The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-15
TRIES TO FORGET.
Secretary James Wilson q Vic
tim Of Retributive Justice.
Visits " Semi-Arid" Region to
Find it Under Water.
HE MUST GO AROUND.
Heavy Rains Force Him to Take
Roundabout Way.
Talks to a Reporter and Dodges
the Issue.
HE MUST GO AROUND.

States department of agriculture, IS IN
Kansas today. Secretary Wilson is tie
gentleman who during the dry spell last
summer. referred to Kansas and Ne
braska as being a part of the semi
arid region" He is today making his
first visit to the ''semi-arid region. lie
is now at Ottawa and tomorrow he Will
penetrate still further into the heart OF
the "se1ni-arid' belt. To be sure ne
may have to charter a boat or two be-
fore ne gets there, but he is scheduled
to go,
Secretary Wilson is delivering an adj
dress at the Ottawa Chautauqua this
afternoon. Tomorrow he delivers one at
the Beloit Chautauqua. Because of tle
great floods through the Kaw valley to
reach Beloit he will have to go back to
Kansas City tonight, then up to Atcni-
son and then west to Beloit. A few days
ago he could not have reached Belolt
even in that roundaboutway. Before he
gets out of Kansas he will probably be
thoroughly cured of the idea that this
is in anyway a semi-arid region. If ne
doesn't get lost in a Kansas corniield
he may count himself fortunate.
Secretary Wilson will have an oppor-
tunity to learn considerable about
'semi-arid Kansas" during his trip. Els
! friend Coburn, of the Kansas state
| board of agriculture. who dug up O lit
| tie information about the semi-arid
region" year ago. will preside at the
meeting in Ottawa today and will AZ
| company Secretary Wilson to Reiols,
| where he will also preside over the
| meeting tomorrow. Mr.. Coburn viii
| doubtless point out the seml-arld places
| along the route to the visiting states
man.
| Secretary Wilson was reminded of his
"semi-arid" utterance as soon as he
| reached Kansas City last evening. Just
| when was it you delivered the speech
| about the semi-arid district of Kan
| sas2" asked a reporter soon after the
secretary had alighted from his train
| from the east.
| NOW, what 1 said," said the secre-
tary impressively. was not il a
| speech"
| In lecture or in q report?"
mo; what I said was to a newspa-
| per man and he got things mixed.
| said like this: The semt-arid district II
| the western part of Kansas, Nebraska
| and Dakota and northern Texas. You
people here seem touchy about that term
semi-arid.''
"Touchy?" asked a husky stockman
| from the semi-arid district. "Touchy?
Mr.. Secretary 1 have been tied up on
| this platform since o'clock this morn
ing on account of high water; fifteen
| foot of rain over the tracks between me
and home;I live in the semi-arid region;
try to raise fat steers. and the last I
heard they could touch telegraph wires
by swimming. What do you call semi
| arid? Can you swim?"
Now" said the secretary bound for
the desert, what we call semi-arid is
district having a mean average rain
| fall of no more than ten or fifteeninches
year
But the secretary of agriculture didn't
| notice the rude remark. 1.-THE weather
! bureau gives the department the figures
and we act accordingly he continued.
us that an average of two years or
| ten years?" asked a seeker of truth.
whose corn was trying to rise faster
than the water.
-"Oh, longer than that" said Mr.. Will
son, with sigh. Now we are sending
| macaroni wheat to the semi-arid region
right from Italy, and then we're send
ing the semi that district grasses
from the Russian steppes, right off the
banks of the Volga- And those. grasses
and that wheat are growing in the Sc
the western parts of the StateS.'
do you know any place in Kansas
where they're growing these grasses
from the banks of the Wab- mean
Tolga?'
Not specifically can I name any
place in Kansas, but I have seen it in
North Dakota, I have"
The kindly old gentleman stepped over
two or three suit cases to dodge the
Baggage Truck in front of the Raspine
Voice. 1t was all unfair; the subject
must be changed.
Back to Washington from OttaWa?
mo, 1 go to Beloit.''
That's in that-that's about $50 miles
west of here said the man yearnine
for agricultural knowledge. Once
| there was man from town who bought
railway lands there who planted al
the 160 acres in wheat. The next spring
the wheat came up in a stalk here anC
| theresa very few that cutting wouldn't
pay. and he went home to Iowa. The
next spring the postmaster told him
| there was letter for him, and he found
that a man at Beloit wanted the jot
| of cutting his wheat. At first he
thought it was a joke, but when hi