The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-07-31
~ HARRY ROOT.


A northwest Kansas man sends the
Sixth district department of the State
Journal the following: How great our
landscape has changed in Trego coun-
ty the last 80 and 40 years. There
has been many changes, most of them
brought about thru the use of gaso-
line, but the most wonderful and COM
forting for the old settlers from the
eastern states have been in the plant
and bird life of these plains" The
writer goes on to say that he is almost
tempted 10 write a book and name it
Bird and Plant Inyasions of the
Great American Desert" The cores
pondent adds: Trego county is finish
ing up the greatest wheat harvest ever
known here. Because = of the large
volunteer acreage, the reported acre
age and total prospective yield is be-
low the mark. The quality and yield
is good. and the oats and barley crops
are fine. Corn looking fine, altho re-
unteer wheat fields. The labor propo-
sition did not bother US. The harvest
hands coming to Trego county this
year were better than many we have
had before, fewer thieves, gamblers
and wobb1ies among them< Harvest
weather was fine, and the season was
almost ideal for the production OF
bumper crops
Visitors to Wakeeney are attracted
| to the ''Warnack' home on the corner
| of Warren avenue and Cakes street.
| It is the home of Mr.. and Mrs. A. S.
| Peacock 1t has been their abiding
| place for years and will be their home
while life lasts. Fourteen years ago
! there wasn't a switch on the lots now
they can sit in the shade ''of our own
vine and fig tree" Since these peo-
pie moved and named their home
/ ''Warnoak" they have planted trees
and shrubbery besides have an end
/ less variety of flowers. Mr.. Peabody
/ is probate judge of Trego county, who
| is serving his eighth term, and is a
! candidate for another term. AS Is
their custom, when either the judge
or the missus performs a marriage
| ceremony there is a lovely bouquet of
the choicest flowers grown in Warn
oak on the desk, which Is presented
/ to the bride and groom. Every year
! his place produces fruits and Yegeta-
/ bIes. Asked why these changes and
what brought them about the judge
said: Hard work. city water and
| eternal vigilance" The writer of
! these notes remembers when the hand
on which 'fWarnoak" is situated
wouldn't raise buffalo grass. Today it
is surrounded with peace, prosperity
and a prosperous, contented people.
WAY back in the late seventies one
/
ton. The News was started first. In
l1S79 1t was conducted by two lawyers
/ named Smith and Tremper. That year
/ the Record was started by its present
| owner D. l. Chambers. and Tom
McBreen. With the starting of the
! second paper a rivalry started up at
| once-county printing was for sale
| The contest was warm for a while and
| the good and mean things thrown at
/ one another pending the choice of the
| commissioners as to who they would
favor would fill a fair sized sheet. The
News won the contract. the bid being
| one-eishth of a cent legal square
| McBreen was the fighter for the Rec
| ord. and Temper for the News. The
humorous condition of the fight was
| the fact that the peaceful editors of
the papers were. doing the fighting
verbally, while the fighting editors re-
ceived the punishment. Smith. who
was with the News, is now state parole
officer. He also served the Thirty
fourth district as judge from 1889 to
January, 1915.
One of the old pioneer towns in
| Rocks county was Cresson- The bust
mess houses and residences moved on
wheels hauled by horses to the new
town of Palco, which was going to be
the railroad town three miles away
as soon as the Union Pacific extended
their road west of PIainville. Cresson
was long ago abandoned, and the
townsite has gone back to the farm
The town was founded by Pennsyl-
vanians. the colony being headed BY
Frank and VIII Mclaughlin. They
married sisters. and were of refine
nent and wealth. The families ha6
been engaged in the manufacturing
business in their old Pennsylvania