Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1904-06-18
KANSAS COMMENT.


oils, Ind, recently. This is the first
death for fifty years in the Johnston
family.
SEVEN COUNTIES REPREsENTED.-The
Saline county normal institute opened
at Salina with 10 enrolled. Besides
Saline, Mitchell, Republic, Phillips,
Lincoln, Mcpherson and Ottawa coun-
ties are represented in the enrolment
OIL AT GARNETT.-A good thirty to
ffty-Darrel OIL we'll was struck six
miles northwest of Garnett. The well
is a strong one and in practically an
undeveloped and new section. New
companies are being formed and other
wells will be put down at once.
STRIKE SITUATIoN.-So far as the
strike situation in Topeka is concerned
there is no perceptible change. The
shops are full of men and the Santa
Fe officials say they are good ones.
The road is not doing a big freight
business at present but officials say
that decrease of business is to be ex-
pected at this season of the year. The
arc hOJ dASCOuAslSC0 anu
say they are more hopeful of winning
than they have ever been.
CoBURN BACK HoME.-Secretary +.
D. Coburn of the department of agri-
culture, has returned to Topeka and
says that he will be found at his old
desk in the future. Since quitting his
Job as director of the live stock exhibit
ut the st. Louis fair he has been at
Excelsior Springs recuperating. He
has regained his health and will now
buckle down to business in the agri-
cultural department. He says he is
glad to get back.
KANsAs SALT.-Within the past
fourteen years almost $40, 600, 900 worth
of salt has been mined in Kansas.
There are ten companies operating in
the state. Seven produce evapOrated
salt, and the other three mine rock
salt. The vein of salt is about 200 feet
thick, and there is no telling how large
an area 1t covers. It has been tapped
Mt Ellsworth, Lyons, Hutchinson and
Kingman. 1t probably extends over a
KOOQ pOIIiOn Oh ScnJTdl hdnSdS.
Loss OF SrocK-The Rev. Mr. Fitch
of Wichita, reports twenty head of cat
tic killed by a single stroke of light
ming on his pasture southeast of Flor
ence. Arthur Ice, living northeast of
Florence, on French Creek, lost hogs
and cattle and other stock, and with
his family of twelve were floated down
stream in his house, which lodged in
some trees. The Fisher brothers and
Williams brothers, of Cedar Point,
were heavy losers of hogs and crops
The Stonestreet family, reported lost,
were later located and rescued in
boats.
On FIELDS FLooDED.-Neodesha and
vicinity never had such flood before
Both rivers left their banks and over
flowed nearby oil wells, while other
oil wells could not be reached. All
the wheat fields between the rivers
were under water. Some families who
remained too long in the bottoms were
brought in by rescuing parties Pre-
caution had been taken to save stock
by taking all animals to the highlands
Neodesha was without mails for few
days. The older citizens say that the
flood has been equal to that of 1898,
which is the highest known. Fall
river and the Verdigris united south of
town making sheet of water two
miles wide.
FRoM HIAwATHA.-George NJ. Nut
ting, editor in chief of the Jayhawker
for 1904, is Hiawatha boy He is a
member of Phi Beta Kappa and OF
Alpha Tau Omega. Mr.. Nutting sue
ceeded in getting out an unusually
good Jayhawker. He has been editor
of the Kansas University Weekly and
is one of the competitors for the
Rhodes scholarship for Kansas.
On. AT PAoLA.-The Osnwatomie Gas
and Oil company brought in well No
on the Beebe farm southwest of Pa.
ola 1t will pump hfty barrels a day,
On HOWARD BRANCH.-By working q
large force of men up to their waists in
water the Santa Fe was enabled t
open its Howard branch, on which q
quarter of n mile of track was washed
out. The NJ. X. & T. has been unabl,
to run trains except for short distance,
on its Neosho river branch.
WERE CoMFoRTABLE. When the peo
pie got back to the II. II. Coe farm
house near Ottawa after the flood haC
somewhat receded, they found TIVE
hogs and three dogs comfortably occu
plying one of the beds upstairs
A POPULAR STUDENr.-Ralph Waldo
Ellis, of Pratt, Kansas, present edi
tor of the Kansas University Weekly
is perhaps the most popular man il
the senior class. He has complete,
the course in three years and durin:
the meantime has found time to pla,
football and engage in newspape
work Mr.. Ellis played end and sub
stitute half back in 1902.
FIFTY CADETs.-On "a train on til
Rock Island fifty cadets from the ST
John military school left Salina I
spend q month at the worlds fair.