The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-11-30
Story of Transformation of Raw.
Inns and Cheyenne Counties.
Rich Farms Have Succeeded the
Prairie Dog Towns.
CORN CROP WAS GOOD.
Many Foreigners Have Aided in
Developing the Section.
Ludell State Bank of $4,000
Capital Has $4,000 Deposits.


early sos the writer first visited this
corner of northwest Kansas. Settlers
in the Beaver creek valley were few
and the prairie dogs were thicker
than flies around sugar barrel.
There were no railroads then and for
several years afterwards the coming
of the white covered prairie schooners
heralded the fact that the people
were after the Rawlins and Cheyenne
county lands.
There was a government land office
in Oberlin. and on one occasion the
landlady of the only hotel there in
formed the writer that she was sleep
ing more than 125 people that night
who came to be on hand the fellow
ing morning to make their homestead
entries. The homesteader gradually
drifted from Decatur county west to
Rawlins and Cheyenne counties. and
it looked as if the prairie dog fol-
lowed the procession of prairie
schooners.
Somewhere near the present town
of Ludell there was a dog town ex-
tending most up to the limits of At
wood, and the late Noble Prentis and
the writer drove through it, Prentis
said it was the largest dog town he
ever saw. the dogs numbering many
thousands.
Wheat Farms in Place of Dog Towns
The settlements were few and far
between then; today if one wants to
see thrift and pluck let them come to
this part of northwest Kansas. Now
in the vicinity of Ludell one will see
the wheatefarms of Henry Roden-
beck, who raises between 500 and 700
acres of wheat annually, and Henry
Wolters whose average is 500 acres,
and there is Herman bunker with his
500 and 700 acres in wheat ]. P.
Simminger, about 500 acres. Herman
Kastens 400 acres. Jacob Miller. 400
acres, and who this year threshed
5000 bushels; VIM. S:olte. 800 acres;
Fred Kuhlman. 800 acres: Henry
Woke. 500 acres: Chris Wickc. 500
acres; Henry Reuber and Herman
Focke each with 500 acres of wheat.
These big wheat raisers belong to
the German-Lutheran church which
has a membership of 40 heads of
families, and own a church in the
country and will build another one
in Ludell in another year.
There are settlements of Bohemians
and Swedes in the vicinity of Ludell,
who are prosperous as we'll The for
mer settlement has two churches
while the latter has three.
1t is estimated there is tributary to
years wheat crop. Only about $4,000
bushels has so far been handled. The
corn yield is estimated about 40 per
cent better than the 1908 crop.
Barley and oats are j fine yield.
One of the new farm industries is the
been demonstrated that on the low
lands it has been, not only successful
but profitable as we'll. The acreage
is increasing every year. A. ].
Chessmore has % acres and he raised
this year 96 bushels of seed which
III cIan1 fror 1a
machine. Including the hay. the total
netted him $1,000 an acre.
Farm Hand Grows Wealthy.
John Focke, who located here in
1892. This year he raised $4,000
bushels of wheat, 5000 bushels of
oats and 5000 bushels of corn.
The first year he struck Rawlins
county he hired out for farm hand;
fall he sowed 500 acres to wheat. He
served Rawlins county in the legisla,
ture in 1903; he refused a second
term nomination. Politics was too
slow for him. Mr. Focke believes he
will see the Beaver valley and Raw
Inns county lands double in value in
the next few years.
Failures have been recorded in this
section in the years 1894 and 1895.
Since then the wheat has turned out
from 10 to 80 bushels an acre. Mr.
Focke considers the level high divide
country superior to any for the rails
ing of wheat. Three and four cut
tings of alfalfa are what the raisers of
this crop are doing in the Beaver val
ley.
Use Gas Engines for Flowing.
The big farmers around Ludel1
have commenced to use the power gas
engine plows. Those who have ex-
perimented with these plows claim
they will turn over 80 acres a day
with practically one-half the expense
of steam. John Focke and N. M.
Hastings are using them, and they
have proved so successful that num-
Der of farmers will use them another
season. They will turn 10-foot fur
row. Mr.. Focke plowed 1000 acres