The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1903-08-07
Foster Lumber Company
7. E. TOWNSEND Manager
rHEcoUNTRY SURPRISED THEM
Eastern Kansas Men, Who Bought Thomas
County Farms, Give Praise.

Eastern Kansas Men, Who Bought Thomas
County Farms, Give Praise.
Last week number of representative
citizens Of Horton, Brown county, Kan.
among which were ". R. Hounell, presi-
dent Of the Bank Of Horton and ex rep
resentative Of Brown county; William @.
Kelley, ice dealer; Albert Hoeft, drug
gist; Clyde MECHANICAL, editor Of the
Horton Commercial, and several others,
purchased Is quarters OF Thomas county
land, paying all the way from $500 to
1900 quarter.
Most eastern men are still rooted in
the old idea that western Kansas is
about the only remaining part Of what
was formerly known as the great Ameri
can desert that has not yet recovered
from the curse which the term desert
implies. Many people even in the east
ern part of this state are still living IN
der this very delusion.
As an instance Of this prevailing IN
derstauding and subsequent surprise
from personal experience extracts from
an article by Clyde Mechanical, editor
Of the Commercial, concerning the visit
of the party to Thomas county, is here
given:
Instead Of the short grass, sage and
aIkali, that the eastern man would be
led to expect, there now exist miles Of
waving grain extending to the limit Of
vision. Instead of the buffalo grass and
N--,,-1-- FL s.
now found rye, wheat, barley, oats, al
falfa and all the other good things that
60 TO make farm life successful.
Realizing that seeing is believing
the writer made collections Of samples
from fields which were intended to be
representative. He secured rye that
measured five feet in height from a field
which would average nearly that; wheat
measuring ~ feet; barley feet; oats
81 feet, and alfalfa, which was sOwn last
spring, 2 feet; while the millet, corn
kaffir corn and other crops were growing
to the limit Of their capacity.
"From observations extending over an
area of some . miles in each direction
the writer is convinced that the present
crops in Thomas county, Kansas, are the
best that he has ever seen in any
country.
"The whole Of the region visited is
underlaid by a great reservoir Of water
of great purity and good flavor and is
without faint of alkali or other miner
ais.
aT1 r,,,,,, -..,fI,r,s - Eba ,,r,,E,- r,s,,
be found large herds Of cattle grazing
upon the rougher land which is not
available for small grains. We were
glad to note that many OF these herds
showed evidences Of good blood.
Like all Kansas this county is inhsb-
tied by aggressive, energetic aud intelli-
gent men and women, who, because Of
their natural inclination as well as their
necessities are students Of nature and
the adoption of her laws to their own
purposes. They are a reading people
who not only keep well posted upon the
events of the day but who are liberal
patrons Of agricultural and live stock
papers whose columns furnish them
with the information so necessary in the
successful pursuit OF their daily bust
ness. They are an agricultural people
whose study Of scientific facts and their
application have compelled the success
which they now enjoy in the most boun-
tifuI crop it has ever been the pleasure
of the writer to see.
THE land is level, rich, easily cult
waited, and cheap. The writer was
shown a half section Of land which was
offered for sale by its owner at s. 1900,
and feels safe in asserting that there
stood upon this land on July %, at a
conservative estimate, $500 worth Of
wheat. Land varies in price from s. to
SO per acre, and the instances are mum
erOus where this years crop viii more
than pay for the cost Of the land upon
which It stands"
It should not beforgotten that Thomas
and Sherman are sister counties, differ.
ing only in little characteristics which
simply indivldualize them. The soil
rainfall, water and natural resources OF
the one Is common to the other, and the
opportunities for men Of small means il
these two counties cannot be excelled
anywhere.
Round Table Social