and started with it on march to
Washington to demand" relief from
the national lawgivers.
Together with many other counties
of the state Finney county voted to
provide big poor farm, which would
give employment and shelter to the
large number of unemployed. After
the vote had been submitted and
carried, the county commissioner pur-
chased from A. II. Burtis. afterward
representative from that county, a
tract of 292 acres of rich land. The
price paid for the land was $4,000,
Seven thousand more was put into
the farm for improvements, making
total of $4,000. The farm was di-
vided into large number of small
er farms, and on each sub-farm was
erected house large enough to ac-
commodate a dozen persons or more.
Each subfarm was under the control
of a disappointment.
Having thus made elaborate prepa-
rations for the shelter, care and en-
ployment of its paupers, the county
waited in vain for many years for an
applicant. 1t so happened that the
year following the purchase of the
poor farm was very prosperous one,
especially in Finney county. There
was an immense crop, money was
plentiful, and there was employment
for everyone who wanted it. The
same condition has existed ever
year since. In all these years only one
man has ever applied for care at the
county poor farm of Finney county.
He was an old man by the name of
Henry Hook. He only remained there
a few months during the severe win
ter weather, after which, having Sc
cured position, he left. He is now
employed in a hotel at Garden City,
the county seat of Finney county.
Charles &dams was the first man
placed in charge of the poor farm of
Finney county. He had been a farmer
who, through crop failures, had lost
his farm. He contracted with the
county commissioners to assume
charge of the farm. 10 take care of all
paupers applying Tor care without eX-
pense to the county, paying the eX-
penses out of the proceeds of the
farm. AS no paupers applied he had
no expenses to meet. Although per-
fectly honest with the county, he
made fortune out of his contract.
One day it leaked out that Adams had
saved up bank account of something
over 5000 out of the proceeds of the
county farm. A row was started, and
the county commissioners removed
him. A closer contract was made
with the next superintendent, but he
also made a fortune out of it, and was
removed under pressure from the out
side. Then the county commissioners
made contract with the probate
judge of the county to act as superin-
tendent of the poor farm, he to be
paid an additional salary for such SUI
perintendence, to have rent for him
self and family free and to turn the
proceeds from the farm into the coun-
ty treasury. Since the time of this
contract the income from the poor
farm has ranged from $4,000 to $1,000
annually to the county. This is the
condition of the poor farm of Finney
county to-day. 1t is still awaiting
paupers. The present superintendent
is Probate Judge j. E. Dawson. He
lives there with his family, but being
busy with his official duties he has
a subsuperintendent to look after the
farm. The poor farm is located about
three miles out of Garden City.
Bicentenary of the Sweet Pea.
The sweet pea is said to have an in
ternational bicentenary celehI alton
this year. 1t was introduced into Brit
ish gardens from it's home in eastern
| Europe Just 200 years ago The fine