The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-19
Eastern Firm Files Suit Against
Garden City.
Wants Defaulted Interest on
WaterwOrks Bonds.
CITY THO MONEY
Treasury Kept Empty BY Set
thing Boom Debts.
The City is Growing and Will
Soon Soon Be Prosperous.

Garden City, May 19.-Messrs. Bentley
& Hatfield nave filed in the federal
court at Wichita for an eastern client
suit against the city of Garden City.
The action is brought upon defaulted
interest, in the sum of S5,46O, on an
issue Of S32, 900 of waterworks bonds,
issued by the city of Garden City in
boom times, and sold upon the eastern
bond market. The city paid interest on
these bonds for a number of years, but
a loss Of population, decrease in values,
and her people going south into Okla
homa, and her taxes being poorly paid
about three or four years ago she de-
faulted in her interest payments.
The history Of Garden City and her
improvements. and her debts, is but
a repetition of the history of many OF
the enterprising, rustHnS towns
throughout the state, and especially OF
western KansaS.
At a state fair at Topeka. in 1881,
there was an exhibit of Garden City
and Finney county, which astonished
every visitor at the state fair. The eX-
hibit was made uD of vegetables OF
every kind and description, that could
be raised in that country, and was
raised in Garden City and Ffnney
county. then unknown, and was ex-
hibited by Buffalo Jones This exhibit
was the result Of irrigation. Thereafter
followed the irrigation agitation Of
which Garden City was the head and
front. and then followed the wild rush
Of people into Finney county Garden
CITY. Scott county and Garfield county.
and all along the line of the Missouri
Pacific railway and Santa Fe route,
clear through the western part of the
state to the Colorado line. The ire
pressible Buffalo Jones used every
means of advertising Garden City and
Hinney county.
In 1894 the town was crowded with
people. the hotels were crowded, and
the restaurants were full. Buffalo
Jones at that time was at the height of
his political and financial fame and
a erected the Buffalo hotel Ed
lauck and other Wichita people were
there. Many Of the enterprising men
OF eastern Kansas went to Garden city,
people came from Illinois, Iowa and
eastern states; the town grew and
hourished. Milt. Brown was there, Bob
Hopkins was there. but the principal
and foremost Of the boomers of the
town was Buffalo Jones. He had a
herd of buffalo, a herd Of deer, and a
herd of q nOndescript animal known as
the catelO. he advertised Garden City
and Finney county far and near.
But the Oklahoma country opened,
and dry years came, the hot winds
rushed across the pratries Of Flnney
county; Garfield county shriveted uI
and became attached to Finney county
ana maze q portion LuElGOI. but many
Of the old boomers remained; they stay
ed with the town. The town lost pOpu-
lation sadly, put some enterprisina
men in that locality thought that the
Arkansas valley. which widens at this
point, would raise alfalfa successfully
This industry grew, and today Garden
City is the headquarters of the alfalfa
raisers of western Kansas. Immense
fields of alfalfa stretch across the coun-
try OF all sides from Garden City. Fol
lowing upon the alfalfa industry came
the hog industry, and the cattle indus
try, and then the sheep industry.
1t is an old and trite saying. thai
Cod makes the country, but man makes
the town" The country around Garder
City is making Garden City. Finney
county today. with Garfield county at
tached, IS one of the greatest cOuntie;
of western Kansas, and while GardeI
City Is deeply in debt at this time. ant
her taxes large, it is increasing in popu-
lation and material wealth all the time
and viii soon be in a prosperous o.
dition. While her Waterworks are larg,
enough for a town of y, 1000 people, still
st has served her purpose, and will servi
her purposes, and while the town maj
not grow to the Improvements made il
boom time, from this time Onward tn
town will have a steady, solid and suit
stantial growth.