Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1909-03-04
KANSAS STATE NEWS.
Brief Review Of the Happenings of Week Condensed Into
Paragraph for Busy Readers

( Soda Ash Plant Running.-The soda
ash plant of the Hutchinson Chemical
and Alkali company has begun oper-
ations. The work of construction of
the plant was commenced year ago
last August. It is a big thing and it
Grafton. The company composed to a
large extent of Hutchinson and Kan
sas people, is capitalized for 100000.
1t Is the only plant of the sort west
of Detroit, Mich. 1t is said to have
capacity of 120 tons Of soda ash daily
when in full operation, which will not
be for a few months yet.
Belen Cut OFF Ready.-The Belen
cut off line of the Santa Fe will be
in full operation March Is. This date
has been definitely announced by
General Manager J. e. Hurley. I'm
official rumors circulated from time to
time have named various different
dates, all of which were Incorrect. On
this date, all the through freight traf
fic will be diverted from the main line
to the Belen cut Off This will route
all the freight business from the main
line at Newton via Mulvane, yelling
ton, Amarillo, and the Belen branch
to the main line at Rio Puerco, N. M.
This will relieve all the present main
line from Newton to Rio Puerco from
freight traffic. BY this means the
Santa Fe will avoid the Ration and
G1orietta mountains in northern New
Mexico, which are the steepest and
most difficult grades on the Santa Fe.
None OF the through passenger bust
ness, however, will be detoured via
the Belen line.
"Night Riders" Case TO be Tried
The principal case at the March term
of the United States court, which be-
gins March 7, in Wichita, will be the
trial OF the eight men who are charged
with might riding" in Stevens coun-
| ty. Assistant District Attorney J. S.
| West said that there seemed to be
plenty of evidence to convict the men
under arrest, and said he believed
/ they would be sent to the penften-
/ tiary. According to the account of
| the affair printed at the time, the
men under Indictment gathered
mob, went to the residence of an old
negro known as Major Stokes, burned
his broom corn, destroyed his house,
and later caught Stokes, who was not
at home when his property was de,
stroyed, imprisoned him in Jail on
false charge, persuaded him to sign
away his homestead, worth $500, for
500, and then compelled him to leave
the country The work of the mob Is
said to be the outgrowth of the feel
=. ing against the negroes who have re-
Gently taken a number of honesteads
in Stevens county.
Travelling Library Success.-The
legislature ten years ago passed a law
establishing the Kansas Travelling ID
bra1ies Commission and made an ap-
preparation for it's support. The 5000
books and thirty-four cases accumu-
lated by the Social Science Fedora,
/ ton were transferred to the commits
sion together with certain books OF
/ the state library. Today the commits
j sions owns 435 trunks and 10000 vol
umes, about 10000 of which are now
in circulation in the state. No ap-
| preparation which the legislature
makes reaches SO many people in
/ every part of the state, as does this.
To those who are not familiar with
the work it may be interesting to
know that fifty books are furnished
for six months for 81 to cover ship
! ping charges to and from destination
Any school, club church, Sunday
school or an organization of any de
scription, or a few neighbors in any
part OF the state may secure the priv
iiege of the travelling library by ad-
dressing the Kansas Travelling Libra
ries Commission, Topeka, Kan.
All winners in the A. class of the corn
contest will be sent to the state in
stitute with all expenses paid. In
many counties last year girls Il or
over who won in contest were alsG
sent to the state institute to attend
the classes in cooking and sewing.