The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-15

1.-TWO things impressed me-" said Sec
rotary Guy T. Justis, "one was that
there is an abundance of philanthropy
in Topeka, and the other that rneIe
never was more confidence exhibited In
the Provident Association and It's Work
than at the present time There has
never been such hearty response when
aid has been asked
Santa F'e Main line Open.
Great Bend, Kan, Jan. 15-The
Santa Fe got the main line open here
General Superintendent Kerns OF the
road Is unaware of happenings on the
main linz and is snow bound at Digh-
ton. He went up on the branch few
days ago with a snow plow and was
snow bound at Alameda. Yesterday he
decided to go to Dighton where there is
a hotel and drove across country. A
report received here today is to the
effect that he nearly froze to death on
the drive. Several days after the Scott
City and Jetmore branches had been
snow bound for several days, railroad
men here say the general superintend-
emit telegraphed from his comfortable
offices in La Junta to Division Super
intendent Tice, at Dodge City, that he
would be expected to get the roads open
without delay.
Superintendent Tice came out here
and succeeded in making the first trip
over ths branch getting out and shovel
ing snow with the train crew and
not do any good as the snow drifted
back as fast as the track was cleared
and things were in as bad condition as
before.
Then the general superintendent
cana out to see about conditions him
self. He said it was only a job Of
couple Of hours to open up the Scott
City branch and started out. He was
showed IN at Alamota. a station that is
one Of the smallest on the branch
- y
there was already shortage of coal
and provisions He stayed there a
couple of days and then made the trip
across country to Dighton with the re-
suits mentioned And Dighton has
neither coal nor provisions to spare.
With telegraph and telephone wires
down around Dighton, Mr. Kerns
doesn't even know what the conditions
OF the main line are.
People Fight Freezing Cattle.
Great Bend. Kan, Jan. Histories
about the jackrabbits dying by thous-
ands In western Kansas, of their at
tacking feed stacks over the country
and even going into the farm yards by
hundreds. seemed incredible enough,
but the rabbit stories are now thing
OF the past The cold wave of this
week practically finished the destruc-
ton of the rabbits, which were a
growing pest over that portion OF the
state the last three years. But even
more incredible are the stories now
becoming known about the suffering
of live stock as the result of lack of
feed and general cold weather condi-
lions. W. A Bolinger of this city,
back from a trip in western Kansas
and Colorado where he nearly lost his
own life in the storm and STAYED all
night in a deserted house, burning the
floor of the same to furnish warmth
saw cattle dead by the thousands The
cattle wandered about over the coun-
try seeking food and plungfng through
find forage. Where they could see a
house the live stock would make for
It and in the effort to reach food and
warmth would butt out the windows
Of the houses and push and crowd in
such an effort to get Inside that some
of the smaller and weaker cattle would
sometimes be bodily pushed into a
house.
Board Up House.
People living in that section found
their only protection from the cattle
in boarding up the openings of the
houses Cattle were dying everywhere
from hunger and no feed can be fur
nished them. The condition of horses
wandering about the prairies was even
worse. Many of them had the skin
rubbed off their legs from breaking
through the ice crusts of snow and
the flesh was exposed to the cold and
snow. The stock in its half starved
condition is so tame that it follows
any human being in the hope of food.
message from Hanston by phone
reports serious conditions there. Hans
ton is on the Jetmore branch from
T,arned and there have been only two
trains over the anch in three weeks.
In Hanston and in Jetmore there is
q large enough fuel supply and food
y TO last those communities possibly a
week longer, but if relief is not receiv-
ed BY that time people will suffer
greatly. People living a distance in
the country are already in dire cir