The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-05-12
What He Promised
What He Accomplished
What Results Obtained
4
{ speclal Corrospondence.l

H
I was a guest OF native sof the
rieh Arkansas river bottoms in Kan
sas one time said Guthrie man
"and hewas enteftainin gme on a
tramp. Yausing at certain spot, he
glanced over the land and then gave
his arm a. sweep and said:
AS fan as you can see in all ways
from here lies about the most fertile
stretch of the whole Arkansas bottoms
and that means the richest stretch OF
soil in the whole known world, sir;
and all that section, $40 acres, was
bought, sir, by one drink of water,
says local resident who spent his
early days in the Sunflower State.
Il made appropriate expression OF
amazement at this deal in Kansas real
estate and of course asked fof a de-
tailed statement.
Yes sir; said the Kansas friend,
six hundred and forty acres OF the
richest land in Kansas, which means
in the world, for one drink of water.
1t isn't so strange, either, when you
come to think about IT, said the Kan
san musingly. I've seen the time
mere than once, I'm afraid, when I'd
have given more land than that ii I'd
had it for good long pull at the wa
te.' pitcher, myself.
" 1t was quite awhile ago that all
this happened-40 years, | guess. 1t
came off near where Wichita now Is.
One day man went there to do some
trading Afterward he bought the old
stuff so persistently that they had to
stow him away one night in a corner
Of Dominic testers big loft.
That was the last that was heard
from him until along about ] o'clock
in the morning. Then he woke with
terrible consuming alkall desert
thi st. There was no water In the
loft, and he didn't know how to find
the way to the ladder to get down out
of it. He put his head out OF the win
dow, and as the moon was shining he
saw the forms of number of men
stretched out on the grass below.
Hey down thar" he yelled,
come Hp h'yar, one o you, with q
bucket of water, an I'll hand you
1ollarilp He met with no response
and yelled louder than ever, repeating
the offer, adding that ii he didn't get
drink Of water mighty soon ne would
axe fire and go up in flames, but no
one below moved. Then he found his
yun living on the floor, and yelled out,
If the Window
"'"If some o. you galouts down thar
Ionl wake up an say suthin' III send
.ou whar you'll be begging fer drink
ourselves from now ON an forever tlll
your tongues hang out.
Send an be hanged! What ye
want up thar?
IL want drink o water the
nan in The loft yelled back. An I'll
give dollar fer bucketlul this hyar
mnutc!
'"Hcll,r the man on the grass
yelled back, reckon you don't wall
gatcr so rantakerous bad, if that's all
t. worth to you,
"'"lf any galoot down thar totes
ne lp a bucket of water the man In
the loft yelled again, "Tll give him a
suttifikit 10 800 acres OF Arkansas
oott0m!'
Land certificates were the chief
circulating medium in those days on
he Kansas frontier. To this offer
.he man below yelled back.
Yah, wouldn't climb the lad
der to you upstairs whar yo' is-not
10 no setch foolishness as that
III give yo' suttiiikit TO $40
icres O Arkansas river bottom TO
Jne bucket of water!" the man in the
oft yelled to the one below. An yo'
take up With that offer an tote the
bucket or III give yo' all thar is in
this hyar fo'ty-fo' o mine, reckon
yo' hear me-"
THE man below mused while and
then yelled to the thirsty man at the
loft window:
Pears like you is suff'n some
To- moistenin', colonel, after all. j
reckon III 'cede to that offer o yon
an tote 80 up the moistur''
THE man got up, drew bucket
of water from the well in The yard
and climbed the ladder to the loft.
The thirsty man took long drink.
Then he paused for breath and ex,
claimed:
"Ah.h-h. Podner, yo have sho-
ly saved my life. An ! wish TO re.
mark, sub, that yoye saved yo' own
life, too
Then he drank the rest OF the wa
ter in the bucket and went back to his
co ner of the loftela y llas os
"'rhe man who had toted the bue'
ket returned to his place on the grass
below. Next morning the lodger IN
the loft came down, woke the man on
the grass who had saved his life and
incidently his own and handed him
a certificate for the GAO acres of land
in the Arkansas bottom. And there It
lies. sir; said my Kansas friend with
another sweep OF his arm, the richest
spread of farm land In the known
world, worth today 800 an acre il it's
worth cent. and all bought for a
drink of water.
1t Is further related the man who
ftI i -. ~