The Springfield herald., January 23, 1914, Image 1

About The Springfield herald. (Springfield, Baca County, Colo.) 1887-1919

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THE SPRINGFIELD HERALD.
Vol. xxvn. No. 24
Ten Years
Of Dry Farming.
Continued
S. M. Konkel
In Farm and Fireaide
time. Now every man has his
riding lister, two-row cultivators
are everywhere, sulkies are com
mon, disk harrows are in evi
dence, one-row binders, which
had never been seen, are plenti
ful, each neighborhood lias one
or more grain binders, grain
headers are here and there, and
threshing machines have loomed
up in the different settlements;
and, as an evidence of moderni
zation, the telephone, the motor
cycle, and the automobile have
come.
Land Prices 20 Yean Ago.
The difference that is put on
the value of land now and ten
years ago is an indication of the
transformation of the country.
Twenty years ago it was selling
at from twenty-live to fifty dol
lars a quarter, ten years ago at
from fifty to two hundred dollars
a quarter, and today at about
one thousand dollars a quarter.
The difference in the valuation of
land now and then isn’t a mere
matter of the new settlement
that has since come in, but the
general prevailing contentment
and prosperity of those who have
been here long enough to get
ahead.
After having been here for
some time I began to wonder if
something might not be done in
the way of farming; and about
the same time Campbell came
out with his magazire articles on
the subject of “dry farming,”
and his pamphlets soon followed
on the same subject. Macaroni
wheat was just then having an
inning, barley took its place in
the new order of things, spelts
came in for its share of attention
and Kherson and Red Texas oats
lined up in the procession; and to
all these the new order of things
here, agriculturally, is indebted.
Some of these things have since
been dropped from the program
and others are declining in pop
ularity, but the impetus given to
farming by these contributing
influences has taken the country
out of the domain of conjecture,
doubt and uncertainty as to
whether it is agricultural or
whether it isn’t. No one stops
now to ask someone else what he
thinks about it. The question
is settled. It is an agricultural
country of a certain dependable
class, and from this recently
acquired elevation there will be
no recession to materially
impede it’s onward course,
I have been here for more than
ten years. and during
this time there has not been a
singli failure In making a good
crop in my locality where any
kind of intelligent farming was
done, I have a neighbor who
has farmed here twelve years and
oome outontopat the end of
every year with a good crop,
Some Big Results
You will notice that the above
is a modified statement. I have
known other localities during
this time that under the farming
in vogue raised only fodder, and
still others where there w»s not
rain to make fodder worth cut
ting, The kind of land ip such
oases has had much to do with
it, and the kind of farming very
often had a great deal mope to do
with it than either the season or
the land, With any kind of in
telligent farming, op good land,
end partioulai-ly on oqr sandy
loams, some moisture will be
stored away in the cultivation of
one-row stuff for the yeei follow
ing—a little more each year than
the year previous, up to a certain
point, so that a failure of fodder
is out of the question even when
rain for the season is wanting.
The facts are that we
think no more about rain than our
brothers away back in the rain
belt. It may not rain for two,
three, four, or six weeks, but
stuff keeps right on growing, so
while we are wonderincr if it is
ever going to rain again we still
have a feeling that at the end of
the season we will have some
thing to show for our summer’s
toil.
Of our methods of farming,the
tendency is towards a uniformity
and the uniformity is in the
right direction. What one does
n’t find out another finds out for
him, and he profits by it. The
tendency is towards deepness
for a moisture-holding bed, and
a moisture retentive condition of
the soil. Listing is pre-eminent
ly the moisture-bed method of
planting. It wants to be done
deep, and on hard land it wants
to be done once—twice would be
better—before planting. If I
were on hard land I would list in
the fall, then in early spring as
deeply as six horses could pull
the lister—of course always
breaking the middles—and then
again in planting. We ought to
watch our chances to do our back
listing after a heavy rain to bury
the moisture, and the first in
ward cultivation should be : done
likewise. If we can succeed in
burying two or more heavy rains
we will have grain, and if we can
then have one good rain at grain I
ing time we will have a big crop.
Our problem for success out
here is extensive farming, as a
gainst intensive farming in the
back-east country. A man here
who would try the forty-acre in
tensive plan, would starve to
death. What is wanted here are
fast working tools. A proper
one<>man equipment is a two-row
lister, a two row cultivator, a
one row binder, a threshing ma
chine and a baler, a broomcorn
seeder, and of course secondary
tools in proportion. One man
last year with such an equip
ment raised five thousand bush
els of inilo maize and thirty tons
of broomcorn, with no help ex
cept in harvesting. Such an e
quipment calls for six or more
horses. This is the proper e
quipment. A man needs at least
four good horses, a good lister,
a two row cultivator, and a one
row binder to make a success,
and If he hasn’t these the prob
lem he has to solve is to get
them; and about one hundred
and sixty acres is what he wants
to cultivate, After the stuff is
up we want to get over it three
times, the first time throwing
the dirt out, the second time
throwing it in, and the third
time completely leveling the
ground,
Of course farming bore wants
to be complemented with the
necessary stock. A man needs
not less than three hundred and
twenty acres of land, and a dozen
good mares, twenty good cows, I
ten to twenty good hogs to fat-1
en, and around three hundred
heps on the roost in the fall.
I will add that less than half
the work here will keep the soil
in a better receptive condition
thap Ljaek in the rain belt. This
is jpartly from the nature of our
soils, and partly from the fact
tfoat we don’t have the enormous
rainfall to pack it down. For
this reason even the work that
we do is easier—the necessary
work for the same results. It
is this that gives to extensive
farming here its practicability.!
CX>nalu«lcd next ti cvlt.
SPRINGFIELD, BACA COUNTY, COLORADO, FRIDAY, JAN. 23 19J4.
The decisions of our corres
pondents as to the poorest ad. in
the paper developed some sur
prises. The editor was figuring
that Gurn Thompson would get a
whole lot of attention through
the poorest ad., and bless or
lives he wasn’t even mentioned.
The most of our correspond
ents didn’t seem to like “them
furrin ads.,’’ while Baker’s ad.
gets one vote as best and two as
poorest. Mrs. Mills ad. also gets
one bad vote.
Lamport.
Albert Peterson was trading
at Wentworth Saturday.
H. C. Greer was visiting at
Elley Sitton’s Suuday.
Mr. Jasper, the hustling mer
chant of Oampo, took dinner in
our neighborhood recently.
Billy Lee of near Wentworth,
says he is in this country to-stay.
He is one of the pleasant bachelor
homesteaders of our county.
Mr. Cline, one of the locators
in the west part of the county,
passed through here last week.
' Levi, the cowboy bachelor and
farmer, was seen on our streets
Su:»day.
There will be a pie supper at
’ the Lamport school house Valen
tine’s night, Feb. 14th.
Louis Cohen has traded his
land in Kansas for eight mules.
Some are now plowing.
Wentworth.
Roy Cofield took his broomcorn
to Elkhart last week and brought
back freight for Gurn Thompson
The children in the neighbor
hood are just getting over the
chicken pox.
Our spelling school is progress
ing nicely. Everyone learning
fine.
Rev. Johnson will preach for
us Saturday night, Jan. 24.
The"people in this neighbor
hood have organized a prayer
meeting.
BAILEY
j
At Springfield, has wagons that
have been used, work Harness,
all kinds of horses and mules, a
well drill complete and deeded
land all at a low price.—Adv.,
2—15.
Blaine.
Alfred Lucas and Sherril
West went to 1 amar last Thurs
day for freight fer WaJe Burnet.
I . F. Mathews is Keeping
bachelor's hall on his ranch,
F. Dunlap returned from
Beuver.Okla., Wednesday. He
had been down to visit his father
and moth r this winter,
C. Watson and the two Miss
Ilennebergs went to Springfield
last Friday, returning Saturday,
Wade Burnet and wife went to
Stonington Tuesday in their car.
Geo. Lucas is helping Lyle
Knox on his house.
THE STATE TAX COMMISSION
The. supreme court, four to
three, recently decided
the tax suit in favor of the State
Tax commission, and the ooun
ty assessors consequently got
busy raising the tax valuation
of all property according to
the first order of the state com
mission, which was 12,67 per cent
making a total in this county of
.•>277,000 above the valuation of
the assessor,
County and state boards of
I equalization exist in ail states, I
I but it’s our idea that county as
sessors should be given certain
directions or instructions in the
assosment of property, and made
officially responsible for any f la-j
grant violations of their iqst.ruc j
tions.
But as the Herald can’t effect
these regulations, we shall have |
to worry along as best we can j
under the present system, under
which the orders of the State i
Tax commission, supported b,*;
I the supreme court, is probably
the very best that can be done t.o
meet the present situation.
County Judge Jackson .
There is little m6re of direct ev-1
idence of the cofiduct of judge
Jackson than there was the
week he made his get-a-way; but
from all the evidence at hand we
are still of the opinion that he
was practically moneyless when
he landed at Lamar.
One thing is very certain,
Jackson was foolish to go crook
ed and run away for what he got |
outofit. At present it is known
that he got the money on five
homestead proofs* but as three
of these were taken about two
months ago it ia probable that
the money was all spent before
he left. It is known also that
he got money on one or two
contest notices, and long age on
some filing case 3, probably two.
three or four, y
In connection with the office,
there was nothing he could get
his hands on, outside of the
land business connected with it,
so there was nothing in that way j
he could get away with.
Outside of government land
money, there was $225 borrowed
from the Two Buttes bank on
Chatties, and about SIOO bor
rowed from Wlp. Thompson on
Chatties; but tills money in both
cases was reooived something
like a year ago,; and of course
was used up lonfr ago.
So far as present evidence
goes, this is thefcioney appropri
ated by judge Jgckson up to the
time of his j absquatulation,
which gives credence to the view
that he left with not very much
money.
At the Citizens State bunk at
Lamar be passed his check on'
the Two Buttes bank for SSO but
lmd to give the up at
Syracuse.
At Su racuse he gave his check
at a store for JtyO, and we under
stand that at Kausas City he
passed one or two for small
amounts.
Mrs. Jackson claim* the cows
and horses mortgaged to the
Two Buttes bank The bankj
succeeded in getting th’ stuck out -
of the county, and we understand
Mrs. Jackson intends to sue the
bank. The horses mortgaged to
f Win. Thompson would have been
sold last Saturday, but they weie j
rambling over the country and
could not be found.
We understand Mrs. Jackson
had $1,400 in the Syracuse bunk,
that she loaned $4.00 recently,
and still has $1 (XX) there to her
credit.
Presumedly Jackson went
straight back to his old home in
Benton county. Mo., and is there
at this time,
As to the exact crlmo of which
Jackson Is guilty, it seems to be
a matter of some doubt. It
would look as If it became U. S
money when it passed into his
hands, as in this case he is act
ing as the govenment’s agent,
and it would look under the cir
cumstances that the government
ought to be responsible for the
defalcation.
if, however, it is only a breach
of tiust, the chances are that he |
may remain in Benton county un-1
til tome more crooked work,
takes 111 in to some other quarters •
unless indeed the surety com- ,
pany should see fit to bring him j
back to answer for such branch
of trust
Boston.
' Rev, Jones of Stonington, was
lin this neighborhood the first
of the week.
E. Lepel and Ed Stapleton
were at Elkhart last week.
iildrjdge and Roy Bryan wort
in this neighborhood last week,
i Sam and Jim Niohols have gone
j to eastern Kansas on a visit
Rev- Nidy preached to h largo
'alliance Sunday night.
I I would rather you would not
publish my name as correspond?
ent.
James Villors and Doe Cukl
well have purchased buggies.
If it were not for seeming origin
al, we would say, “look- out girls!”
One by one the boys are fall
ing. The latest vic‘em is T. E.
Bar, one of the, “faithful ha'f
dozen.” He was tomahawked,
sculped, slain, and devoured last
week. The remaining
Five little Indians,
Full of sor row and gloom,
In fear and in trnnblin.%
Are awaiting their doom.
Vilas.
The Conner boys were hauling
feed Thursday from the Walters’
place.
Several young people met
with Miss McAdams Friday
evening for the purpose of col
lecting some dialogs for Hie lit
erary Friday night. Every body
invited to the literary.
Vilas is rather dead at pres
ent. The ‘‘four hundred’’ wi
th ink are taking a longslccp af
ter a continued round of plea--
ure. Some also are cripled from
too much frolicking on tlm ice.
But such is life in the far wed.
Stonington.
The weather has been like spring
fora few days and tin* mud is rapidly
disappearing.
The Thompson storo has purchase !
the whole Daggett stock.
Wm Dagget -Jr. returned to Syra
cuse Saturday, having closed bis busi
ness interests here.
Mrs. D. 0. Drown has gone east to
Visit.
The school won in the recent spelling
contest, there being seven students on
the floor after the other side had gone
down.
The mock trial brought to light some
fine talent. Messrs. C. E. Gillmoro,
S, L- Thompson. W. A - Thompson,
and J. C. Waldron wore the counse
lors at bar,
i Rev Dean preached a very fine s-.-r
mon Sunday morning . vlso another one
after the Christian Endeavor service
atnlght..
Campo.
Lou Williamson has returned tu Elk
hare for another load of H. H. goods.
Geo. Bowman is staying with .7- c
Alford.
Ray Dunn and Jaa. Merrilk-ldare in
the cedars this week.
Wm Terebough and Floyd Richards
. have returned from a nip to Elkhart
| M. b. Lee made a trip to the coun
j ty seat last Tuesday.
George Petty was a Springfield vi it
<>r Saturday.
Mr. Coe has been on the •■grippe”!
list recently.
In respor.ee to inquiries regarding
1 why 1 suggested the publication of
correspondents' names, all imjL.n is
will find my reasons c-mbodiid in tiie
editor’s article, entitled "A .-ugge -
tion”in issue of the .nd inst.
...util.
Sandy Soil
Dee Williams .nd Claud'* Mar-1
tin mndu a trip to tin* < un?y
seat one day last \v< ek.
Miss Mabel Ivosi-i grunt »
ed Gob hi Neal I ist VV-rln a I >
evening
Franklin Sacks ami win- i.t
ed J. H. Neal and family Sun
day.
Mrs. Howard was at Sprim •
field last week.
Ira Williams and family ate
home again.
Mr* Nidoy visited at Long’-
Wednesday.
Frank Neal was .it Cunpo t! e
i first of lie week.
Welcome.
Welcome school had a lot of
visitors this week.
Mr. Editor, what do you think
iof feterita for this dry country?
(Talk of it next week—Editor).
I think the Ist Nat/I Bank ad.
would be hard to beat,
i The I Lerald is fine. I think
you have greatly improved it.
As to signing the name, F think
it best as it is.
Stock is leading un well
Fanciicr, Davis, and Turner
have gone to spend the winter
olse where.
Mr. Egitor, toll us something
about the OK) acre homestead
hill that we have been hearing
about of late.
(In the early future will pub
lish the bill.- Editor).
It matters little whether an
ad. is the lies: or the poorest —
il it gets ihe attention. The best
ad. with nobody coking at it Is
n’t worth 5 ets.
LOCALS.
HerbHomsher went to Denver
j to-day.
li. Tankersl.v cut up a uood
! pile for the editor on the 10th
; inst.
Bert. Schneider o! Kegnier,
was a county seat visitor 'Tues
day.
Question for a debating socie
ty; Would .i pit silo pay in Baca
county?
The Horn beys delivered Iced
at the editor’s home on. the
21st inst.
The roads to Lamar by next
week, il tin' weather remains
right, will be pretty good.
The editor wants a ton of coal,
and the first men who speaks,
gets the job.
L. 'V. Jackson went into court Wed
nesday, pleaded guilty ana paid the
costs, somethin:'; over a SIOO
Ira Greathouse and Zeal Nor
ton were business visitors to
Springfidld the first of the week.
The Mail and Bn eze and Cap
per’s Weekly will cost you .">() cts.
—in connection with the Herald.
Ask Ed Measel for one of
those neat cards turned out lor
him this mock by the Herald
force
Attorney Allen returned from
his Topeka visit with his parents
on the twenty-first inst. He re
ports si. jolly time in Topeka, but
Baca county for him.
Ivl Stapbton of Boston deliver
ed two porkers to A, A. Denne.v
Tuesday, and incident illy got up
in the Herald band wagon for
the coming year. Thanks.
There is a dispute in this office
as to whet,her two of the orna
ments in the Long ad. are up
side down. In case they are
balloons, they are alright.
The first 1 hit.g that rau gib oin*
eye at (In.. I’nln-r’s one d:iy tTiis
week’ w.r “th< in garden seeds”
—in th” den i of the. winter.
Yon •v1 i! ■ 1 *e them on either side
of the do >r as von go in.
Since print iner tho inside pages, tfie
school situation has changed. Mrs
I Phogley is rapidly improving, and will
’ report for duty Monday morning. Mrs:
I Old n lias boon employed to leach
Miss. Gordon’s room.
Merchant. Warren of Artesia,
was a guest in town over Mon
day night,. M * Warren opened
his store in November, and re
ports hu ; "o<s since that time
as very good.
Miss Mi -o Donor, one of the
bos' 1 :• e former teachers of
this c unty, writing from mini’s,
sa.vs sir- likes t.he Springfield
Herald under its present
management, and to change it
to her new addi-oss.
G T. Dishnutn of liodley, who
fornu lry clerked in tlv Daggett,
store at. Stonington, jumped up
on the Herald family hand n
with the He aid I'amilv for
ihe ■ ar. Tl ■ •
C. F. and m .v 'he rest of Rod ley
go (come) and <ie like". is* .
'■ A. Campbell r-(M u rned yes
terday fro . lint -'linsi.n, Kir
when he Inis been on a, short vis
it At Lanui.r lie laeated four
persons in his neighborhood of
No. 0, and has ten more on the
String.
(a«RAW OVJEW
Will F h took Mr.
Shieman to Elkhart last Wednes
day morning.
Halls ar.d Steeles got. in from
the cedars Thursday ni’hfc.
| Tiny report some pretty big
snow stories, hi", ay their ho se
did not snflt-M*.
Mrs. Earlt’la ip was p. visitor
’ Wedn
Fred Collins went to Elkhart
the first of the we *k-.
Mrs Bert Glasgow and Fluid
( r. : visited with Mrs. Garvie
[ one day last week.
Which of the “half dozen” will
be the next for the scalping
knife?
Mrs. Oldem is visiting
<■'■ oloss this week.
$1.25 Per Year.
OUR ADVERTISERS.
Liggett A Colo is t he firm name
of sm appropriate com bination
of real estate enterprise and le
gal talent. <Frost Legget’s
name is r household word in the
Prowers land district, he having
boon for many years receiver of
':he Lamar land office. Mr. Lig
getconsequently knows the real
estate part of the business from
A to izzard.
Ally n Cole is acquir
ing a reputation as lawyer, andin
crossing lances with older prac
titioners has shown his legal a
cunian and ability to hoe his own
row.
The Herald joins with their
many friends in wishing contin
ued success to the firm of Lig
ett & Cole.
Maurice l ong is >t permanent
fixture of Springfield and Baca
county. He is sociable and a
greeahle—just the nature suited
to the hotel business. He is now
conducting the old Homsher ho
tel, now the Long hotel, and is
getting a goodly share of trade
in that line.
A Happy Surprise.
Mrs. Will French planned a
pleasant surprise Friday even
ing in honor of her husband’s
birth- day.
The invited guests were:
Will Hankins and family, Fred
doll ins and wife, Earl Clapp and
family, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Hall
and son. Jim Davis and family,
W. U. Games and family, Mr.
and Mrs. I) W. Babcock, and El
mer French. They all met at
Elmer’s'and took Will by sur
prise Tim early part of the ev
ening was spent in games and
singing, after which a lap supper
wjis served by the hostess, con
sisting of coffee, cake, and
«an cl witches. 1
They all departed at a late
djour, each one declaring they
had enjoyed themselves immenc*
ly and wishing Will many more
Happy Birthdays.
v One Who Was There.
Where They Are
Pretty Prairie is a prom
inent locality of the county, and
it. well deserves the name that
has been given to it. The Pret
ty Prairie sciiool house may be
considered as a central point,
and all that country between the
Sandy Arroyo and Bear and
Horse creeks on tne west and
north as part of the Pretty
Prairie territorry.
North Flats will be next con
sidered.
A well Pleased Advertiser.
Elkhart, Jan. 14,1914.
Mr. S. M. Konkel,
Editor Springfield Herald.
Dear Si r:—
Your favor of the 12th
in.st. received and ve enclose
our check for the amount of
lour advertising for the month
I'd December, and wisli to assure
I you that wo are mighty well
ph ased with the results. We
oav« noticed the articles from
you r subscribers in regard to the
neatest and classiest ad.s with a
great deal ol satisfaction, for the
majority of them seem to give
ours firs, place. We can readily
agrej with them, for you have
surely given us a neat attractive
ad and we wish to assure you
and your subscribers that our
yard ami stock of materials is
just as neat and attractive and
jour prices are right.
Yours yerv truly,
Win. Washburn.
Nursery Stock.
Call and so.- the trees I have growing 1
in lot-, ill Spring! .11. If you contem
• mo figure with
you. Delivery about April Ist, fron:
the <!i i> a Nurseries, Lawrence, Kuna.
E. Emerson.
Big Banco!
Friday night, Jan. 31 tl
A Piano installed for theoccasioi
and thus have the very best tin
sic obtainable. Invitation is t
everybody -adv.