Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-09-09
THE MONTHLY MAGAZINE


the locations. Land was quoted at
prohibitive figure and was quote,
higher when any indications of &C
ceptance accompanied an offer. AL
over the state the price of real estat
in the community under consideration
was referred TO as a marvel and tn,
credit was given to the communit,
center. The high order of morality
prevailing in that town and the fac
that a man had not been arrested fol-
years was assigned as the reason.
Finally one farmer who had taker
prominent part in affairs did tn,
supposedly impossible thing. HC
listed his farm for sale. He was dis
gusted because there was no Chau
tauqua course and an unnecessary
SIS was added to his expenses to take
his family where there was one. He
was also put to the expense of send.
ing his children to a creditable high
school so miles away, where formerly
he had driven them to town in his car
each morning, had had no expense
save nominal tuition fee. and had the
children at home every night. He
had been one of the directors of the
fair and was chagrined over the mis-
cradle failure. He could see no diff
ference in crop conditions, but there
was dullness and lack of interest
in the things that had formerly
aroused bountiful enthusiasm.
He decided to leave and see if he
could not find some other community
like the present one used to be. He
that a doctor in the rail-
road center fifty miles away, where
his children were in school, had Of
fered him $3.50 an acre for his SPLEEN
did farm. He went to the larger town
one day and after seeing his children
called on the doctor and told him
that he had decided to sell and could
close right away. The prospective
purchaser told him that he had not
bought farm and that he was still
n the market and asked regarding
he price The farmer told him that
lie would close at the same price but
he doctor informed him that he
would be forced to offer him not
more than $50 an acre. The farmer
vas first inclined to be insulted, then
urprised, and finally curiosity seized.
t had been only few years since the
'riginal offer of $3.50 had been made.
The prospective purchaser informed
i'm that he had had four opportuni-
les to buy land in that section in the
lst three months and that he had
cen a rather frequent visitor to the
own. He told the farmer that when
ne original offer was made it was on
basis of the farm being located three
lilies from , and now his offer
,as based on it being located so miles
ON the town in which they were
olding the conversation. The doctor
I'D the farmer that when he first be-
lme interested in the community
lat the prosperous town and wide
wake merchants were the index to
lluation. He recited to the farmer
e things that precede in this ed
orial and the farmer was convinced
at the country town means as much
the farmer as the farmer does to
e country town. When the farmer
turned home that evening he
anced at the huge pile of freight
at was taken off the local and on
cling his own name printed on the
-gest bundle he thought of the good
low from whom he used to buy the
me articles, long since removed to
other county seat town in the
ne state. Before going home that