The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-04-16
By JAMES L. KILGALLEN
Copyright, 1895. by International
News Service)


GARDEN CITY, Kas., April 16
(I.N.S.).-"That'S my farm
ruined by the dust storms and
the drought"
So said Alex. Gillen, a hard
working, weather-beaten farmer as
he brought his rattle-trap car to
stop near Friend, Kas., rs miles
north Of Garden City, and pointed
to as desolate a piece of land as
this writer has ever seen.
A mild dust storm was raging.
Clouds of dirt particles we're being
waited from the dry ground and
whirled about in the air making
visibility difficult. During the ride
from Garden City over the coun-
try roads, with the headlights Of
our car cleaning in the daylight,
we had not encountered a soul.
The countryside was dark and
foreboding with clouds of dust bill
lowing across it.
Looked Like Desert
GilIen's four-room farm house,
o wooden structure badly in need
of paint, was partially inundated
by the dirt drifts. So were his
two red barns, his well and the
little low chicken shed. The land
itself was barren stretch Of
bleak, yellowish ground without
q green patch on it.
The land, and the farms ad-
jacent to it, had the appearance
Of a desert.
Gillen's machinery such as his
combine, his one-way and his
drill, were imbedded in dust and
dirt and abandoned. He asked:
"IS it any wonder I'm on re.
lief? Is it any wonder I've
had to move my family into
town and take up something
else to make a living? Is it
any wonder I'm broke and in
debit"
For eight years Gillen, a typi-
CAL, well-intentioned Ameri can
farmer, 4S years old, has been
trying to make Ego" of his
farm, often working day and
night. Finally, due to the dust
storms, he was recently forced
to quit the farm, take his wife
and five children-Clara, IS;
Georgia, 10: Raym ond, IL;
Thelma, 9, and Betty Anne, s.
into Garden City, rent a small
place at $12.5C a month and go
ION relief" at $40 a week.
Owned 800 Acres
Gillen originally owned half
section of land, or 800 acres. He
now owns only 100 acres which
he purchased from George Gano,
Of Hutchinson, Kan, at $50 an
acre, or for $4,000. He is paying
on time. He said:
'I'm paying crop pay. pay
him crops. If I don't raise any
I don't pay him anything. I
just pay my taxes. But we
farmers cannot raise any crops
and many of us can't even pay
the taxes.
"My wife is worrying herself
sick. We're in debt. / owe about
$1,5OO and I don't know how
I'm ever going to pay it the
way things are. Last year my
wife had an operation and was
i'll five months. The operation
and hospital bills cost me $500.
I guess if these dust storms
keep up I'll have to give up the
farm for good and move back
East.
'Tt's hard to keep the chill
dren in clothes and in school,
70 say nothing of providing
them with food. work three
days . week on the highways.
am paid IS cents an hour. It's
pretty hard keeping my family
On $40 a week, but I'm glad
20 get that. 1 wish l could get
more work Of any kind to do"
! Sees Other Farms
I I met Gillen in Garden City
shortly after I got off Santa Fe
Srain which had come across the
State of Kansas from the East
through cloud of dust. At each
stop the conductor would come
Sack into the coach covered with
DUST.
Gillen got his car and said he
would show the writer what the
farmers in this region-in South
Western Kansas not far from the
Colorado line-are up against. En-
route over the wind and dirt swept
roads he was glad to accept what
he called tailor made" cigarette.
He rolls his own for economy's
sake.
He related how recently his IS
dickens took sick after a dust
Storm and it was three weeks be-
fire one of them laid an egg"
When he finally had to quit his
fArm he took his 16 head of cat
tie to q grazing spot near Garden
City. Stopping the car he said :
There's the place of Frank
Andrew, one Of my neighbOrs.
He's locked up and left. Look
At that dirt Swirling. Why, it's
like q beach. it's so sandy look
ing. But that's not sand. See
the dirt piled up against the
buildings! And this was once o
ne 1,000-acre farm"
Re got out and walked to the
drew farmhouse. It was de-
G"rted. Nearby lay several wheat
drills. a tractor. a combine, sew.
eral ploughs-all abandoned.