The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-01
a HARRY ROOT-


years active in political affairs in the
Sixth Kansas district is now chair
man OF the Republican state commit
tee in Idaho and is expected 70 land
from his home state. Thomas for
merry lived in Phillipsburg. He
trained with the W. A Reeder organ
izarion during the days when Reeder
was in control of the congressional
district Several years ago Thomas
went TO Idaho He is now chairman
OF the state committee and Will doubt
less go TO Chicago as d delegate-ar-
large.
Your correspondent visited the
northwest corner of the state with
Senator P. 3. Plumb at a time when
it looked as # irrigation was The big
factor in the salvation Of that corner
of Kansas The senator was making
his first trip to Cheyenne county, and
was on the program for an address al
the county fair, which was going on
a. st. Francis Besides the big irr1-
CATION ditch Of a miles in length was
TO be thrown open to the Inspection
of all visitors, and water would be
running thru it. A crowd estimated
at $500 people were present The
South Fork Irrigation company. an
diuucr TO the Lincoln Land company
OF Nebraska. began work on the ditch
in 1890. The water in the Repub-
lican river wouldn't begin to supply
the ditch. SO a large swamp or pond
OF water close to the river, in Colo
rado. Il was believed. would supply
enough water for all ditch and farm
purposes. and this the South Fork
company based their supply on. The
cost of the ditch was estimated TO be
about SS5O.0O0. It is said eastern in
s1rance companies furnished the
money, as IT was shown by litigation
that the irrigation company and the
insurance people tried to recover from
the Lincoln Land company the money
advanced TO build the ditch, and had
failed. Capt A L. Emerson. now
dead was the local manager of the
Lincoln Land company also the local
representative of the south Fork r.
rigati0n com pany, was the active
spirit in the building of the ditch on
the completion OF the enterprise water
was turned in and for a short time II
ran for the 81 miles The people had
hopes for d time the big enterprise
would be a success The years follow
ing 1891 and 1892 esta blished the fact
that there was not sufficient water
10 irriEate the vast tract of land. and
so proved a failure. so the title To the
lands reverted back to the residents.
The building OF the ditch caused
great increase Of population in Chey-
enne county. In 1SSS they began
moving the old town OF Wano To the
Francis was booming, and il was esti-
mated at the end of the second year
that the new town had a population
of over six hundred people Five
Years OF hard times from 1895 to 1888
reduced the town to one-half its popu-
lation Since 1898 the town has had
4 steady growth. everything has been
a steady improvement The old sand
streets have disappeared and given
away to shale and gravel. Cement
sidewalks replace the old wooden ones.
and new modern brick buildings are
fast replacing the OLD wooden sfruc-
lures Of pioneer days. st Francis has
become a thriving little metropolis all
in itself It is one of the biggest grain
and livestock markets in northwest
Kansas The county raised two and
q half million bushels of wheat last
year Land IS advanced far beyond
any other county around there. and
all Indications point toward another
big production this coming season
MANY of the leading farmers are
stocked M on thorobred stock and are
finding il more remuneTatIve than the
old scrub stock of early, days II is
uos uncommon TO see hundred
trucks waiting their turn at the elsya-
tor, loaded with wheat
As early as April 1850, the writer Of
these notes was a Cawker City visitor.
The streets were full of emigrant wag-
ons. better known as prairie schoon-
were headed west. going out TO the
homestead counties Cawker City was
an ourfiruns point 10 the then inviting
/ prairies Of Northwest Kansas. No
matter how rich or poor the people