The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1906-01-05
VISITED BIG HOMESIEADS
A MAN FROM OHIO SAYS THEY
LOOK GOOD TO HIM.
LAND NOT WORTH MUCH NOW

But u is ConSldered Better ouay nan
Was the Land in Ohio FIFTY to a
Hundred Years Ago, and viii be
Very Valuable in Time.
He is from Washington Court House,
Ohio. His name Is Smythe, but his
grandfather's name was Herman
Schmidt of Hanover. Mr. Smythe was
at the Pacific, where he thought 1t
well to ryst day and see a good west.
ern town. The newspaper man was
given tip by the man behind the desl,
who dcciphers autographs, calls front
and makes himself generally agreeable
to the public.
Mr.. Smythe was approached timidly
as he came from the state whore pres
idents have grown ripe so many times,
and it was possible in the mind Of the
reporter that here was a man who was
sizing up the west with picture of
the capitol building in one eye and the
white house in the other. Everybody
knows when an Ohio man goes after
a thing he never knows when to let
loose.
Thanks are extended Mr. Smythe,
portion of the government He was
looking after some land which had
come his way through the death of rel
atives a few years since up near Val
entine. This was his first trip "out
west" as he called it and he said he
was somewhat surprised at the i'm
provements, the fine trains, the people
and the country in general. Things
out here look just as we'll as they do
in Ohio. You haven't as many trolley
lines to cut up the country as we pos
sess, but then you don't need them
until the population gets to be great.
err"
When he was asked whether he eX-
pected to come west to reside, he said
that he guessed not as he had business
enough to look after at home, and
that he didn't know anything about
farming, as he was interested in the
mercantile business and was satisfied
to remain in the Buckeye state where
he had lived all his life.
He said, however, that he was going
to tell some of his friends who needed
a start, that this country seemed to
him as a good one in which to begin,
especially out where man could get
a farm one mile square if he would
live on it for five years The PROPOSE
tion appealed to him and he was sur
prised that there are still homesteads
to be secured, especially such large
ones "Of course" he said, 81 under.
stand the land is not worth much, but
the land in Ohio fifty to one hundred
years ago was not favored half as
much as the homestead land, even the
poorest, today" Should Mr.. Smythe
return with such good news and be as
frank in expressing his opinion of Ne
braska, there is liable to be an exodus
from the state he calls home.
He was well pleased with the city
and thought the town should go after
some manufacturing enterprises. He
told how his own town had gained dur
ing the last few years through a board
OF trade, which had secured some fac
tories, a railroad and trolley line to
Cincinnati. at was all done by having
a solid organization of our business
men. Some of the fellows were a lit
tie slow to take hold but when they
became convinced that Wilmington to
the west and Circleville to the east,
were working for what could be had
by our people, they all fell in line, and
we got them"
He said much more that would look
well in print, but space forbids. 1t is
a pleasure to know he carries back
such good impression of the city and
the west he has visited.