Cheyenne record., 1913-10-02


probably as much as any part OF Kan
sas, SO . trip TO Colby followed. The.
first man interviewed WAS u disap-
pointed land Spectator. Prices were
not low enough. The next maa was
the local agent OF . motor car coiiipa-
ny who had sold eight cars in the last
few months, since the crops were plant
ed last spring. -
This doesn't mean that Colby or its
neighborhood is. prosperous, with
money to throw away, but it does in "
measure answer the people who say
Kansas is going to destruction.
If starvation faced the people,. land
prices would be going down and motor
cars would not be in urgent demand.
Yet there are plenty of people in
Northwestern Kansas whose situation,
is serious Some people have moved
away. Good authorities here estimate
a falling of Of two thousand in the
population OF Thomas county in the
last three years. They say the county
does not number today more than iive-
thousand people, IN.
The people who left were newcomers.
The old timers did not go. just now
many of them are sitting around try
ing to pick up bargains in cheap land.
A good many have bought at prices
that range from $S to 800 an acre.
The first fact that impresses the visi-
tor is that Western Kansas has for
gotten the lesson OF the early '90's.
Perhaps the right way to state it is that
the newcomers neyer had a chance to
learn it. 1t was their ignorance OF
that lesson that brought some of them
to the point where they could see no
other remedy thar to leave the state.
Twenty years ago the farmers here
learned that the old hen and the COW
will stand more abuse and bring forth
more to feed the family than the
fields produce in u dry year. Inthose
days few dry seasons brought hard
times and low prices Of every thing, in
cluding land. There IL many y we'll
to-do man in these Western counties
who who will tell you that he was TOO
poor to get away and le had to live
on what milk and eggs brought. -
Then along about 1897 came big
wheat crop. A few more big crops fols.
lowed. Then come some fair or small
crops and another series of thirty BUSH
els of wheat to the acre and good pri-
ces. The old timer knew that couldn't
last, so he put some of hisown land on
the market and hunted other owners
to sell their lands. He told of the
wheat crops of The few proceeding years
and from over all the East, including
EASTERN Kansas, came land buyers, so
that land advanced from so to $25 and
S35 an acre.
But the new man was not provided
with very accurate informatio about
the country. He wasn't told that there
are years when the wheat crop isn't
worth cutting. He did not have it
pounded into him that times come when
the COW and the hen must support the
family. TO a big wheat grower raising
looked like petty occupation.
Keeping COWS and milking them was a
nuisance, and the old resident himself
forgot their importance. He quit milk
ing and his wife did not worry with
more chickens than were needed to fur
nish eggs and fresh meat-of its kind
for the family.
Then the lean years began to come.
In 1911 there was a. long drought,
Wheat did not amount to much. Corn
was q failure. Forage was scarce.
Then followed the terrible winter with
its heavy, deep SHOWS and long contin-
ued cold. Feed for stock had to be
shipped in or the stock shipped out.
Many sold their stock as soon as they
could yet it ~ market Others over
drew their bank accounts to buy ex-
pensive feed. r,
Spring came and with it high winds
and in this county one of the most GU
rious things that ever hap pened in
Kansas. The freezing of tile severe
winter had pulverized the ground. 1t
turned to dust just in time to catch
the March winds and 80, 600 acres in
Thomas county were swept bare. Most
of the land is bare yet. On IL are
scores of good houses, empty, barns
that arefalling into bad repair, wind
mills that creak in the wind,
The soil was carried away down as
f.... a. I,nl Al lNtt.