The St. Johns herald., 1901-01-19
UNIQUE POOR FARM.
Has Had But One Pauper to Care
 For in Fourteen Years.
An Evidence of the Prospsrous Con- dition of Kansas-The Institu- tion Has Plenty of Help
 and Money. -lzS+

sI~
 Kansas officials say that Kansasshas 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- tion for everybody within the bor- ders of the state. Kansas was once 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 s23,OO0 for a county poor farm, and during the IA years since there has been but one
 pauper to take care of.
 The years 's6 and 's7 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" It was about this time that Coxey raised his army of the unemployed" in Kan sas and started with it on a 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. H. Burtis. afterward representative from that county, tract of 292 acres of rich land. The price paid for the land was $16, 900. Seven thousand more was put into the farm for improvements, making total of 5000 The farm was di- vided into a large number of small CT farms, and on each sub-farm was erected a house large enough to &C., commodate a dozen persons or more. Each sub-farm was under the control of a sub-superintendent.
 Having thus made elaborate prepa- rations for the shelter, care and em- ployment of it's paupers, the county waited in vain for many years for an applicant. It 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 i Henry Hook. He only remained there few months during the severe win ter weather, after which, having se' cured a position, he left. He is noya employed in 8 hotel at Garden City, the county seat of Kinney county.
 Charles Adams was the first man placed in charge of the poor farm of Finney county. He had been farmer who, through crop failures, had lost his farm. He contracted with the county commissioners to assume charge of the farm, to take care of all paupers applying for care without ex- pense to the county, paying the ex- penses out of the proceeds of the farm. AS no paupers applied he had nc expenses to meet. Although per fectly honest with the county, he made fortV1e out of his contract. One day it leaked out that Adams had saved up bank account of something over $25 900 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 fortune out of it, and was removed under pressure from the out ! side. Then the county commissioners made a contract with the probate i judge of the county to act as superin- ! tendent of the poor farm, he to be paid an additional salary for such su- 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 $7,OOO annually to the county. This is the condition of the poor farm of Kinney county to-day. It 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 3 subsuperintendent to look after the farm. The poor farm is located about three miles out of Garden City.