The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-30
NORTH SIDE NEWS
s. ]. Davis Returns From Farm
ing in Ki0wa County.
Where Depths of Wells Average
Over 100 Feet.
COUNTRY PROSPERS.
PROSPERS.
Improvements Made on Farm
and Town Property.
TilIots0n Forgot LeavenwOrth's
Saving by Commission Form.

S. ], Davis of 719 Morse street. re-
turned last night from Kiowa county,
southwestern Kansas. where he has
been on his farm since April. He re-
ports that on account of the drouth
the wheat crop was light but that he
raised a good crop. He owns about
a half section of improved land.
This amount is not unusual in that
country" said Mr.. Davis this morning
in speaking of his holdings. 1.-The
section up. The majority of them are
improved and more improvements are
being made all of the time.
I'm fixing up a place the first thing
done is to drill a well. The average
depth of wells is about 100 feet. al
though 1 have known people to go
down over 200 feet before water was
found. The cost of the well drilling
and they are nearly all drilled-is
about one dollar per foot. exclusive OF
the expense of about $50 for pump
and windmill.
I'm spite of these drawbacks the
country is prospecting. In the towns
and on farms new houses are being
built up although the drouth OF TINS
summer has hurt business to some ex-
tent The farmers there are mostly
Americans The land they own was
opened to settlement some thirty years
ago, but much of 1t was vacated on
account of drouths several years ago
and during the Oklahoma land boom.
1.-THE trade from the northwestern
part of that state goes to Coldwater,
near my farm and other towns in that
vicinity. Yes. the West is the place
for a young man who will hustle, but
he can not get ahead by going there
and sitting down. I know OF man
who came there four years ago WIFI
out cent. but now owns conslderapie
land and over a thousand dollars IN
cash"
In his talk against the commission
form of government at Lukens opera
house last night D. c. Tiliotson SAID
ing to overthrow the government OF
the ages. He also told of danger
that the commissioners and the peo-
pie of a certain ward might not be
well acquainted with each other oth-
err, whereas at present in most wards
the people thereof wouldn't hesitate
to talk to them with overalls on ana
hat on head. Another argument he
made was that people referred to
cities far away in speaking of the sue
cess of the commission form OF gov
eminent, and said little about the
commission form of government as it
is being tried at Wichita and Leaven-
worth They didn't say much of
what has happened at Wichita or
Leavenworth since the commission
form was taken up there" said the
speaker.
C. ]. Evans, another speaker, spoke
in favor of the commission plan.
Regarding Mr.. Tillotson's state
ment that little was said about the
success of the commission plan of
government in Leavenworth where it
is In operation, a North side man this
morning quoted from Fred Trigg's
speech at Luken's opera house, Oct.
Is, as follows:
From the records of the city of
Leavenworth: Expenditures of last
year of council government $9S,720-
.82; expenditures first year of COM
mission government, $79,116.21; bal
ance on hand last year of council
government, s46,176.34: balance on
hand first year of commission gov
eminent, $124, 9666.12. Amount saved
to city in one year, 18,956.4S ($1,579
a month";"