The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-15
Sixth District Netus Notes
Items and "reminiscences by An Old Timer With His
Ear to the Grass Roots.

tend literary and spelling 0hoOlS.
Senator Whitney is free thatsln his
school district that has turned out a
set of boys and girls any better
equipped to meet the battles of life
than those from the old Hillside dis
trict in Phillips county; There was
something which entered into the lives
of those boys and girls that could not
be- learned in books, Whitney con-
tended. Only three of the older peo-
pie named are now living, Mrs. oliver
Whitney of Phillipsburg, and Mr.. and
Mrs. e. A. Mitchell of Alma, Nebraska.
Editor Robert Good, of the Cawker
City Ledger, has more to be thankful
for than most editors. In the month
of December he celebrated four birth
days in his family. The people of his
town and Mitchell county were sure
good to him, for it took hard earned
subscription and advertising money to
supply the birthday present. Nor
is this all: He is enjoying a needed
vacation with relatives and friends in
Montana, and that, too, takes money.
to buy railroad tickets in these high
cost of living times.
J. c. Ruppenthal and Geo. w. Hol-
land, both of Russell, have formed a
law firm. They are favorably known
all over the state, and especially in
northwest Kansas. The former was
judge of the Twenty-third district for
several terms, besides the Democratic
nominee for congress in the Sixth dis
trict in 1920, while the latter has rep
resented Russell county in the state
legislature. He was also the Demo-
cratic nominee for state senator in the
Thirty-fourth district in the last cleo
ton.
w. W. Warner, of Phillips county,
has been a Topeka visitor this week.
He has just finished his third term
as county clerk of that county. He
retires from the office with the good
will of his large acquaintance. He is
one of the pioneers of the county, and
is quite a land owner. In the reOr-
ganization of the Phillips county bank.
the oldest banking house in Phillips
burg, he was chosen cashier. This
bank is now owned by 200 stock
holders, of as solid townspeople and
farmers as can be found anywhere.
This large number of stockholders is
| said to be unusual in banks in north
west Kansas.
In the early building of the Rock
Island road thru Phillips county there
was a body Of water half a mile west
of Agra, which covered about thirty
five acres. One of the pushers for the
town was Charles H. Turner, who rep
resented Phillips county in the legisla-
ture in Populist times. He with the
aid of others improved the pond, put
steam launch in the water, and
named it Silver lake. He was a
staInch free silverite. and he believed
the name was appropriate. He tried
! to boom another town west of Agra
half a mile, and called it West Agra.
The Rock Island road came along and
/ put their depot in Agra, which to-
gether with a serious storm and a
Geluge of rain was the end of Silver
| lake, the water having run down the
draw" leaving bare land and the
steamer on dry land. This land is now
owned by w. c. Whitney. ex-state
senator. who is now farming it. Tur-
ner drifted to Idaho several years ago.
Smith was one of the banner corn
counties Of the state for the year 1920.
Besides her wheat raisers have more
than 40 per cent of the crop of that
year on hand. Most Of the corn has
been husked and laid away in bins
while scarcely any of it has been mar
keted on account of the low price. AL
reports from there are to the effect
that the people of the county are pros
porous, and making the best OF the
money stringency- The banks are
liberal in extending credit, and up to
this time few are suffering from the
low prices of wheat and corn. These
reports come from representative peo-
pie of the county who have recently
been Topeka visitors. The wheat acre
age for 1920 was 1867 acres. Bushels
harvested, 1.7O7.473. the value OF
which is estimated at s3,107, 600-S6. In
corn there were 160.123 acres planted,
which yielded 5,2s4.059 bushels. the
value of the crop estimated at s3,5 40,-
1888.
One of the pioneer incidents OF