The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-15

tate firms and other business houses.
At that time the Kerndt Bros, doing
a general merchandise trade, sold
goods in one year amounting to 49,
900.
Some of the town boomers claimed
that Bird City at one time had 1000
or more inhabitants. This was
stretching the facts few hundred.
So far as known the first congressman
from the Sixth district to visit Bird
City was R. w. Turner. political
meeting was held that night at the
court house. The people attended the
meeting, filling the courtroom. Capt
c. A. Norton of Mitchell county, Re
publican candidate for secretary of
state, was also present and was on the
bill to speak 1t was to be his first po-
litical talk in that campaign, and not
being a public speaker he kept away
from the meeting. There was a dance
in town that night and he attended it,
and shook hands with the men and
danced with the ladies. The next
morning he said to Turner: I believe
I made more votes for my candidacy
for secretary of state than you did at
your political meeting
With the loss of the county seat
Bird City came about as near quitting
business and shutting up shop as it
could. Times went on from bad to
worse for several years. Her news
papers and banks moved away and
the merchants clOS6Q out business OF
moved their stocks elsewhere. 1t
seemed there were more empty build
ings than those occupied. It remained
in this condition for several years.
Times changed for the better few
years ago. and like all the towns in
northwest Kansas, Bird City COM
menced to liven up and kept it up at a
good speed. Now the town needs more
residences and q hotel. It has a bank
and the promoters of this business
enterprise made no mistake in starting
one here. Another new business house
has been put in by McCarty & Nc
Carly, who carry a stock of hardware,
furniture and harness creditable to
town ten times the size of Bird City.
Other enterprises have started up and
more are coming. The Bird City to-
day shows activity as it did in her
early days.
The Bird City people stand up for
the town and Cheyenne county people
are coming into the county at a lively
rate. The Level Land Realty company
through their resident agent, A. Weav-
er, has sold more than sixty quarter
section farms since the first of the
present year. Real estate buyers are
now every day visitors. A number of
industrious German farmers are COM
ing in and buying lands. They will
build a church in Bird City.
One of the big wheat raisers near
Bird City says: There are thousands
of acres of wheat in Cheyenne coun-
ty today which would be creditable
to the best wheat growing sections
anywhere. Dozens of our farmers
came here poor and now have good
bank deposits"
Henry Greisler, living near Bird
City, is a big wheat raiser. This year
he has a field of 800 acres. Last fall
he built a new home at cost of about
$4,000, from the proceeds of his
farm
]. L. Payne and Asa Payne are sue
cessful wheat raisers. The former
raised in 1909 from a quarter section,
more than BIT bushels an acre. He
realized from his surplus crop $3.50.
This year he has 240 acres of fine look
ing wheat, growing on the high prairie
lands. What the Paynes have been
doing for a number of years in Chey-
enne county others can do if they fol-
| low their methods of tilling the soil.
He summer fallows and gives the
| ground thorough surface culture dur
| ing the early summer.
J. w. Skepper of Bird City. buys
and sells Cheyenne and Sherman
county lands. He believes the high,
| level land in Cheyenne county is
adapted to the raising of wheat, be-
sides he is satisfied so far in the ex-
periments of growing alfalfa on the
up lands in the county. In either di-
rection one looks from Bird City the
| county looks like a big wheat field. Mr..