The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-01-31
POTASH MAKES
many men RICH
Win Fortunes Overnight in Me-
braSka Fields.
BEATS GOLDEN DAYS OF '49
Bottom Drops Out Of Industry With
Ending Of War and Fortunes Which
Were Rapidly Climbing Into the Mil.
lions Come to Sudden StandstiII-
Farmers and Cowboys Win Immense
Profits While Il Lasts.

The bottom has dropped out Of Ne
braska potash fields, and fortunes
which were climbing into the millions
ut tremendous rate have come to a
sudden standstill; but it was great
stuff while 1t lasted. 1t beat the gold
en- days of California all hollow.
Potash was made In the sand hills
of Nebraska at from $40 to $12 per
ton and sold at from 500 to $3.50 per
ton. Before the war all potash used
in America came from Germany and
sold on this side of the Atlantic for
from SGT to $50 per ton. The war
shut off the supply from Europe and
American fertilizing manufacturers
suddenly found themselves without
the chief ingredient Of fertilizers.
Southern cotton fields were suffering.
All Eastern and Southern farmers
were threatened. Munition factories
were unable to make smokeless pow
der.
Now that the war is over there is
no more sale for the Nebraska prod
uct, at least not at old prices. Ne
braska potash men have complained
to congress that the fertilizer manu-.
facturers are in a combine to force
down prices or to await the placing
of German potash on the market. Be-
tween $3,000,000 and $5,000000 worth
Of Nebraska potash is in storage in
Eastern and Southern cities await
ing sale.
Millions From Lakes.
The Nebraska potash industry is
less than three years old, but many
million dollars have been made from
it. 1t was poor mans" prospect
like the famous "toe diggings" Of
South Africa, where barefooted men
dug up gold nuggets with their toes.
Three years ago Earl Modisett, a
young Omaha chemist, was working
at the Cudahy Packing company's
plant in South Omaha for $125 per
month. Now he is a millionaire. He
is twenty-eight years old. Clark
Denny Of Omaha, who loaned Modi-
sett $500 with which to start his
potash work, is said to have drawn
$4,000 last year in dividends on the
stock issued him for that $500.
John III. Krause, "cowman" living
in the sand hills, is drawing $1,000 per
day royalty for leases on a portion of
his property. He expects to make an
other lease by which he will draw
$4,000 per day on some other sand
hill property he owns. At least that
was his expectation before the ar.
mistice.
Krause came from Wisconsin and
homesteaded in the short-grass cOun-
try. He managed to make ends meet
by as narrow squeak as most other
cOwmen. In time he took over other
homesteads which settlers, discour-
aged, sold cheap. On Krause's prop
erty were several lakes of brakish
water. They were worthless, as the
stock could not drink the water. Two
years ago the lakes were found to be
rich in potash. 1t is from the water
of these lakes that Krause gets his
$1,000 day royalty.
Lawyer Missed Fortune.
When the potash rush started there
Krause was in litigation over a por-
ton of his land. He offered an Omaha
attorney quarter interest if he
would handle the case. The lawyer
refused. He told Krause he would
take the case at fair fee, but he
did not want to fool with any potash
leases. The lawyer got $500 for han
ding the case. Had he accepted
Krause's offer he would be drawing
$3.50 per day. "Solid ivory" exclaims
that lawyer.
The potash fields cover territory
30 miles square. Scientists say the
country there was once covered with
dense forest which burned. The pot
ash in the ashes sunk into the sands
and thence into the hills. Perforated
pipes are driven into the bottoms of
these lakes and the water pumped,
first through the mud and then into a
pipe line to reduction plant. The
water is evaporated and the potash
remains.