The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-17
An Alfalfa King of Ford County
Discusses Crops.
Capt. j. HI. Churchill Says the
Dry Weather Is Blessing.
ON BUFFALO GRASS
Cattle Are Doing Nicely This
Pleasant Weather.
Thinks Stanley, COburn and Cole
Are Useful Men.

Dodge City, Jan. 17-Besides being an
Alfalfa King Capt. John Herbert
Churchill is an ex-saiIor and an nipple
ment dealer In his days as sailor Capt.
Churchill did his double turn of Cape
Horn. He was more of a coastwise sailor
for the greater part of his experience on
the briny deep. He gave up a place as
commodore of big fleet of harbor tugs
in Boston harbor in 1887 to be farmer
and merchant in western Kansas He now
declares for the short grass country as
against the rolling deep
Churchill. 1T is a blessing to the cattle
and subsists wen on the dry buffalo
grass. There is plenty of water as there
is there, if it does have to be lifted by
mills. 1t can always be counted upon.
midwinter when feed is as high as it is
1T is amusing to see how the stock
men of the eastern part of the state
learned wisdom. This is the first winter
and central Kansas stock. 1t has always
had its feeders coming from Oklahoma
was made BY Kansas to sell off their heir
stock. some of the wise ones took train
their cattle now. 1t Is recognition OF
western Kansas, and we are proud of it.
years BY leaps and BOUNDS. farm m was
sold in Ford county this week for $500,
ago Buffalo grass lands that sold for
$50 an acre two years ago. now bring
Capt. Churchill says that the people
of the western country want state build
they are first of all business men.
There has not been governor in south
western Kansas for years until Governor
Stanley drove through not long ago. Stan
ley was out to Lakin and drove across
the country with Judge Hutchinson of
Garden City. He talked crops some and
Sunday school some. It was the governor
though, and no matter what he said, it
went, People drove miles to the meetings
to. show appreciation of it. Stanley, we
administ t on 1t has been business all
through. All the big state Institutions are
careful selection of the men to handle
manage We want such careful men to
manage the states business; men who are
not full of vagaries and wild ideas They
what we want. Then we can command
capital to build our state and the respect
are state builders.
"Coburn is state builder. And better
sas and / know that ne does not do it be
cause he is ambitious to go higher and be
The ta 9T fee eg ndl He to George
Cole, too, and are watching his boom for
have a man who cares for the business
interests of the taxpayers and the knowl-
edge of the states business he has gained
in his terms in the executive council
would be, valuable to apply from the gov
Capt, Churchill was first dubbed the
alfalfa king in an Introduction to the
Kansas City Commercial club by Colonel
Stowe He owns two three big farms
in Ford county and has them all in alfal-
ia. There are other alfalfa raisers in Kan
He began planting it extensively after a
trip to Colorado in, 1890 He had such
success that he told about it in county
institutes and like farmers gatherings;
Then the secretary of agriculture got hold
of him and hauled him before the state
society in 1892. That year his remarks
were received as important, if true In
when everything burned up he was
brought before them again. Alfalfa had
stood the drouth and made a record for
itself He was listened to and his ex-
ample followed-and the next year, in
1894, Churchill was elected a director of
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