Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-05
Veteran Kansas Settler
Tells of Early DAYS

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TO che Eattor Of the star:
The controversy about reducing the
wheat production In Western Kansas
takes me back some so years, when I
was q pioneer settler IN that section.
variously known as "the Great Ameri-
can Desert" the coyote counties" and
the "short-srass country" and the prob
lem was not to reduce the wheat pro-
duction but how to produce any wheat
ct all.
That section was O trackless waste
Of prairie land. with practically no
trees, and had been roamed over by
immense herds of buffalo and prowlinR
hands of Indians, who at the time /
write Of still made occasional raids over
the country, Chief Joseph and his band
having passed through just as l en-.
tered the country. The only signs Of
buffalo at that time were numerous
wallows and huge stacks of bones
corded up at the railroad stations for
shipment East, and an abundance Of
buffalo chips, which we're q Godsend
to the early settlers for fuel. There
were plenty of antelope and wolves.
both of the coyote and gray wolf
varieties.
The country at that time had been
"squatted" on by numerous cattlemen
with vast herds Of cattle and lawless
cowboys, and the settlers who were now
coming in numbers were regarded as
intruders, and there were numerous
clashes; for If q settler succeeded in
getting q little patch of sod corn" 1t
was pretty sure to be destroyed by the
cattle before 1t fnatured. But the set
tiers persisted in coming in, and in
time the herd laws" became effective,
and the cattlemen soon departed, ex-
cept in q few instances where they had
placed a cowboy on each quarter Sec
ton and in this way "'pre-empted" or
"homesteaded" enough land to create o
ranch, but these tracts had to DO
fenced.
The prairies were covered with q
short, velvety grass called buffalo
grass" which only grew a few inches
high, bit was rich and nutritious and af-
forded &cellent grazing for cattle. The
average rainfall for the year was all
right, but it had way of coming most
plentifully in the Spring and going
bone dry in the hot months of the Sum-
mer, when 1t was most needed. For
this reason there was failure after fall
ure of crops, and many of the home
steaders abandoned their claims and
went back to Gods country" as they
called It.
The situation became 80 serious that
help had to be given by the State and
the railway shipped in supplies free.
Congress passed q law that any home
steader who made entry prior to June,
1880, could make proof on his land
without further residence, and that
proof could be made by power of at
torney. This law was intended as o
mi da1tro fNf 10 Ixy a.
steaders, but 1t proved of doubtful ben.
eft. Many had abandoned their claims
and left the country with no intention
Of returning or claiming the land, and
a horde of land-grabbers sprang UP who
fastened to get the powers of attorney
for trif1e; and when the owner could
not easily be located powers Of attorney
were forged and professional witnesses
were used, 50 that most of this land
found its way into the hands Of Specu-
lators and land sharks.
But conditions have changed out there
In Western Kansas. The rains come
now when needed, and the soil Il
always the ideal for wheat. Statistics
show that two-fifths of the country's
wheat crop is raised in Kansas, and
more than half Of this is raised out
there in the short-grass country where
1t was thought that nothing but cattle
could thrive.
But Kansas is all right. Those who
had faith in the country and held on
through all the hardships Of the early
days and others who had but little
faith but held on because they couldn't
get away are now living In the city and
renting their farms to younger people
or living on the interest of their In
vestments and taking pleasure jaunts
In their automobiles.
Fifty years ago there was but one
covered buggy in Graham County, while
today there are approximately 1000 au-
tomobiles.
I was mayor Of the City of Millbrook.
the county seat of Graham County,
when jolly little cyclone came along
and scattered us all about. I had nine
buildings, three Of them stores, torn to
pieces in this storm. And, of course,
we all built cyclone cellars after that,
but had no use for them. Kansas used
to be noted for cyclones. but have you
noticed that OF late years you seldom
hear of one there? They have gone
down South or to other sections denu6 d
of forests, while Kansas Is planting trees
and driving the cyclones away.
I have an idea that the timber cul-
ture law has much to do with the pros
perity Of Kansas, as well as her i'm
videS that where there is no natural
timber in a section person could make
an entry of 100 acres of land, S acres
Of sod to be broken the first year; the
second year another acres of sod to
be broken and the first acres to be
plowed up and planted to any kind Of
a crop; the third year the first 5 acres
10 be planted to any kind of timber seed
or cuttings, and the second acres
to o crop, and the fourth year the
second acres to o crop. When these
trees are planted they are to be 4 feet
apart, and at the end of eight years
from date Of entry there are to be living
trees enough 10 average q rod apart
each way, and then you get q patent
deed to the 100 acres.
Originally there was no natural tim
Der growing on the prairie, nothing to
break the force Of the freezing Mani
toba waves from the North and the
red-hot winds from Texas, and no YER
dure or green things to draw moisture.
But now, with fine forests and fruit
orchards, the climate is entirely
changed and the rains come as needed
and loud cry is sent out for the Kan.
sas farmer to stop raising 50 much
wheat. BENZ. B, r. GRAVES.