Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1909-08-05

that will better their condition. When
say not lavishly' mean it. Most
Of them have felt the pinch, not SO
many years ago, and they are seeing
to 1t now that II there should be .
reverse they will be prepared for It.
There are so many cases that have
come under my personal observation
Of hard struggling men who had prac-
tically lost everything that are now
rich and Independent.
ITO me-" continued Mr.. Rogers,
''the greatest benefit the farmer has
derived from this prosperity is the
advance in the price of his land. Or
course, the almost continuous goo~
crops Is the cause Of this advance,
but while he has been gathering the
dollars every year from his farm
his land has been going ahead In val
ue. Let me give you an illustration:
About seven years ago one Of our
farmers sold his 240-acre farm to his
SON for $4,000. When the transfer
became known there was quite Q BIT
Of Indignation among the town people
and his neighbors because 1t was gem
orally considered that the father had
skinned the boy. II wasn't very
long before the son sold the place
for $1,000. 1t has changed hands
five or six times sinca then. The last
ltime II was sold It brought $1S,00O,
and the present owner holds It at
I$3O, 900. Mind you, there haven't been
1$1OO worth Of improvements made
on the place, and there is nothing to
recommend the farm more than al
most any other place in this or any
other county hereabouts. In other
words, it's typical" 4
There are several ways In which
your Kansas farmer is enjoying his
present prosperity. One in particular
is to leave the farm wnen ne has
got "hissen" and live in town. In
Abilene there have been fully thirty
families in the last two years who
have come to the city. They are not
Tor the most part, decrepIt with age
but persons still in their prime, de
termiDed to enjoy their latter day
with city advantages.
Probably the most unique stor!
being told in Abilene, illustrating th'
large amount OF ready money possess
cd by the farmers and -..eir readines
to part with It is this:
A few days ago two men came =
the town. They hired two vehicle
1 and drivers and started out in tn
country. They went from house ;
Ilhouse explaining that they were abou
to issue an atlas Of the county. Thi
atlas was to be most complete. tn
obiiEing strangers desired to get pic
lures Of the different farm place
along the rural mail delivery routei
which pictures tthety would inseF
in the atlas. The man was there wit
the camera. True, the camera ha
no lens or plate or film in It, bu
that was not mentioned. The pric
Of getting the picture Of the farr
| place and that Of the farmer himsel
in the book would be only SIS. Wei
TO shorten the distressing tale, th
men collected about $1,000 and NOV
ed on.
"It was pretty tough on those VIII
we're stung," remarked the editO
of the Reflector. but It certainl,
shows that our people are prosperous
| Why, fifteen years ago scarcely an
of them could have listened to III
bunco men had they made the pric
Of the picture only 81"
The motor cars in the counties 0
the Fifth Congressional District ar
numerous. In Dickinson count
alone there probably are tsoo.oOI
Invested in them. In the county ther
are three hundred cars, two thirds Q
which are owned By farmers.
The motor car has erept in anon
the River Brethren, Of which ther
are several thousand in the county
This religious sect came originall
from Germany. first to PennHylvani
and then In 1879 70 Dickinson COUNT
Their drea is that Indicative Of q
t-.-.. ,-sstafv me ranu utaF Oar