The Topeka state journal., 1911-04-26
President Kelley of Commercial
Club and Secretary Cook Back.
Aroused Interest Among People
of the Northwest.
DRY FARMING TRAIN,
Topeka Delegation Accompanied
the Special on Kansas Tour.
Lectures by ii. NJ. COttrell Stlm-
ulate the Farmers.

The International Dry Farming spe-
cial pulled into Topeka at 1:15 TINS
morning as a part of Rock Island tralf;
No. 40, ending one of the longest anu @dnu
most successful farm educatlonal tours
ever conducted by a railroad company
The train covered the semiarid portions
of Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma
and New Mexico, the tour oeglllIilns
March 13 and ending with a meeting at
Nortan last night. The total atteIlu
ance at the lectures was 53,3zO' the
train covering 1884 miles.
One hundred and fifty-eight meetings
were held and H. NJ. Cottrell, commits
sioner of agriculture for the ROCK
Island Lines who was in charge OF the
tour delivered approximately ZOO iec-
lures on dry farming During the lasI
week of the tour the train has Deen IN
Kansas coming up from Liberal 10
Pratt on the Southeast Kansas me anu
then covering also the points between
Kanorado and Norton, on the Colorado
line of the Rock Island.
Accompanying the train in Kansas
were several Topeka people, including
J. Will Kelley. president OF tne ColiiS n
1nerciaI club; H. E. Cook, secretary OF
the state fair; Mrs. Lee Monroe ana
John Bower, a dairying expert, all Oh
whom reached the city this morning
At the final meeting in the opera
house at Norton last night, Mr.. heiley
and Mr.. COOK were dIIIOllS AhS oPo-N~
ers. Mr.. Kelley gave the people of Nor
ton a message that breathed the spirit
of cooperation between east and west
Kansas and declared that he was
greatly surprised with the growth ana
the evident prosperity of the splenul9
western towns, such as Colby ana
Norton. Mr. Cook presented an urgent
invitation to the people all along ths
line to attend the state fair and he also
admonished the county commissioners
of Norton, Thomas and other countleS'
to give financial aid to the plan OF ar
ranging county exhibits. He recelVeu
promises of support everywhere
Mrs. Lila Day Monroe was engaged
to lecture to the women of the dry
land sections, on the social center
movement and other means OF mentai
improvement. Her work proved et-
fective.
]. w. Longstreth, another of the
marty. came through here this morn
in. en- route to his homo at Lakln,
where he is in the service of the Unit
ed States department of agriculture,
as a specialist in the application of
water for the improvement OF dry lana
farm homes.
Commissioner Cottrell will remain in
Topeka until tomorrow, when he will
leave for the south, to attend the
Louisiana farm land congress at Mon
roe, La. He is accompanied by Alvin
T.. Steinel, editor of the Southwest
Trail, official organ of the Rock Is
land agricultural department.
The train was furnished free by the
Rock Island for the benefit of the In
ternational Dry Farming congress.
which meets in Colorado Springs next
october. An exposition of dry land
products. gathered from all parts of
the world, will be held in connection
with the congress. and western and
southwestern Kansas counties expect
to have creditable exhibits on display.