The Globe-republican., 1901-09-05
Old settlers Picnic.


terest shown a good time was had by
every body and enjoyed the day The
weather was warm but one felt any
| discomfort.
Charles E. Lobdell, of Lane county,
made the principal speech He was fol-
/ lowed by Judge j. L. Finley, A Everett
Mrs Pogue. Ray Anthony, of Ford
county, and G. E. Roughten, John Bea-
yer, of Hodgeman county
j. S. Quick. of Spearville, elected
President; w. j. Fitzgerald. Pres
ident, and Mrs. w. II. Pogue was
elected Secretary
Ray Anthony made an Interesting talk.
and we are permitted TO print his speech
in full. 1t is as follows:
KANSAS PAST AND PRESENT.
We meet in this grove to-day to have
an old settlers picnic and a good old
time. This day reminds the old settlers
of the early days of Kansas. 1t is nice
| to have picnic once every year to COM
memorate the work of the old settlers
and pioneers of the far west
About forty years ago this land which
is now called Kansas was but sparsely
settled, and buffaloes and Indians held
full possession.
The dark and bloody days when Law
| renee was sacked and burned, it was
uiscouraging to those that intended to
to settle in ksnsas and build up with
the country. But every cloud has a silver
lining and these dark days were to be
succeeded by brighter ones
In the east, during the COS, the region
of territory which lay between the Mis-
souri, river and the mountains of Colorado
was described barren waste incapa
| BILE of agriculture and practically unin
| habited by civilized man.
| Now after forty years of Statehood.
! Kansas has become noted for its rich
! farms and resources. Kansas has more
history to the number of years it has been
settled than any other State in America.
We owe this great change to the old
settlers and pioneers who came to Kan
sas in the early days and cultivated the
soil and who started this State.
The dug-out and the shanty the
place of abode for the first settlers. They
had great troubles to overcome, fighting
Indians, hard season, scarcity of rain and
many obstacles to overcome.
| They went to work blowing the soil
and putting in their first crops of wheat,
oats and rye. The first year or two the
crops were failure, but the pioneers held
on determined to try it few more years,
and see if they would not be more sue
cessful. They staid and were glad of
it, when they the fruits of their la
Dor. When Kansas was first settled it
was bleak prairie from the Missouri
liver to Colorado. This desert looks
more like garden now.
Western Kansas was settled up later in
the 1O's. Some of the settlers came to
Dodge City, "a noted city of the southwest,
| to make Western Kansas what it is today
There were railroads through the
| new country then and the old stage was
| the means of conveyance.
The hills and plains are grazing the
herds to feed the millions. The people
| of Southwestern Kansas are solving the
problem of life by honest labor for VEN
cradle subsistence.
| Kansas is the land of destiny. Her
growth in population material, social.
| intellectual and moral wealth is without
precedent in the history of human pro-
gress- She is young in years but rich in
history She has the fairest domain
the grandest resources and brighte i
prospects of any other state and offers
more TO the master of mechanics and
commerce than any couutry of eauai ex-
tent in the world.
The counties of Ford Hodgeman, Gray
Lane, Edwards, and Finney, a regieu OF
country about 1000 square miles in extent
lying TO the nor Inward of the Arkansas
river. and about 100 mi1eSeast of the Col
orado border, now attracting atten
ton among land buyers and investors
Like all newer counties Ford has {
brief but eventful history.
In May, 1865 Colonel Dodge, of the
L. s. army, left Fort Leavenwortli on al
expedition to the Rocky mountains, max
ing his way up the Republican river ant
on his return from head waters of the
Arkansas down tue Arkansas valley an(
he established military post on tht
northern bank of the Arkansas river abou
five miles east of Dodge City, and nameC
it Fort Dodge. It was about the frs
| military garrison on the frontier. 1t wa
later turned into Il soldiers home.
In 1872, Dodge City was founded by
group of live traders and herdsnen, who
under the protection OF the neighborin ms
garrison, and in response to demands o
, trade with the Indian agencies to tia
south, the Ianchmen and buffalo hunter
of the neighboring plains and valleys ant