The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-19
in KANSAS
THE CRY FOR OUTSIDE HELP WAS
NO JOKE.
So Abundant WAS the Wheat Yield
Simply Couldn't Gather Ii All.

Gus. Kansas is friendly. And the people In
Kansas who talk about the greatest coun-
try on earth, and invite you 10 work in the
harvest fields. are somewhat indignant at
the attitude of the East-that is, they are
indignant when they are not amused. They
are used to hearing Kansas coupled with
a laugh and a jest. For instance, In the
early days of prohibition they enjoyed
cartoon that represented a countryman in
red shirt and horse-pistols planting a two
gallon jug on the drug store counter. say
ing. Fill her up; babys sick"
But the Kansas farmer does not like the
misrepresentation that have been made
about him in Eastern newspapers as an in
hospitable man who drives hard bargain
The people are happy here and the stranger
is welcome And the truth has not been
told about this years memorable harvest.
Large headlines in Eastern journals have
represented brave bell boys and shipping
clerks who joined the stevedores and foot
ball players from the college gridiron on
their way to the rescue of Kansas. And
the newspaper artists have drawn pictures
of the broken backs of the new harvesters,
of the endless labor in the hot sun, and the
supperless bed under the rafters. The
poor boys il was said. reached Kansas pen
gled back home to tell a tale of hardship
against the willy farmers who enticed them
and despoiled them.
The plain story Of this years harvest is
not exciting. The wheat is thick. and the
straw is heavy the shoulders of the
young men. But usually the schoolboys
of Topeka and sons of the town people,
Huck Firms from Missouri and men who
drop off the through freight trains during
the night are able to supply the extra de-
mand. The kansan loves the wheat field
editor says that his son Is now at IL for
the fourth year-a boy just graduated from
the high school. He does his twelve good
hours, eats huge supper and goes TO bed
chest and a straight back with his pockets
full of specie.
But this year the call was greater. The
demand was sent to the farmers friend
and agent, State Labor Commissioner
Gerow, to supply over 5000 men. And, as
usual, low rates We're granted from st.
Louis and Chicago to the place of action.
There was no violent call; the gentlemen
of the grain lands not likely to fail,
with their $50, 100000 in the bank. And least
of all were the shopworn and the epicures
demanded from the seaboard. But the pa
pers published headlipes calling desperately
for Kansas. offering railroad fare and s. a
day, or anything else to any human being
willing to go to the harvest fieldS-al be-
cause Commissioner Gerow sent to- New
York asking for harvesters until July IL.
His request was: Send only able-bodied
they began to come-at Topeka in one day
two great carloads of men-little men with
spectacleS and patent leather shoes; hollow
chested consumptives coming for their
health, and men more curious errands
than seems possible They were of every
class, but they had one trait in common
they were small. And they were lost-a
hundred miles from field OF wheat. But
they were gladly welcomed and sent upon
their errand. And then, July II, Mr.. Gerow
telegraphed to send no more.
These men came and Kansas laughed
naturally. Out in the open field blistering
and stretching muscles that he had never
used before, a New York clerk wore a
buckskin belt and dirk nine inches long.
There turned up in Ellis county gang
from Albany, armed to the teeth with re-
volvers. terror to the country. Farmers
in North Kansas are telling the story of
brilliant youth who put on billed shirts
every evening to flirt with the gals. y
When such insists these started East
again they went back telling picturesque
and colossal yarns, based on their own lack
of stamina, and calculated to defect dis
credit from themselves upon the farmers.
They declared that a days work under a
Kansas farmer would kill an OK; that the
wind blew hurricanes and the ground
heaved and boiled under the midday sun.
One ingenious deserter told how strong men
tainted, and the college athletes gave out
in a day.
Now the fact stands that there have not
been enough men in Kansas to handle the
crop. In some counties the wheat has gone
as late as the last day in July a call came
for 300 men. Send more men, writes a
farmer; "send a lot more men. Send hun
dred more men, but, for Gods sake, don't
The work is not unusually hard at all.
Any man with deep chest and little
sand can do what the Kansas school
boys do. And, of course. many succeeded
Pouring in from the East came thousands
eager for the work. They came pale from
| too much office work. pinched from toe
much study. They came soft from lux
nrious living, or weak from dissipation
But a rule they had strength in their
faces, and have disappeared in the fields
A typical experience runs thus: AT I.
o'clock they are called from their slum-
Der by the kindly old dame who preside:
over the house. And by the dim light
of morning, or Of candles, they share the
meal of the other harvest hands 1t is q
good meal, and wholesome. The daughter
of the house takes pride in her chickens
| and her eggs, and In the coffee she pre-
ing is COOL and the sounds of the farm
yard cheerful. Then all the mornine
| the labor is hard-reaping and stackins
| or binding. And the sun is hot. But tht
mind is free and healthful body is soor
trained to delight in the work. Small
arms grow large and white skins dark ant
healthy. No football man in the worlC
| swollen hands and the tired backs are tn,
results of the first days training But aftel
week passed in the field and beside tn,
| hearth of cheerful family the hardes
| time is over.
Passing through Kansas to-day a stranger
would be at loss TO distinguish between
| the thoSandS of men at work-which arr
| the farmers and which are the harves
| hands who have stuck it out The skilled
| labor from North and West joins hands
| with the Kansas farmer every summer; tn,
| city boys from along the Missouri river
| and the punchers and packers, and work
| men that come down from Chicago. AnC
| side by side with these, happy and strong
! he would find the men from the East, many
| of whom have come before. Every man o.
| them is paid $3.50 day, more. Nobody
that knows the broad. open-hearted farmer
or the great demand for good labor can be
/ lieye the story of lessened wages or ba6
| treatment Every man who works 81,
weeks in a harvest field gets a wholesom.
respect for every other man who does tn.
same thing.