From the files of the Aug. 11, 1887 edition of the Kanopolis Journal.

ANOTHER SCHEME

Now comes the officers of the so called Kansas Midland railroad with a long face and a high smile and says to our citizens, if you will vote new bonds to cover out losses, we will do great things for Ellsworth. We will build machine shops, and depots, and a round house, etc., but they are only going to play another smart game. They say, they will release the $44,000 bonds if we will vote them $15,000. Now they have forfeited the $44,000 by not running through the township. Now must the taxpayers go headlong into debt to build a railroad for fun, and give it to a set of sharkers who do not care a snap for us, after they get the bonds?

And this is not all, the proposition and contract comes out in The Reporter last week and announces the day for holding the election, etc., but it does not bind them to build anything, except a depot on the north side of the river.

Gentlemen, is this business? We think not. It is another game to gull the poor taxpayers and then they will still say with a smile a yard long, give us $15,000 more, and we will build a round house.

We say to the taxpayers of Ellsworth township and the city of Ellsworth, we are in debt enough for the present, but if you vote bonds for railroads, for instance the Santa Fe or the Mo. Pac., either of these roads, with the same inducements that the Midland has had, would have their cars in Ellsworth the first of August.

Voters think twice before you speak and then take whatever course you think best, but remember this is another railroad scheme.

New Light

RANCHES FOR SALE

BY H. JOHNSON,

ELLSWORTH, KAN.

Summit ranch, 2,400 acres, station side track, 1,000 acres fenced, 240 plow, 2 good houses and outbuildings; joins Kanopolis east, $36,000.

Oak Creek ranch, 1,120 acres, 800 fenced, 350 plow, 3 houses, 2 miles north Ellsworth, $30,000.

Hamburg ranch, 6 miles north Hollyrood, 1,440 acres, 400 under plow, two houses, and school house. Price $22,000.

Ash Creek ranch, 3 miles south of Kanopolis, 1840 acres, 200 under plow, and two houses. Price $22,000.

Dry Creek ranch, 960 acres, 160 acres plow, 2 houses, 4 miles north Geneseo, 7 miles southeast Kanopolis, $12,000.

Trivoli Ranch, 1,240 acres, fine stone house, 240 fenced, 100 plow, 6 miles south of Kanopolis, $16,000.

Elkhorn ranch, 520 acres, three good improvements, 100 acres plow, 240 fenced, $7,500.

Oxide ranch, 720 acres, 2 houses, 400 acres fenced, 4 miles south of Ellsworth, $10,000.

Black Wolf ranch, 800 acres river through it, 300 acres bottom, coal mine, water, timber, one mile from Black Wolf on U.P. Railroad, $12,000.

KANOPOLIS AND

VICINITY

The school board of this city have purchased new seats and desks for the school. The east half of the Crowell building on Ohio avenue has been leased for school purposes till the new school building is ready.

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We are fully aware of the fact that it has rained. If we had not seen the mud, one would know that something has happened by the coolness which has arisen in the atmosphere. Those hot scorching winds are not to be felt now days.

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The police court has had no victims for a long time and the officials are getting rusty. Won’t some poor benighted son of Adam arise and make a welkin ring for a brief space of time.

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County Commissioner Hoyt has at last decided to not sponge his boarding at the county poor farm any more. Too late to commerce reform on the eve of an election old man. The taxpayers have enough to support without paying for you keeping at the poor farm unless you are a pauper.

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Just before the procession started out for the picnic grounds, Saturday last, three very neatly dressed and good-looking ladies might be seen winding up Ohio avenue for the rendezvous, all busily engaged in talking, of course. In the midst of their chatter one of the ladies vary naively asked,”O, ____ I’ve forgot my powder, did you bring yours?” The response being in the affirmative with the additional,“I always take mine, as I perspire so, it makes me look dark, and this powder keeps me fresh.” The trio being married ladies, we paused to study over the vanities of female loveliness, and marveled much over the whys and wherefores of powder being so essential to picnics. If they had been giddy girls we would not thought so much of the remark. Next time ladies, don’t talk so loud when on the street.

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If Ellsworth county purchases a cow for $40 to be used on the poor farm, and Commissioner Hoyt takes the cow with a half-blooded Jersey calf at her side for $20, kills the said cow and takes 181 pounds of meat and delivers it to the poor farm, and furnishes a team of his to do five days of plowing all for the purchase price, how much does the county make off the deal. Respectfully referred to the able financiers of this county.

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In speaking of Mr. Hoyt, The Reporter in a late issue says,“During the past three years he has performed his duties as commissioner according to the law as he understood it, and so far as we have been able to learn, in a fair and impartial manner,” etc. Does Gebby, old boy, “actually commence” to say something nice, and cut it short with “as he understood it” to judge from the proceedings of the board a wooden man might understand the law about twelve percent better and then fall below nothing.

CURRENT NOTES

The tax levy for Kansas this year is the lowest for ten years. The rate is only 4 1-10 mills.

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The Democrats have carried Kentucky. But the majority is not half so brutal as it used to be.

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On account of too much love affairs Sergeant Major Thompson of Fort Hays, took the morphine route across the river Styx.

The number of unmarried men in Garfield county now numbers 11,000. Ladies who are seeking the matrimonial state will please take notice.

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The street railway in Abilene is a paying institution. Last Tuesday the total receipts were $1.40. At the meeting of the board a dividend of fifteen cents was declared.

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Prof. F.H. Snow in his university weather report for July says:“The hottest July since 1874. Only two Julys on our record have been hotter, 1868 and 1864, and no preceding July has had so cloudless a sky. The rainfall was a little less that half the July average, and nearly the entire amount fell on the first day of the month. The deficiency in the rainfall, added to the serious shortage of the preceding twelve months, found the growing crops without the usual ground reserve to draw upon, and great damage has resulted, especially to the corn crop. We are now passing through a period of rain deficiency, one of which, according to out observations, occurs once in about seven years, each alternate period being one of maximum deficiency.”

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The village of Ellsworth has called an election on Sept. 8, to vote $15,000 bonds to the Midland railroad. The proclamation speaks for itself, but we fear that she is getting herself in such a snarl that it will be impossible to unravel.

The historic items on this page appear as they did in the original publication.