The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-05-01
Real Estate Dealer Bought Land
Instead of Selling.
Spends Winters in California
and Lives Easy.

Liberal Kan, May Like the Sc
ductive tales Of the early days of the
west, when the sturdy Yankee desert
ed the necktie counter and went forth
in overalls to the land of the sunset
to extract with pick the e1rth's rich
es, returning to his native home just
in time to hit the squire in the coun-
tenance with a bale of maZuma and
rescind the mortgage, reads the his
tory Of several Liberal men. The only
difference is that these men liked the
country so well that they didn't re-
turn and that they used other tmple-
ments than the pick to place their
names in the book of wealth.
Charles Summers operates mer-
chandise store in Liberal. If you de-
sired a hairpin or an automobile you
could purchase it at his store. Or If
you wanted to buy wheat with that
money, Mr.. Summers would sell it to
you. Or if you wanted to put that
money in the bank, Mr.. Summers could
accommodate you. He is president OF
the Citizens State bank at Liberal
and vice president of banking insti-
tuition at Tyrone, Ok.
This in Twenty-Five Years.
Mr.. Summers went to Liberal % years
ago. At that time a house was Curl
osity and if one could talk person
into taking land as a gift he was deem
ed an orator. 1t was a hard fight, but
Mr.. Summers was a scrapper. The only
thing he hated was the hardship i'm
posed upon his family. At that time it
was the standing cynical joke that
southwest Kansas was one point that
even Divine Providence had overlook
ed But Mr.. Summers and his neigh
bors worked and boosted. Six years
ago the town. affected by the prosper
ity and promised fertility of the sur
rounding country. made enormous
strides. Now Mr.. Summers is wealthy.
A more striking instance of early
plucking of the pot that turks at the
rainbows end is the case Of John
Baughman, 20 years ago Reno coun-
ty resident and until six years ago
real estate dealer at Plains and Meade.
Mr. Baughman purchased land-thou-
sands of acres of it, just six years
ago when the land was dedicated to the
bow-wows. He got it from 81 to Sc an
acre. Now it is salable from $40 to $S5
an acre.
Owns 10000 Acres.
Mr.. Baughman owns $1,000 acres in
southwest Kansas, half of it in the ter
ritory Immediately surrounding Liberal.
Thirteen thousand of it is in Gray coun-
ty. This land worth $3.50 five years
ago is now salable at so an acre.
Mr.. Raughman is one of the biggest
boosters Liberal has. He has helped
in every enterprise that might possibly
benefit the community. His efforts
have told. Liberal and vicinity are
prosperous Incidentally, Mr.. Baugh-
mans fortune is estimated at some
thing over half million dollars. He is
a connoisseur of motor cars and spends
his winters in California and summers
in Colorado. He devotes his time now
solely in looking after his property in
terests.
Started at $35 a Month.
The case of Don Henry, of the firm
of ,EIissear, Wood & Henry, real estate
men, is another that reads like the
striking of oil on a supposedly barren
land. But the land that Henry pur-
chased was then unappreciated. Now
there are many purchasers Of land in
the vicinity.
Henry went to work in Liberal five
years ago for $35 a month. He studied
the conditions, he saved his money and
he learned to bargain. Now he is worth
about $4,000 and his income exceeds
500 a month.
There are many such instances where
faith in a country that held only prom
Uses for the future was fulfilled. Now
many farmers are making good money
at raising broomcorn. Liberal has de-
veloped into a trading and shipping
point. Wheat is hauled into Liberal
for 80 miles around.