The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-11-24

there for the farmers children? The uni
versities and academies are all right il
their place. but what we want is a schoo
just above the district school. a schoo
adapted 10 the masses, within reach Of
the farmers children. Such school i
the one proposed for Kay county. anC
TO be located at Braman. It would be-
free TO the chiidre nof Kay county and ii
would be their school.
There are ROW 5000 school children in
Kay county. and if they should on an
average attend their district school fo1
seven years, it would follow that LOO
school children in Kay county graduate
from our district schools each year, and
with that their education is over There
Is nothing further provided. Very few
are able 20 20 away to school.
Rich, prosperous and intelligent Kay
county viii not lose this opportunity.
Braman viii nobIy DO her part Let the
vote favor this home school. w. w. Y.
Braman, Q. T.
OKLAIIOGA'S SCHOOL LANDS.
To the Editor of the Eagle:
There has been considerable specuIa-
ton as to the outcome of the many re-
marks made through the newspapers con-
corning the school lands in Oklahoma
There are no reasons why people who
have not invested money N school land,
should worry their brain about how or
when these lands shall be disposed of,
or have anything to say about the rental
value
Those who contend that the rental value
OF school lands should be increased to
equal that Of the improved agricultural
lands are either crazy or they have never
had any experience trying TO make a liv-
ing on a rented farm or putting a raw
piece Of school land In an agricultural
condition.
The writer. in this case, has had ex-
perience with both. And up to the pres
ent time. has only a lease on q quarter
section Of land in Comanehe county, Q. T.
TO show Tor his ten years Of hard labor
on rental ground. I have spent over SEQ
Improving this school land, besides paying
a big bonus and two years rent amount
zng to $40. As a result, farming said
school land, l sold this year $6025 worth
iof wheat. Having made q living, such as
II was, at odd jobs wherever l could find
them. l am now $3.50 in debt
! paid a big bonus to the school land
board for the rights of protection. No
one wanted the land which was awarded
10 me. When the sealed bids were opened
] was the highest bidder
If you kickeTs thought there was such
& big thing in the school land. why did
you not endeavor. TO exercise your brain
and your money and become = Iease-hold-
er when You had q chance
II these school lands ore valuable, it is
because We have made them so. There
are still vacant lands in Oklahoma and
unoccupied school lands in the western
part. Why don't You kickers settle ard
improve the new lands? And set, rieh
quick?D No. YOU would rather sit around
and kick on what has been done. and
talk about the western part being no
good Just as thousands Of people talk
ed about The fertile lands of Oklahoma
when it was first settled
Through CONVERSATION I find that the
actual tax payers and the farmers arc,
not the ones that are making the kick
and aggrayating the school land leases
IT is the men who stand on the street
corners and meddle with everybody bus
mess. and in nine cases out of ten. they
don't even pay poll tax.
The homesteadeTs OF Okoahlma have
not forgotten how faithfully the school
land leases stood by them when they
wanted free homes
And / believe they viii give Us help
ing hand when the time is ripe 10 say
! what shall he done with the school land
of this great territory.
AL we ask is a fair consideration of the
circumstapces confronting the school land
leases. q reasonable rental fee and the
assurance that the years Of toll and the
money spent il making the land valuable,
VIII not be lost.
Give us the benefit OF these lands ac-
cordiug 70 the faith in our investments
that we may live as those around rs.
Kansas and Nebraska have disposed of
their school lanas. and the people il the
east concede~ that they were the most
progressive states in The Union. And we
all conce6e that there. never has been and
never win be state or territory more
prosperous and more progressive than
that Of oklahoma
Why2 Because we made It 80. Now 1
suggest that you who are rot financially
or officially Interested in school land.
keep your mouths shut until You have
paid the price Of a kick before YOU make
one.
We Iessees have paid annually. besides,
a big bonus. And when you hear rs kick.
remember we have paid Tor il.
1 will say further in behalf Of myself
and others IN like circumstances. that we
do not want something for nothing. and
neither do We went TO pay for something
and get nothing
i am not yet thirty years old. and. dur
ing the years Of lSS5-S7-SS. ! was a boot
black and a nevsboy IN the strets CO
Wichita. and you viii Ind that the ma
FORTY of the school land Ies-ees are men
who have labored Tor tie rights they ex-
pect TO enjoy. and nos the a-istoerats
you read about
And so do rot rob rs Of a chance to be
come the owner OF these lands is too
ridiculous 10 talk about and Is certainly
contrary to the Instructions Of the oil
Gals who set these lands aside for school
purposes
While the country was IN poverty ii
was advisable TO set aside lands fer