The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-02
FARMERS USE THE
 AUTO IN KANSAS
Children Discard Horses And
 Go To School In Machines
PROSPERITY IS GENERAL
Wheat Has Made the Kansas Farmer Independent and He Has Luxu- ries Equal to Wealthy Man
 in City.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune.
 Eastern automobile factories are now making a strong bid for the county high school trade of western Kansas They are not only establishing agencies in every county seat town in the short grass coun- try, but are also making special models of autos for that trade. Whether they will be able to drive the saddle horse out of business remains to be seen.
 The return of prosperity to western Kansas has brought about many changes. especially in the system of public schools. The small rural district schools are fast giving way to the consolidated rural school; and the county high school es being established as a stepping stone from the common schools to the college or uni versity Most all of the western counties now have their county high schools Pu- pills within a radius of 20 miles attend them. As a rule the majority of the pupils live at home, except in extremely severe weather. On account of this fact the field is rich picking for auto con- cerns.
 Probably no people in the world arc mora. prosperous than the farmers of western Kansas. Reports show that their bank deposits aggregate about $40O for each man, woman and child. The aver age over the state Is $135 per capita, which far exceeds the per capita deposits of other states. The short grass farmers have thousands of tons of alfalfa in the stack, more growing, wheat In the bin and in the ground, while, cattle and horses and mules are roaming on every side.
 Time to Go to School.
 Up to date farm machinery makes it pos sbe for the farmer to spare his children time to go to school from seven to nine months in the year, and the schools he provides for them now are just as good as those provided for children in the thick ly settled sections of the east. The only difference is that the schools are not so numerous. The consolidated rural schools, which ranks along with the grade school of the city, covers a township or territory six miles square
 county high school, which corresponds to the up to date city high school. is in tended to accommodate an entire county, which in western Kansas means an area of "A by 30 miles. On account of the mag nifiicent distances the pupils have to trav- el to attend school some means of trans portation has to be provided.
 At the present time the saddle horse is the most popular means of transport tation. Every morning the roads around a county seat town are lined with boys and girls on horseback, with their geom- etry, botany, Caesar, Virgil and other high school books in their addle-baGs. coming to school. Sheds are provided at most of the schools to shelter the horses during school hours. The farmers take turn about furnishing feed for the horses. When school is out for the day the pupils go downtown, do the trading for the fam- lily, and go home
 School Makes Trading Center. It has been demonstrated that county high school immediately makes a trading center of a town. Many a county seat town in western Kansas, that has been overshadowed by an adjoining town as a commercial center, has been rejuven- ated by the establishment of a county high school The children do all the buy ing for the family, although after this they will be unable to buy tobacco for their father or the hired man. Kansas has Just passed law prohibiting the sale of tobacco to school children. It is a part of the stringent cigarette law.
 Many farmers are now buying automo- piles for their children to use in going to and returning from school. The short grass country has the finest natural roads in the west At least Il months out of the year they are as smooth and solid as an asphalt street in Chicago. The country Is almost as level as a floor. Therefore high power autos are not need ed. An eight or ten horsepower run about is all that is needed.
 Frequently two more farmers make up Jackpot and buy light touring car '1ust for the children to go to school in" Nearly all the consolidated rural schools gather up and distribute the pupils by covered conveyanees, usually big cov- cred wagon, with a stove in it. The auto factories are now turning out special brand of ''carryall' for this sort of troffic, and it is bound to become popular in the west.