The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-12-29
WHAT He THINKS OF SHERMAN
W. E. DUSTIN, FORMER RESI-
DENT, VISITS GOODLAND.
Absent for Seven Years and De-
cIares That the Change Is
Simply Marvellous.

William E. Dustin, ex-sherif Of
Sherman county, and a former livery
man OF GoodIand, who left here seven
years ago, since living on a large
farm near Topeka, visited and tran
sacted business in this city Friday and
Saturday Of last week In speaking
Of his old home town and county, he
couldn't keep from showing his sur
prise at the great change In this part
OF the state and said IL an enthusiast
tic way: The growth Of GOOdiand
and the advancing prosperity Of your
farmers, is simply marvellous am
rather fortunately situated now, but
II I ever make another change III
come back TO Sherman county. It's
good enough for me"
The business that brought Mr.. Dus-
tin to Goodland was the sale here Sat
urday in Bradley''s stock yards Of
eleven head Of FLOODED bulls, which
he bought up in eastern Kansas and
shipped to this point. Along with
these animals he brought a fine Per
cherOn-CIydesdale Stallion which he
sold sight unseen to A I. CuIlins
several months ago. The stallion is
twO-years OF age, and when 19 months
old weighed 1,40O pounds He is a
splendid individual and Cullins was
well pleased
The bulls went rather slow, despite
the fact that they were fancy stock,
most Of them being fulI-bIood regis
tered Durham or Hereford, and a few
high grades They sold at figures
from $25 for calves up to about SIS
for three and four-year-olds.
Mr.. Dustin left Sherman county in
the spring Of 1899, ten months be-
fore the expiration Of his term as
sheriff. He resigned his Office, sold
his livery barn and personal property,
and shortly afterwards bought 100
acre farm a few miles southwest Of
Topeka for $21.25 per acre He oper-
ated this place for a year and a half;
sold it, and then bought a 235-acre
farm FIVE miles east Of the Topeka
pOstOfice for S35 per acre. This was
getting in on the ground floor
as the succeeding years have shown,
for now Mr.. Dustin says his farm is
worth $50 per acre Two years ago,
a farm inferior to his and joining on
the east sold for $50 per acre. So we
guess Dustin's valuation can't be far
from right
Dustin is not in the wheat belt, bu.
he has a belt Of his own" raising
corn, oats, timothy, alfalfa, and full
bIOOded Durham cattle and blOoded
horses. He has twenty acres seeded
to alfalfa of Of which last season he
cut four big crops, and then turned
his stock into it when the alfalfa was
knee high.
Put after all this has been said and
considered, this old resident Of Good
land declares that should he let 90
Of his present snap" he believes
Sherman county is the next best place.
Why" he said, "a farmer out here
can make as much money as a farm
er can back there on a drst-class farm
and you fellows do not have 10 work
near as hard nor have to have half
the capital invested. I tell you, Sher-
man county is a great place, and the
coming years-nOt far Of-wiI prove
it
''GOOdland is the best town west Of
the center Of the state These fine
brick business buildings the town is
putting up and the numerous resi-
dences are not air castles. 1t argues
money, thrift, necessity; and to tell
the truth, 1 believe that northwest
Kansas is destined to become an i'm
portant agricultural section Of cOun-
| try"
What Mr.. Dustin said about this
city and county is true, and his pre-
dictiOns are reasonable We believe
that thefuture achievements Of our
farmers and people right here in Sher-
man, viii even make his words halt
foil behind