The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-25
IN COVE COUNTY.
People Are Patiently Awaiting
a Railroads Coming
But Are Growing Rich on the
Farm In the Meantime.
KINGDOM OF ALFALFA
Thousands Of Acres Raised in
the blackberry Valley.
Has Forty Eight School Houses,
Two of Them Being Sod.
KINGDOM OF ALFALFA

Two OF Them Being Sod.
Cove City. KAN, Feb. 25.-For nearly
quarter Of century the people OF
Cove City have been watching. listen
ing and reading all about the almost
innumerable railroad projects north
west Kansas has been heir to. and yet
a few shovels Of dirt have been thrown
on one of these many railroads, Wnlle
dozens of them died as quickly as the
disappearance Of July frost. Cove
City is one Of the few county seat
towns in northwest Kansas without
railroad. It is the county seat OF cove
county, unsurpassed In all the short
grass country for raising wheat ano
other grains, and whose valleys are
carpeted with hundreds OF acres OF
growing alfalfa. And her people are
watching and waiting for railroad,
believing and almost knowing that
with a railroad the town would grow
and her population increase to double
her present size in years time. Never
has people stood closer to their town
than has the Cove City people. Her
population is small but firmly united.
Nowhere will one see more enfhusi-
astic population than those who 1--we
here and have watched the ups and
downs of Cove City for nearly quar-
ter of a century.
One of the most attractive sights in
Cove county is the blackberry valley.
Cove City seems to be the capital or
this magnificent alfalfa country. This
valley is from one-fourth to over a
mile in width. Among the largest
growers of alfalfa are ]. E. Menden-
hall, with 200 acres. T. L. Smith has
about section in alfalfa, William
over 100 acres, Martin Sutcliffe, pres
ent register of deeds. has LOO acres, f.
3. Strong is another large grower or
alfalfa Besides there are large num-
bers Of smaller alfalfa raisers. One OF
the most encouraging signs among the
extensive alfalfa growers of Cove coun-
ty is the fact that all Of them are IN
creasing their acreage every year.
That Cove county is all right the
many large land owners will testlfy 70
its worth and productiveness j. +.
Mendenhall, hardware and implement
dealer of Cove City, has over 5000
acres, on which he has over 100 head OF
cattle, 60 head of horses, 150 hogs, and
$50 acres Of wheat. He will plant
about TOO acres to corn. He came to
Cove county in 1885, and has made
money every year.
T. L. Smith is also making money
in his Cove county possessions. He has
about 20 sections
William Ritchie owns about Ave Sec
tions, and is doing fine. sae
L..
eral merchandise firm Of Cook & Stur-
man. has 150 head of hogs.
The Rogers are large land owners,
who have been successful cultivating
Cove county soil.
c. J. Ellithorpe is another large land
owner and raiser of alfalfa He has
about 100 acres growing.
That the farmers in the vicinity OF
Cove City are, many of them, getting
on Easy street, it is only necessary to
mention that E. w. Simpson, who start
ed in the implement business in 1905,
sold in the year 1907 a car load of wa
gons, over car load Of buggies and
two car loads of implements. Mr..
Simpson says the indications point to
fine crops the year 1908, which will
largely increase the trade. Mr.. Simp-.
son is a newcomer to Cove City. COM
ing from Brown county three or four
years ago.
Cove City is the site of Cove county's
high school. This school is highly sue
cessful. The enrolment at this time
is between 40 and so. F. e. Lindley, an
instructor of fine qualifications, Is the
principal. He is ably assisted by Miss
Bertha Vineyard and Miss Mamie
Helm. u
Speaking of schools: Cove county
has 4S school houses, two OF them be-
ing sod The teachers are paid $40 and
$50 month in the country districts.
The Cove City district school has an
enrolment of about 70. w. o. Peterson,
a well known educator from Randolph,
is the principal, and Miss Minnie Davis,
assistant.
To Miss Stella Mather, who is serving
her second term as superintendent of
schools Of Cove county, the schools of
the county are in a prosperous condi-
ton. The superintendent is devoted to
her work, and has taken a deep inter-
est in all the schools of the county.
One Of the big business industries of
Cove county is hauling freight from
Cove City to Grainf1eld, the nearest
shipping point on the Union Pacific
a distance Of IL miles. The
hauling of freight both ways from
chants here several thousand dollars
annually. A big item is the shipment
Of butter, eggs and poultry from Cove
City to Grainfield. In one week the
firm of Cook & Sturman, handled over
/ 900 dozens of eggs and this besides
their butter and poultry trade. Ere
quently this firm have taken in 300 and
400 dozen eggs daily. Is it any wonder.
then, that Cove City wants railroad,
and deserves one. All of her coal, Inn
plements and lumber has to be hauled
from Grainfield, and this item alone
Is worth the while for any railroad
headed this way to consider.
Cove City has both her high school
and district school, the oldest bank In
Cove county, established in 1889, two
general stores, one hardware store. two
implement houses, two drug stores, |
hotel, one large blacksmith |
and machine shops establishment COM |
bined, meat market, stone court house, |
church, and several smaller business