The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-04-19
BY JAMES L. KILGALLEN
Copyright. 1885. by International
News SerYiCel

NNOpyl Hl' 1900 ny iulSA hdblOhdA
News ServiCe)
GARDEN CITY, Kans., April 10
U.N.SD kansas farmers, vic
Tins of dust storms and drought,
will snap out of it, and get 60
ing again if their land is blessed
with rain.
This was the declaration of w
B. Benson, for the past 18 years
traffic manager of the Garden
City Western railway, a 14-mile
spur road which runs into the
farming country from this city
to Wolf, Kans. The line is owned
by the Garden City Company, a
sugar beet company which oper'
ates big plant near here and
supplies electricity for 300 pump
ing plants on farmers properties
Mr.. Benson said:
II must admit that the Situa-
ton today looks terrible, almost
without hope. But, strangely
enough, the farmers hereabOutS
haven't lost courage. They are
always ready to take a gamble.
1--WE never have had anything
like this drought and dust
storms. I never witnessed any
thing like the dust storm OF
April 10 and IL when the cOun-
trySide was in darkness for more
than SO hours.
"Yet never saw a county
that can snap out of it as
quickly as this. These farmers
have nerve"
FARMER TALKS
One of the farmers referred to,
Arthur L. Blake, of this region,
happened to be standing nearby
as Mr.. Benson talked. He spoke
up:
1--WE been here for 40 years.
I've seen good times and bad
times. I'll tell you something:
This county is not blOwed up yet
by a long shot. All We need is
rain, and lots Of it,"
Mr.. Benson took up the trend
of the interview. To illustrate
how bad conditions have become
he said:
"In 1881 we carried over this
little 14-mile railroad 900 cars
of wheat the farmers here
abouts had raised. In 1882
only $50 cars and in 1888 and
1894 practically none.
1--WE handled 1,1OO cars of
beets in 1881. In 1882 we
handled 900 cars. In 1888 about
700 cars and last year about
700 cars.
Gas regards the other main
product, live stock, we handled
100 cars in 1881, the same num-
Der in 1882, so cars in 1888
and only Is cars in 1894. The
drought killed off grazing land
badly in the past few years."
Mr.. Benson explained that the
wheat handled was destined fol
the markets at Hutchinson anc
Wichita, Kans., and Kansas
City, Mo. The beets were con
verted into sugar at the Garden
Company plant here. The live
stock went to the market at Kan
Sas City.
Rain Is Need
Eugene Stoeckly, superintendent
of the Garden City Company, eX
pressed the opinion that rain il
the only salvation for the situa
ton" He said that when he came
to this part of the country II
1907 there were dust storms bu
they were rather local and LASTED
only two or three hours. He re
membered a bad one in 1908, bu
he saw no such dust storms a!
Kansas has been experiencing il
recent months. He said:
you'd imagine we are a bit
down in the mouth about this
whole thing but it isn't so.
Our company supplies cleo
tricity not only for the farm
ers' pumping plants but for
six nearby towns-Pierceville,
Garden City, HOlcOmb, Deer
field, Lakin and Kendall. Well,
we are now putting in an ad-
ditiOnal 2,OOO-kilowatt turbine
to take care of increased pump
ing loads.
"Why, there are six or eight
pumping plants for irrigating
the land under construction on
farms hereabOuts right now.
Licked? Say, these farmers
never heard of that word"
Mr.. Benson interjected a stor
to show the temper of the farm
ers. He said that six or sevel
years ago when drought cor
ditions hit farmers hard An
drew Meader. a farmer ownin
land near Lowe, Kans., sold hi
equipment. He had no soone
done it than a substantial rair
fall came. He bought all hi
equipment back the next morr
ing and went farming again.