Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1903-06-18
SALE TIME IN KANSAS
Farm AUCTIONS BLOOM IN THE
EARLY SPRING
-AgricuIturists Cell Implements and
Household Goods - Some Exchange
Possessions, While Others Intend to
Retire or Leave the Vicinity.

Possessions, While othera Antouu TO
Retire or Leave the Vicinity.
The early spring Is public sale"
time and not In many years have
there been more S"auctions' than In
this year 1903. The printing Offices
have been busy printing bills with big
headlines, telling Of the number Of
horses, cattle and hogs the farm im-
plements, household goods and other
articles too numerous to mention" that
have been offered Cor sale. sN
The public sale has become . fixed
feature in the development Of the praf
RE, writes an Abilene, Kansas, CORE
spondent Of the st. Louis Globe-Demo-
crat. 1t has reached time when the
farmers who have made their home
here have acquired more material than
they need to run their farm, or are
anxious to change their residence, and
80 want to have a sale" They 60 to
the county seat and make arrange
ments with the auctioneer and have
their bills printed. The latter are put
up in the postoftlce or are scattered
on the fence posts Of the vicinity.
with the advent of the creamery the
monthly pay envelope has become a
valuable method Of disseminating the
news Of the coming events, and the
check for milk is likely to be accom-
panied with some cards announcing
the sale Of Farmer Smiths fine stock.
1t Is probable that most OF the public
sales are for the purpose Of making
long moves, but there are occasions
when the reason is obscure. One farm
er in this county sold all his stock and
implements two months ago, and then
went from sale to sale until he had
purchased a new outfit for his farm,
taking his neighbors' articles rather
than his own in the end.
What are you selling out forf' was
asked Of well-todo farmer recently.
He was known as having plenty Of
material for running HE fine farm,
and there was no reason why he
should go away.
rented the farm and guess I'll move to
town. My wife and expect to visit a
while in the East and then we will
have a home in town for the rest Of
our lives. The farm will rent for
enough to keep us. What's the use
of working?' There was no use and
the farmer was an example of the
growing class Of those retiring after
making themselves comfortable for
this life on their Kansas farms.
The attendance on the public sales Is
usually good, nothing but bad weather
keeping the farmers of the vicinity
away. The women frequently accom-
,pany their husbands and form an in
terested portion of the audience when
the household goods and canned fruit
are sold. They are also interested in
the dairy appliances and the cows.
The bidding is likely to be lively, and
it Is curious thing that the average
sale shows scale of prices on com
mon articles and implements that is
far above the ones that could be pro-
cured at private sale. Under the magic
Of the wide-awake auctioneer's voice,
the figures run up and up until it
seems that the buyers must have lost
sight Of the cost Of the articles new.
The ''terms Of sale vary little at
these auctions. There Is usually at
each sale the representative Of some
bank at the county seat 1t ID q head
clerk or = cashier one who Is familiar
with the financial standing Of the
farmers OF the county. On the bills
and in the Advertisements in the ps-
pers the terms" are set forth and usu-
ally run like this: Sums Of SO and
under caAh; over $40 a credit of nine
months will be given on note with ap-
proved security at 10 per cent interest;
II paid when due, only 6 per cent win
be charged; per cent off for cash"
The prosperous condition Of the West
ern farmer Is seen in the large portion
OF the amount OF the sales that are
paid In cash. Sometimes during the
present spring the buyers have paid
more than half the amount in cur
rency or checks before leaving the
place. The banks representative buys
all the notes that are given, so that
when the day Is done the farmer who
has had a sale has turned his entire
supply Of old cultivators, harrows,
moving machines, horses, cattle and
bedroom furniture into cash. IL he
wants to move he is prepared.
The crowd that has looked over the
possessions Of the household curiously
and nodded Mt the various flaws in
the implements of the farmyard, has
also had rude sort of entertainment.
On every sale bill, in large letters, an
pears, Free lunch at noon" and some
of them have the additional legend.
Bring your tincups" This Is Greek
to the city resident, but the farmer
knows what 1t means. 1t Is a promise
that there will be great steaming cans
Of coffee, with plenty of sandwiches
and perhaps pickles. The task OF pro
yidinP cuDs for A hundred Or t,ro ,,t,;.