Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-10-31
THE SOUL OF A HOME TOWN
BY DIR. James Hedley in October Lyce-
um MAGAZINE
Published q request 81 Locust G


are no Drawer people in America, than
the people of Kansas. Hope and
courage peTmeate every fibre of the
men, women and children of Kansas.
DrouthS may come, hot winds may
burn and blister. turning all the
green places to black; crops may fail,
and painting cattle moan for water,
as in the scorching heat of last sum-
mer: deposits in the banks may shrink
becouse of the dire demand of hui
man need-it matters not; the people
of Kansas smile, and say, "Wait un-
til next year, and we will show you
crops, and country fair as a gard9nl
1t will be all right next year,"
All the despised races find friends
in Kansas. The soul of John Brown
broods like an inspiration and bles-
sing. everywhere. Struggling half
from other states, asking for chance,
find it in Kansas. The state is all
heart. 1t is full of home towns. Es-
pecially is this true of the little
towns, the villages, the corner cross
roads. The people believe in these
places. The people who move to Kan
sas, and settle there, give to the
state, what the state gives to them.
They love Kansas, because Kansas
loves them. That is always true.
1t is the eternal law. Last summer,
in spite of drouth, and dust. and gray
wastes, Kansas was dotted with
chautauqua. as the night sky with
stars. 1t has, each winter more
Iyceum courses, considering its popu-
lat1on, than any other state in
America.
Why is all this? What is the secret?
what the Alandin's Lamp that
br1ghtens the gloom, and finds the
blue IN The sky? 1t is all in the spirit
OF the people, and in the spirit of
great individual souls that encourage.
inspire, love and believe in the peo-
pie.
Out in Kansas, in Trego county,
there is a town called Wa-Keeney. 1t
is the seat of the county. 1t contains
something more than 1000 inhabi-
tants. II is alive. progressive. coura-
geous and permanent. 1t will abide.
IL has water, the purest; it has lights.
clean streets. comfortable homes,
churches, schools, debating clubs, an
agricultural society, a Commercial
clup, banks, and people who believe
IN the town, and in each other.
two things which dominate and
coarsen the city-''get money, and
have whale of a time" do not find
place in Wa-Keeney.
Behind all this, fostering all this.
stands the soul of good man. He
IS the judge of the probate court.
L
In Wa-keeney is boundless, measure
less. 1t knows neither let, nor hind
rance. He is all heart, all hope. all
courage. He loves everybody, and of
course everybody loves him He wants
all the nation to know about Kansas.
and especially about Wa-Keeney. So.
he writes, prints and circulates far
and near, circulars and booklets a.
headed Goods Country!, They read
like the mighty breathing poems of
the old prophets of the Book of God.
lie gives facts, statistics, results. and
he shows that the region roundabout,
drouths and hot winds are exceptions
al, and when they come, he halls
them as a blessing
Judge Peacock's smile is catching.
His enthusiasm, contagious. He is a
great man, and so a great boy. He is
all manhood and all childhood. The
children, the girls and boys. and
young men, love and heed him. They
have his spirit. They believe in the
Home Town. They do not want to
go to the city Stay here" counsels
the judge. keep away from the city.
There are no chances there except
those that blight and poison. Stay
here. All is temperate, sober, clean
and pure here. Stay here, where YOU
can befree, independent and strong. .
Is it any wonder that Wa-KeeneV is
a Home Town, and that they who
dwell therein, continue there?
A. S. Peacock is the soul of the
town. There are other souls, great
souls, one thousand of them. but he
is THE soul! Judge Peacock believes
in the lyceum and the chautauuua.
He is moving spirit behind them.
He has brought them to his home
town for years, and he will continue
In the small home towns, lies the
future of the lyceum and the chau-
\ tauqua. The lecturers especially,
must recognize this truth They
must not be above the small town.
the Village, the cross-road Chester
Center, Iowa, dot of place, with
i've homes. and general store, and
school. turned out 400 strong to a
lecture last November. The people.
and the children were appreciatiye
and anxious to hear and know. Lei
the lecturers the big ones, take
the small Home Towns to their
hearts, and inspire them to continue
to be Home Towns. 1t is an honor
to go to such places. 1t is refreshing
comforting TO look into the welcom-
ing receptive contented faces one
meets in such towns as Wa-Keeney
and little Chester Center When i
reached Cleveland, at the close of INV
season, and rode home in crowded
street-car, and noted the sullen faces,
the disconnected faces, the hopeless
faces, the tired faces, the antagonis-
tic faces, evidencing the grind, the
fight, the strain, the struggle of the
city, / thought of Wa-Keeney and
Chester Center. and the happy hope