The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1918-12-26
A Farmer Came To Town
Sa70 a future and backed it
his money

Visitors to Liberal are inclined to
marvel at real estate office where
six or seven people are all as busy as
bees, yet if they could visit that Office
every day in the year they would see
the same thing. While it is trifle
out of the ordinary, it is fact, that
no matter what others may think re-
garding the business outlook for any
particular year this firm can always
see business ahead, and keeps large
force busy, with. the result that the
institution has grown to proportions
almost unheard of.
In the early fall of 1908, John w.
Baughman, farmer living in Reno
county, came to Liberal-just look
ing around. The town at that time
boasted a population of five or six
hundred and was a typical "cow
town" Baughman hung around a
few days, drove over the country
quite bit, and thought a whole lot.
The more he looked and the more
he thought the stronger grew his
faith in the future of the town and
county. He examined the soil in all
parts of the county and adjoining
counties, studied out the reasons why
there should be advancement both
commercially and in an agricultural
way. The result was that he bought
a few quarters of land from the old
firm of Frank Igou & Company. This
land he placed on the market at an
advance and arranged with Mr.. Igou
to handle it for him.
Land sales at that time were con-
fined principally to large tracts for
grazing purposes. The advantages of
the country in an agriculturay way
had been seriously neglected by the
people here at that time, in fact a
great many were of the opinion that
this was Seattle country" and would
never be anything else. By reason
of this, land was priced at its value
Tor grazing purposes, and offered an
attractive opportunity for the farmer
who had but little money and yet
wished to own his land.
And it was in this that Baughman
saw his opportunity. He bought some
more land near Plains, Kansas, which
at that time was a trife nearer the
farming center of Kansas, and open
ed real estate office of his own.
He had gotten the foolish notion
in his head that people would not
buy anything they did not know was
for sale so spent great deal of mon-
ey for printers ink, to tell the bal
ance of the people of the opportunity
he had found. He told the story just
as he believed it, and while lot of
folks laughed at him for the "ab-
surd" statements he made, he backed
his judgment with his own money and
convinced many of his sincerity. And
he did business. He was genuine
booster for the whole country. He
never doubted but what he was on the
right track and consequently put on
full steam ahead.
The farmers began operations and
strange as it seemed to the "cow
men" they raised crops. And they
continued to raise crops. Finally
the COW men began farming and it
was but few years until there were
many large ranches cut up and sold
to farmers. Baughman got his share
of this business. During this time
the Liberal end of his business had
been handled by Mr.. Igou, but after
about three years Mr.. Igou desired a
change, so he sent George Thompson
from the Plains Office to handle the
Office here. Thompson then decided
to go into business for himself, and
his place was filled by Chas. Ellsaes-
ser, who had also been with Mr..
Baughman at Plains. And then
when Charlie wanted to branch out
in his own name, Mr.. Baughman
moved his family here and took per-
sonal charge of the business. How
ever he left at Plains a competent
man in the person of w. V. Griffith,
who later became partner in the
business.
AS his home business grew help
was secured, and it was not long until
Mr.. Baughman had several men en-
ployed to assist him. He then
branched out and acquired large hold
ings in Colorado, Wyoming and Ne
braska, where conditions were prac-
tically the same as here. And he has
handled this business continuously.
Practically all his business has been
in buying and selling his own lands,
and it would likely take several hours
for his book-keeper to figure out how