The Mena weekly star., 1911-08-31
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,rrom The Kansas City ssarJ

ncFc IS a country tOWH Ahcic the main street forgeis for a few brief business blocks that it IS the section line road. runs by yards ana homes for as brief sketch ana then on again between the fields oi corn; here is a country town ap- parently like all other country towns and yet different from any country town of it's size in America. Here is country town of 2,052 per- sons owning it's public utilities. Here are homes illuminated by electricity, equipped with water and steam heated, all by the munl- cipal plant; homes where electric ity runs the fans, the churns, the washing machines, the irons, the cooking equipment. Here IS a town where the citizens--civic matters being common knowledge and not subjects of sudden study on elec- tiOn dayabide with it's dirt man street g little longer because the lefty engineer wants time to lay the electric wires under ground in con- duits before paving is begun. From crowded cities comes the cry or lneed for recreation space and this flown, wind swept with breezes un- lburdened save with the odor or lwild flowers, asks itself if 1t is car ing for it's children-buys plot of ground and prepares to make a play lplace. Here is a town where the ljail doors are bolted nightly-to lprotect the city engineers tools. Here is town without lawyer and without need of one. Here in this town of 2,052 is hospital equal to lany in the country and equipped with everything that science has made for health; handsome struc- lure on the outskirts of the town, touching almost the fields where grows the gold in corn. Here, so Hong accustomed to it's wisdom that it's pride needs prodding, is Sabetha, Kansas.
 You Approach It Central Branch
 wise.
 There is nothing to prepare you for the exceptional in Sabetha as you approach it, arduously Central lBranchwise, unless it is added stat- lure to the corn. Within you see leisure homes, most of them spot less white, grass that's green and trees that stand in their forest grandeur. You walk on granitoid walks, you dodge motors as you cross the street, and, perhaps then, lyou will wonder if this is the aver age country town. You seek citi- lzen and inquire about the town. Anyone will tell you. If you want it in epic form George Hook, post master, will graciously give you Itime; if you care to duplicate this Utopia and build one for yourself, lG. E. Johnson, superintendent of the light and water, will give you all the details.
 | A Button Is Pushed in Sabetha. | Tn 1901 Sabetha decided she need led an electric light plant. Bonds were voted for si7,000 and the plant lconstructed. It made money in its way and paid off it's indebtedness lsuppIying the town with light. Two lyears ago Sabetha employed MT. Johnson, borrowing him from the lneighboring town of Holton. MT. lJohnson was not very far away from his school days and theories lthat had been worked out in class lrooms, but that didn't bother Sa- Ibetha. Improvements amounting 1 to $8,000 have been made on the !plant. Instead of running the en- lgines from dusk until midnight as was the early way, three S-hour shifts are employed; light and bower are furnished continuously. lThe light plant has paid for itself, lis free from incumbrance and learns $500 a month for the town, IThe streets of the town are illum- lined with one hundred tungstens. IThe town pays the light fund for power to run it's water system. 1 And 7,316 Lights.
 That is the towns civic side of it; well lighted streets and continu- Ious power. In the little country towns nightfall brings out the kerosene lamp; and there is a crackling of paper and blowing Of lbreath as the chimney is made lus- Itrous by the housewife. And oily odors and careening of silly June Ibugs. In Sabetha, country town, a button is pushed and the house lis illuminated. Only four families in Sabetha have denied themselves this. There are 1916 lights in Sa- betha's homes and stores.
 And the palm leaf, carefully bound round with calico, that was alweys on the center table. In Sa- behta the palm leaf is gone-blown Unto the memory trunk perhaps by the whirring of an electric fan. Sa- betha's blacksmith doesn't want needlessly to strip any of the lpoesy from his work, but he has found tine creaking bellows too slow; a motor now turns a forge suction fan and drives his drills and lathes.
 X gasoline engine was advertised fur safe III SaDetna the other day, the last one of many that made bower before the days of the elec- trie plant. The butcher grinds his sausage with motor driven ma chine, the grocer grinds his coffee hy nlpcfrieifv Mofnrs are uead pv