The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-04
NEWS ABOUT JENNINGS.
Some of the People Who Have Pros
pered in and Around This Town.

Jennings, Kan, March 4-This
town is one among a large number of
others which believed there was oil
and gas underlying the town, and sew
eral years ago money was literally sub
scr1bed to make search for it. Two
holes were drilled at a depth of about
$500 feet each, but like all the others
it failed, as did Oberlin, Lebanon,
Clyde, Glasco Wilson and other towns.
All the same the town has kept on
forging ahead without a boom. Jen-
nings has the country surrounding it
to build up market and shipping
center, and this is what the town is
doing no matter if the town did fail in
finding oil and gas.
Jennings and surrounding country
supports two lumber yards, newspal
two elevators. harness. hardware and
implements, general stores, drugs, and
a state bank since 1905. The deposits
at this time foot up about $4,000. The
bank is occupying its new home, built
of brick, at a cost of about $4,000. The
new furniture was furnished by the
Southwestern Manufacturing company
of Topeka. Charles NJ. Sawyer is presi-
dent, and A. A. Smith cashier. All
are well pleased with the business of
the bank. The town has a splendid
school and churches. 1t supports
good opera house.
George w. Shook publishes the
Jennings Echo Its columns have
echoed for the town and country for
the last % years. In 1888 he came to
the Gown and spent all his money to
build the first frame house on the
towre'te. He bought the office stock
on time. He came here with plenty of
grit, and although drouth and scorch-
ing hot winds in those early days kept
people from coming here, he staid, and
by industry and saving. he now owns
section of Decatur county land, of
which three-quarters of it is in the
Prairie Dog valley, and at least one
half of it is said to be alfalfa land.
Asked what his land is worth, he re-
piled $35 an acre. Besides Mr.. Shook
owns considerable town property.
Another instance of what man can
do with nerve and push is the case of
Moritz Nauer. He came here in 1905
without penny. Today he owns $50
acres. A year ago he had out 60 acres
of wheat, and at this time he has 80
acres and it looks as fine as it pos
sibly can. He is corn raiser as well,
and will plant $50 acres this spring.
He also handles stock
Another large and successful farmer
is Frank BouIls. He owns a section of
land a few miles from Jennings. At
one time a few days ago he had seven
teams on his farm gathering corn.
Last year, a dry one at that, Mr.. BoullS
succeeded in raising a good crop of
one of which said to be the
largest ever seen in this locality,
weighed so pounds.
w. r. Barley, jr., has a fine half
of this land is the first school land in
this part of the state that was in litiga-
ton a few years ago. He bought the
land, receiving warranty deed, and
soon after a iackleg lawyer turned up
with the original papers from some
settler who used to own it. and tried to
bleed Mr.. BARLEY for big sum. He
stood him off for some time but finally
bought him off for 1000 costs and all,
rather than let it drag along in the
courts. He is hard working and in
dustrious. He came here a poor man
several years ago, and has by hard
work acquired a good home, and is
prospecting. This case of Mr.. BARLEY,
together with about forty others, oc-
Cured in Decatur county.
The farmers in the vicinity of Jen-
nings are prospecting. They are work.
ing for Jennings. and they sell their
grain and stock here. They are pull
ing for their home town. The stores
bear witness to this, and they carry
the goods. The town was named in
memory of Warren Jennings, who. To-
Gated here, among the first. His son,
r. B. Jennings owns $50 acres. all of
it rich as dirt can be. Much of it lies