The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-09

| two banks are "lined up in the fight
The Barton county bank is controlled
by friends of Senator Long; the Peo-
| pies State bank is controlled by
friends of Bristow. Among the
| friends of Long are Joe began, a lead
ing merchant; E. c. Gilmore, banker
| and lumberman; Ed Childs, hardware
merchant; S. w. Pringle, retired
| farmer.
Mr.. Bristow is backed by such men
as G. w. Mitchell and Warren Whaley
who have been mentioned; T. c. Nor
| rison, merchant; D. J. Lewis, mer-
chant; Ira Russell, merchant, and J.
M. Carr, capitalist.
1t seemed to be the almost unani-
| nous sentiment that Bristow's
strength will lie with the farmers OF
the county, and that he will do well If
he breaks even in the towns.
J. B. Prose says: Long can't pos
sibly carry this county. But even as
mary, he would lose the representa-
| tive. The people simply won't stand
for Long. If Long should carry the
county, it would mean a Democratic
representative from the county"
G. w. Mitchell says: "AH the senti-
ment out in the country is for Bristow
Bristow and Stubs will carry the
county. In the towns the sentiment is
more unfriendly to these two. because
of the influence of the political ma
chine.''
w. B. Lucas, Democrat, who is
treasurer of the Peoples State bank,
and Joe Piper, assistant cashier of
the Barton county State bank, both
said they hadn't heard much political
talk. Lucas is radically opposed to
the primary election law in any form.
One of the interesting things which
happened was when Henry Wildgen,
an invalid who has hardly been able
to leave the house, came to the Bris-
tow meeting in a wheeled chair. He
is a great admirer of Bristow, and
was determined to hear his speech
Another person in the audience was
Buddy" Boxall, man who in 1900
swore that he would not cut his hair
until w. J. Bryan should be president
Of the United States. Boxall has kept
his vow, and wears his hair in a long
braid which reaches almost to his
waist.
BristOw Was Satisfied.
Mr.. Bristow put in couple of hours
just visiting with the people of Hois-
ington. He called at every store in
town, met the proprietor and the
railroad men. Hoisington is railroad
town-a division point on the Missouri
Pacific. Mr.. Bristow said:
81 feel that my time wasn't wasted
in Hoisington. in spite of the bad look
things had at the outset. 1 want to
say that this Hoisington proposition is
little the worst have run up against
yet. The sentiment is here for me,
all right, but it has not had any good
strong rallying point. I believe it was
had fully as good a crowd as l could
expect under the circumstances.
leave things here in much better shape
for me than they were when 1 came"
Across Cheyenne Bottoms.
1t is eleven miles from Hoisington
to Great Bend, and while there is a
railway line, it is one of the cry
weekly" species. The only way to get
to Great Bend for the night meeting
was to drive.
A buggy trip across Cheyenne bot
toms during a flood is a novel and
somewhat exciting experience. Chey-
enne bottoms is a vast basin, 1 8 miles
long and from two to five miles wide.
A lot of high farm land drains into
this basin, but the Creator forgot to
make a place to let the water out. The
result is a sort of swamp. which dur
ing wet seasons becomes converted
into a series of shallow lakes 1t is
one of the greatest places for wild
ducks, wild geese, brants. pelicans.
wild swans. and almost every kind of
water fowl there Is in the west
A long time ago they had a scheme
for digging a canal from the Arkan-
sas river and turning the river into
creating an inland lake to be used
for irrigation purposes. The digging
of the canal was all completed except
about half a mile, when the affair got
tied up in the courts, and was never
completed
Now this land, which was then worth
| about $1.25 an acre, is selling for
| from $40 to $50 per acre, and is
used for grazing. The wettest spots
have been leased by gun clubs, and
there are several big game pre-
| serves thus created.
1t was a very wet trip that Mr..
| Bristow, the State Journal reporter
and the driver had across Cheyenne
| bottoms. The water was swirling
across the roads nearly all the way;
in places it came up to the hubs on
| the wheels. The driver of the rig said
that the day before the whole bot
toms" were covered with water, and
| that it was impassabl for teams.
\ After getting out of the bottoms -
the carriage found good roads until
| within half a mile of Great Bend
| where Walnut creek was encountered
| and Walnut creek was booming II
was bank full. and little branch
called DRY Walnut was over the
banks, roaring and foaming in full
flood regalia.
The Meeting in Great Bend.
Great Bend was found to be full of har-
vest HaI1us, ana they are coming In all the
| time The people out there say that 1900
| viii be necessary to harvest the fast
bronzing fields of billowing wheat in that
county.
The harvest hands were having a good
time; Great Bend has allowed the lid te
TIP nttle-oh, just a ittle-and things
are humming- There is a Lyric theater'
Win loud voiced speiler: shooting gal
lery; bowling alley-and other things
The Bri.tow meeting had been we'll ad.
vertised In Great Bend. 1t was held in
tne court house, and the court house was
| crowded Mr.. Bristow made a much more
poushed and eloquent speech than he was
aple TO at his Air Dome meeting al