Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-06-04

low. The law fixes the minimum at
S25 per section. Most of the land
leased goes for the minimum rental.
The leasing interferes with the sale of
the land. The leases run for five years
and the land is sold subject to the
leases. Not many people Will buy the
leased land because they cannot get
hold of it at once. Thestat gets more
ont of the land in the way of taxes
and interest by selling it than it gets
by leasing it.
CHASUTE's PoPULATIoN.-The asses
sor's enumeration shows that Chanute
has 10, l16 population, gain of 1904
over last year. In addition to this
there are 400 living in suburbs not in
eorporated in the city, which places
the real population of the city over
10, 500, a gain of 30 per cent over last
year. The county returns show %,
322, or gain of 1900 over last year.
CADET INsPECTIoN.-The annual in
spection of state agricultural college
took place at Manhattan with Captain
Herman C. Schumm, of the Twenty
ninth battery of Fort Leavenworth, as
the inspecting officer. There are 2O4
young men now taking drill, but in the
fall and winter terms the number in
creases to nearly 40. The cadets use
Springfield rifles.
TRooPs AT ToPEKA-Two troops of
fslvaIr- and In Of a,-,-
were sent to Topeka from Fort Leav-
enworth to participate in the semi-cen-
tennial celebration. The troops were
secured after Governor Bailey had sent
the request for them to President
Roosevelt.
WALL..EYED PIKE.-The people liv-
ing along the Blue river in Northern
Kansas are feeling elated over the, fact
Nebraska is to stock the stream with
millions of wall-eyed pike which are to
be Matched at the South Bend hatcher
les.
GAS AT VERNoN.-A good gas we'll
was brought in at that place at "A depth
of LOIS feet. This is new field.
Other wells are going down now with
promise of good success.
By ACCLAMATIoN.- Chanute Judge
Leander Stillwell was renominated for
district judge by acclamatian for the
sixth time. He will have no opponent
at the poles.
ANCIENT GOURD.-C R. Furrow, of
Kingman, has a gourd which he says
was grown in Virginia 1O4 years ago
where it was first used as a tobacco
seed flask.
Boys ARE AAEAD.-An unusual di
vision of graduating classes in high
schools occurred in Dickinson county.
Nine of the thirteen graduates are
boys.
FROM SALINA.-R. P. Hanna, former
ly of Salina, now in the navy depart
mcnt, is talked of for advancement to
the position of judge advocate general.
A 500 TEMPIE.-The odd Fellows
will put up $4,000 temple at Elk
City. An association with capital of
SIS, 200 has been incorporated.
OPTICIANS MEET-The Kansas State
Optical association held its annual con-
vention in Wichita. About seventy
five members were present.
HOSPITAL DEDICATED.--A Catholic
hospital at Winfield has been dedicated.
Bishop Hennessy, of Wichita, had
charge of the ceremonies
LARGE ORDERS. Orders for S4,O5O
worth of penitentiary binding Irvine
were taken at Arkansas City in one
day.
1000 BERRY PIcKERs. -Wathena,
Doniphan county, has been advertising
for = 900 berry picllers.
STUDENTS RAISE $6.OOO.-At a mass
meeting of students of the State Agri-
cultural college for the purpose of
raising S25, 900 for the erection of Y.
i NJ. c. a. building, $4,000 was raised
md only students were solicited. Three
$3.50 subscriptions, twenty-four for
/ SloO each, and many donations ranging
/ from So to SIS were received.
! FEDERATION MEETING.-The Fedora
| ton of Commercial Interests will hold
a meeting AT Topeka May 81 to discuss
: a lot of ngs-railroad board, legis-
lature freight rate bill among them.
BERRY PIGKERs. Berry growers in
the Neosho valley have applied to T.
! Il. Gerow, state employment director,
/ for 1000 berry picllers. They want
the picllers by May 80 and agree to
give them employment for a month.
| BY that time the wheat harvest will be
on. The growers want the picl1ers to
come prepared to camp out and do their
own cooking.
! SURVEY OF BEAVER CREEK.-W. G.
Russell, the government photographer.
spent week in Scott county making IA
survey of Beaver creek.
! Too MUcH RAIN.-Farmers of Nema-
ha county are getting more rain than
they need. Not more than half of the
corn is planted, but what is planted
with all the wet weather is coming up