The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-04-08

treasury has had to give a receipt for
the money: 1t is classed as avail
able funds"
Mr.. Murdoch said yesterday that
he simply wanted congress to "other-
wise direct as the bill provided in
1888. and he is confident the amount
can be collected. 1t is said that Presi-
dent Taft and the secretary of the
treasury have approved the plan of
Mr.. Murdoch, and have agreed that
if the bill is passed by congress the
attorney general will have no trouble
in settling up the old account.
The bill has caused a good deal of
discussion among the membership of
the house, and while it is said the
states should be held responsible, it is
not believed the bill can pass.
The Washington Herald says:
Speaking of the Russian colony in
Kansas. Ben M. Brewster. a banker of
Hayes City, Kan, who is at the Raj
eigh, said yesterday afternoon that A
large portion of the population of Ellis
county, Kan, is made up of Russians,
and that 80 per cent of them own their
own farms and work them to the very
limit
Wheat is the principal crop of our
section" said Mr.. Brewster, land the
Russians are the great wheat raisers of
the bread belt. No sooner do they reap
one crop than they go to ploughing for
now to see one branch of a family rum
ming header and another the ploughs
in the same field.
Everybody works. continued Mr.
Brewster, including father. Even the
women and children take to the fields
Russian gets is on Sunday and religi-
Gus holidays. No contingency ever
arises to prevent Russian from re-
Numbering the Sabbath day and keep
ing it holy. The same is true of religi-
Gus holidays. and the Russians have
many of them during the busy summer
months.
ut was 80 years ago that the first
Russian colony settled in Ellis county
Since then they have multiplied like
guinea pigs. 1t is estimated that the
average family contains eleven mem
bers. And from time to time, as the
old settlers get in financial shape, they
send back to Russia for relatives and
friends, and the colony keeps increas-
ing right along.
More than 20 families were brought
over last year. Money is advanced to
pay the expenses of the immigrant and
his family to this country. He is COM
PEELED to repay his benefactor in work
When this debt was wiped off the slate
he buys a farm on tick Any Russian
can buy farm that way. His friend
lends him enough to get started, and
in a few years, usually four or five
he pays for his farm and has money in
the tin can which serves as his bank
as these people can not be persuaded
to use the regular banks. Then he is
ready himself to send to Russia for a
relative or friend"
1t has been estimated that it will
cost about 100000 to equip all perman-
ent army posts with telephone systems.
The current appropriation for that pur-
pose, however, is only 100000, and the
signal corps is making preparations to
expend this amount in extensions of
the systems at some of the posts. Tel
ephone wires at army posts are now
being placed underground. Fort Riley
is one Of the few posts where this sys-
tenn is being put in.
Kansas postnasters commissioned.
Charles K. Ware at Downs; James z.
Hobbs at Halford; Edwin J. 1Bookwal-
ter at Halstead.
Quickville postoffiee. Thomas county
Kan, will be discontinued on April 80
and superseded by rural free delivery.