USA > Kansas > Butler County > History of Butler County Kansas > Part 27
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"Back in the eighties, Judge A. W. Dennison started one of the best standard bred horse stock farms in the West. The first horses he raced were such as "Black Tom," a trotter, and the great pacer. "B. T.," and a trotter, "Slade." Then he bought the game race horse, "Egmont Chief." a great trotter in those days, and if given the same opportunity that some sires have had would rank with the best in the world. He drove him and such mares as "Eva," a trotter," and "Maggie," a pacer, and many others. Then hard times hit this county and horses were not worth much. This farm was disposed of, but time had proved his judgment was all right. Such brood mares as "Evalou," by "Egmont Chief." was bred and raised at this farm, and she was the dam of "Pierro." the great- est trotter than ever raced in Australia, and was the largest money winning trotter in that country in 1910. This mare, "Evalou," was
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trained and driven by W. O. James, who effected a sale of her in Free- port, Ill., for a large sum of money, and she was exported to Australia. The same season of 1910, the dam of "Dudie Archdale," the largest money winner of that season in America, was bred and raised on this farm. "Dudie Egmont" was also by "Egmont Chief."
The blood of this farm is also showing up on many of the best horses that are now raised in Kansas and Nebraska, also in foreign countries. It was not appreciated as it ought to have been at the time and as results show it was entitled to. Such animals as "Dudie Arch- dale," 2:0312, etc., showing two of the best track horses ever in races, were raised in Butler county.
Next came C. B. Dillenbeck & Son, who perhaps have made more money out of the "fast horse" business of their own raising and develop- ing than any one in the county. Their stock is known wherever horse- men get together. A list of some they developed and sold, driven prin- cipally by W. E. Dillenbeck, one of the firm, and one of the best drivers known, is furnished by the senior member : First came "Julia D." 2:1414. which campaigned two years and sold for $1,000; second came "Herbert Master." 2:1714, which won every race he started in and then was shipped East and brought $1.750; next came "Melba." 2:1714, which we raised. and gave her the above record ; then came "Daisy Dorff," 2:101/2, proving to be one of the greatest race mares in Kansas; then came the great "Symbol Meath." 2:071/2, raised and developed by us, winning in purses in 1913. $3,100. We still have him and "Daisy Dorff ;" also eleven head of registered mares and colts undeveloped from such brood mares as "Thisby D." and "Daisy Dorff." The bunch is very promising and we expect more 2:10 trotters from among them. Of course, there were many others engaged in the business in the county, but the above will illustrate the development of trotting stock.
The draft horses of all kinds and descriptions came in with the settlers of from about 1869, but the business of raising for market was not entered into exclusively until J. W. Robison started his Percheron farm on the Whitewater, about four miles north of Towanda, in the eighties, which was developed by him and, since his death, by his son, J. C. Robison, until its reputation is world-wide, and is one of the great live stock institutions of the country. Mr. Robison, being an im- porter of the finest stock of his kind money will purchase, goes person- ally to France, the home of the Percheron, for his supply.
"Casino," one of his importations, was a prize winner at the Na- tional live stock show of France and is the winner of 115 first and sweepstake prizes in America. The annual sales of the stock of Mr. Robison are attended by the horse buyers from throughout the United States and amount in value to many thousand dollars.
The Bishop Brothers, of Towanda, are engaged in the same line and are adding to the reputation of the Whitewater country for Per- cheron stock. Their sales stables are located in Towanda and their con-
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stantly increasing business is the best evidence of the popularity of themselves and their stock.
The only ones now called to mind engaged in the business of raising mules for market was W. H. Bodecker, of western Butler, and William Morti, of Little Walnut, both successful in their line. There were in the county in 1916, 18,434 horses and 5,233 mules.
The first cattle brought into the county probably came without the knowledge of their owners. The change in ownership was affected be- tween two days. Coming from Arkansas, Texas and the Indian Terri- tory, these cattle were grazed here for a time and then marketed, either here or by driving farther north and east. Sometimes, but not often, a portion of the cattle would be recovered by the owners, and in getting possession of them it would happen occasionally that a man or two would disappear, and would not be heard from afterward.
These were the days when might made right, when courts were presided over by Judge Lynch, whose jurisdiction extended beyond that of all other courts, and sometimes beyond civilization, and whose jurors. being composed of the witnesses, seldom failed to agree upon a verdict, and instead of a hung jury, the same or something similar was applied to the defendant, so that after a few sessions of this court, the consent of the owners was first obtained before taking the cattle.
During the winter of 1860, J. D. Connor and some others had a few head of cattle, and on account of the extreme drouth, feed was very scarce, and in order to save their cattle, they went into the timber in January and February of that year and cut young elms for the cattle to feed upon, and this kept them alive until grass came. The only instance known of wintering cattle on timber and the only county in the world where it is possible to do so.
In the fall of 1872, many "through cattle" were diven up from Texas and sold to various parties. The winter of 1872 and 1873 was very se- vere, and practically all of these cattle died and left the owners with some experience and many hides-the removing of the hides furnishing employment during the late winter and early spring. The carcass would be fastened to something that would hold, the hide loosened on the head. and after a cut or two with a knife, a team was hitched on and started up, taking or stripping the hide from the critter.
The first man to engage in the business of raising cattle was one Penrose Johnson, north of El Dorado. Afterward he and family were drowned in the west branch of the Walnut river; this was in 1866 or 1867. He had about too head of cows, full blood long-horned Texans. with graded bulls brought from the east. He was followed by Mr. Harsh, father of the Harsh boys of Sycamore township.
A Mr. McCabe, father of Ex-Representative D. L. McCabe. Clint Arnold, T. W. Satchell and others, J. W. Gaskins and borther, living on the land lately leased by J. W. Teter for oil and gas purposes, handled quite a number of Indian cattle from 1868 to 1870.
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About this time, John Teter commenced the business of buying, sell- ing and speculating in cattle and was very successful. His advice to those desiring to engage in the business was, "Buy 'em young, even if you have to pay a little more than they were worth ; they will grow while you sleep."
Later on, almost every farmer, especially after the Herd law had become effective, handled more or less cattle until the business of rais- ing, buying and selling, feeding and pasturing has become of such mag- nitude that the county ranks first in livestock, held, fed, marketed and slaughtered in the State and the live stock has become and is the prin- cipal industry in the county, particularly in the eastern half. Not only cattle upon a thousand hills but frequently a thousand cattle upon a hill.
The early settlers will all remember the first real cow that was brought into the county. She was tied behind a prairie schooner and came at various times and in various places. She lived on the end of a lariat rope attached to a picket pin for the first six months or a year. And from this simple hint or start, has been developed an industry, that has put more money into the pockets of the people generally, more food upon the table, disposed of more crops at a better market and has done more to bring the county into prominence than any and hill other indus- tries and agencies combined-unless perhaps the oil & d gas business has been guilty of so doing within the past six month. There are now in this county more and better high grade, thorough. ored" fine blooded cattle of different breeds than any county in the world.
The Ayrshires of E. T. Harper of Benton township: `the Brown Swiss by Dohlmn & Schmidt. and the Red Polled, the best in the state, by C. E. Foster of Prospect township, the Jerseys by Clyde King and Charles Coulter of El Dorado and F. W. Stewart of Long View Jersey farm of Rock Creek township, the Holsteins by Clyde Girod and J. C. Robison, of Fairview township, and others in various portions of the county, are all putting their owners on easy street.
With the greatest and finest bred herd of Herefords in the world owned, bred and sold by Col. Robert H. Hazlett at "Hazeford Place," two miles north of El Dorado, a herd that has made Butler county prominent as a fine live stock center and has brought purchasers from practically every state in the Union, including some from South America and the Hawaiian Islands, to buy at prices running from hundreds to thousands of dollars for a single individual animal.
There were in this county in 1870, the date of the first statistics, 5.536 cattle. There are now, in 1916, 123.751 head of cattle.
CHAPTER XIX.
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HORTICULTURE.
By J. J. Johnson.
WILD FRUITS OF PIONEER TIMES-FIRST ORCHARDS-PLANT DISEASE-IN- SECTS-INVESTMENT-BUTLER COUNTY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY- SUCCESSFUL FRUIT GROWERS-ORCHARDS-NATIVE TREES-NATIVE FLOWERS.
The pioneer of Butler county had but little to encourage his horti- cultural instinct. Ile found but few, if any, berries and fruit growing wild. Then there was the wide expanse of prairie without a tree or bush to greet his eye, yet along the banks of the creeks was the always inviting timl r. No "Apple Seed Johnnie" had preceded the pioneer into Kansas and £ ere were only a few wild fruits such as wild grape, plum. pawpaw, a on ulberry to be had. The only edible nut was the Walnut which was abundant along the streams.
It i as no fault of Mother Nature that these wide prairies were not covered with valuable trees, shrubs, and wild fruit, for the destructive prairie fires swept the prairie and took everything before them.
The pioneer, before leaving his home in the East, saw on his map that Butler county was on the border on the great American desert, and the thought of making a home in the desert or even near one was not encouraging to the easterner. One pioneer told the writer that he came with fear until he reached Fort Scott, and there he found on the sur- veyor's records plenty of trees such as walnut, hackberry, oak and hickory, marked as witness trees, after that he hurried to take a claim.
The walnut trees, that gave the name to our Walnut river, were the alluring "something" that caused many families to settle in Butler county.
The first orchards were planted in the bends and protected places along the streams; they surely thrived and did well in these places. . 1 trip in the early eighties of several thousand miles from Kansas. across Missouri and Illinois and up the Ohio valley and back, revealed no apples trees finer to look at or more heavily ladened with fine fruit, than these little Butler county orchards along the streams. The seedling peach and the native wild plum were the "upland" settlers' main fruit. They served the double purpose of windbrake and fruit trees.
The pioneer orchards are all gone now, for the diseases and insects
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brought into the county have taken the pioneer trees as well as the pres- ent day orchards. For the same reasons it is now almost impossible to gather the wild plums that many children of the pioneer remember gath- ering by the tub-full. Who doesn't remember the good jam and pre- serves of the wild plum?
The settlers from the eastern part of the state brought with them the strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry plants and there were soon an abundance of the fruit, where the plants were set out and cared for. For some reason these berries would not grow wild in this county, even though they grew wild a few miles out of the county. In the adjoining county of Greenwood, the writer has seen the roadside literally lined with wild strawberries and the protected places along fences crowded with wild blackberry and raspberry bushes.
In the early eighties there were still many of the pioneer orchards left. Some of these apple trees measured six feet in circumference with the limbs and branches loaded with as much as forty bushels of market- able fruit. It was about this time that many orchards, in fact all the present day orchards, were set out. With these trees were brought in the many destructive diseases and insects to ruin the fruit and trees.
The study of these diseases has been nearly an impossibility on account of the nature of a plant disease. The organism causing a disease cannot be seen with the naked eye and hence it has not been known of, outside of the science laboratory. But at present the lack of knowledge of these diseases is brought home pretty close, for all our orchards and their products are being ruined by disease as well as by insects.
Without doubt the most destructive diseases. when they are present. are the rots, both black and brown rot of peach, apple, pear and plum. The apple, peach and pear scab, although bad in most localities, are not known to be present in this county. Apple blotch is a very serious dis- ease on the fruit at present in the county. Then the blister canker is kill- ing many of the apple trees. Of the berry diseases the cane blight and orange rust of the blackberry and raspberry and the strawberry leaf spot are the worst. Black knot of plum and peach leaf curl are very bad. Cherry leaf spot that causes the leaves to fall early in the summer will soon kill all of our cheeries. The fire blight on both apple and pear are ruining those trees. These diseases are all controlled by either cutting out affected parts or spraying with different concentrations of lime sul- phur or Bordeaux mixtures.
Among the insects that are spoiling our trees and their products are the codling moth, canker worm, plum curculio and apple tree bores. These may all be controlled by spraying with lime sulphur or Bordeaux mixtures which contain arsenate of lead. paris green or some similar poison.
The pioneer found conditions for growing fruits much better than now for if he could grow a good tree he was sure of a good crop of apples, at least every other year. Smudge pots, pruning, spraying and all other modern treatments were unknown.
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A glance at the figures of the money paid for trees, plants, vines and other horticultural stock, with the expense of developing such fruit to bearing, we would say they were quite impossible. One man in Butler county put $10,000 in fruit trees and the care to bring them to bearing age and $20,000 to maintain the orchards, and vet he has never received so much as interest on his investment.
Another thing that has been much against the horticulturist is that he has planted much that was not adapted to soil and climatic conditions. This is one thing the Butler County Horticultural Society tried to elim- inate. The writer has seen as fine Bellflower apple trees as ever grew and yet they would not mature one bushel of apples. The same can be said of many other varieties. Yet that desire of the homesteader to have the "old home fruit" caused them to keep planting non-adapted fruits. Then, too, we must realize that this is a stock raising county and stop to think : Is there anything in common between the common stock raiser and the horticultural farmer ?
It has been a discouraging proposition for the pioneer as well as the modern horticulturalist with rabbits, grasshoppers and drouth to contend with. Is it small wonder that we have so few fruit trees when there were 100 trees in 1890 to one in 1916.
The farmers, who loved the trees, vines and other beauties of the farm. organized the Butler County Horticultural Society in 1872 with Lewis Maxwell as president and M. D. Ellis as secretary.
This society was associated with the Agricultural Society for a while, but later disunited, and the Horticultural Society held its meetings at the homes of the members. The annual all-day meetings were always very enjoyable with the dinners, papers and discussions. This was a pioneer association which the younger generation failed to keep up. The pioneer who was most prominent with this association was W. H. Litson, who did much for the horticultural interest with his advice and his nursery of all kinds of trees, shrubs and vines, which he had on his farm near Benton. J. W. Robinson was creative in all his efforts to make the farm home more beautiful with fruit, shrubs and profitable forestry. R. J. Ratts was very active in his efforts for new and better fruits. Dr. William Snyder and son had a little nursery near Towanda and to make the home more beautiful was their desire. The quaint and genial char- acter of Charles Moinheinweg is the one character sure to be remem- bered by all. C. C. Armstrong, Dr. M. L. Fullinwider, E. C. Rice. T. H. Jones and J. F. Thompson were for orchards commercially, and they set out many fruit trees in different parts of the county. Rev. S. F. C. Garri- son, William Price, Harry Jones, "Sorghum" Smith, L. M. Parker and John Houser were all very much interested in horticultural pursuits, and they, with many others, set out good orchards all over the county. W. E. and J. W. Boellner had a small nursery at Leon in 1884. Mr. Wender had another small nursery just west of Leon, from which some fine trees were put out. He had hundreds of varieties and some of
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his trees are still in bearing. Along the Whitewater valley, J. W. Robin- son set out many good orchards on his farms. In fact, almost every pioneer home had a good orchard in that part of the county. The writer will never forget the fine fruit served the Horticultural Society at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Chain.
The largest orchard ever set out in Butler county was near El Do- rado and owned by T. H. Jones and J. F. Thompson. There were 22,000 fruit trees and 250 acres devoted to fruit. There were 18,000 apple trees of thirty varieties ; 3,000 plums of fifteen varieties ; 500 peaches of twenty varieties ; one acre of blackberries of three varieties ; one acre of raspber- ries of three varieties ; one-fourth acre of gooseberries of three varieties. 200 cherries of five varieties ; quinces of three varieties ; grape of twelve Of all these varieties and fruits only a few paid, and of apples they were: Red June. Early Harvest, Maiden Blush, Jonathan, Grimes Golden, and Winesap. The plums and quinces never paid. Of the peaches, the Craw- ford. champion, and Elberta paid best. Of the apricots the Moorpark and Golden. Of the cherries the English Morella, Early Richmond and Montmorency all did well. Of the pear the Kiefer, Duchess and Seckle were best. Of the grapes the Concord and Woden ; the Kittiteny black- berry, the Gregg and Mammouth cluster raspberry, and the Houton gooseberry all paid well. The orchards were set out and cared for and are now owned by the writer.
Dr. M. L. Fullinwider set out a forty-acre orchard that was the best cared for and paid best of any orchard in the county. The Ed Rice orchard never paid. The R. J. Ratts orchard was not a success, yet Mr. Ratts always had some good fruit to sell. The William Price and W. O. Rafferty orchards were both poor investments. Mr. Price cared for his orchard with much expense and grew fine trees but he never reaped what he expected.
The Jones-Thompson orchard was just about typical of all Butler county orchards. So from the records and experiences of the pioneer we can set out orchards and gardens of the best adapted varieties of fruits, and really hope to make them pay. The modern home orchard and garden should contain two Red June, two Early Harvest, two Maiden Blush, two Grimes Golden, five Jonathan and five Winesap apple trees ; eight Early Richmond, two English Morella and two Montmorency cheery trees ; five Champion and five Elberta peach trees; six Kiefer, three Duchess and three Seckle pear trees; 200 Kittiteny blackberry plants ; 200 Kansas raspberry plants; 200 Dunlap and 200 progressive strawberry plants; twenty-five Houten gooseberry plants ; twelve Con- cord and six Worden grape vines ; 100 asparagus plants ; twenty-five rhu- barb plants and a bed of horseradish. With the home garden of the above varieties every home in Butler county can have an abundance of horticultural products the year around. These varieties have all been tried out on both upland and bottom land, and are most resistant of disease.
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There was much more of the love for the beautiful in nature in the pioneer farmer. although he had the struggle to conquer, than the modern homemaker. In the meetings of the Horticultural Society. the only thought was to make the farm home more beautiful with nature. Is this love for nature and care for trees past? And is the tendency of the mod- ern farmer to destroy and "clear up" so as to make more money ?
The native trees are a delight to the inhabitants of the county. Our cities are among the most beautiful in the state on account of the trees. Then our streams and rivers are lined with beautiful groves. Of our shade trees the elm ranks first. The white elm is first of all other elms- the red, the water and the cork.
The burr oak is as Lowell speaks of it,
"There need no crown to mark the forest king, His leaves outshine full summer's bliss,
His boughs make music of the winter air. He is the gem of all the landscape wide."
There are few other species of oaks in the county; among them the Chincapin and yellow oak are most plentiful.
The black walnut, hackberry, pecan and pawpaw are much appreci- ated because of their edible fruits and nuts. The walnut, of course, ranks first with its beautiful foliage as well as its nuts.
The mammouth cottonwood, the beautiful white limbed sycamore and the white hickory are to be found in abundance along our streams and rivers.
The coffebean, honey and black locust, boxelder, buckeye, mul- berry, and black ash have their place on the prairies, in the ravines, and along our river banks.
Last, but not least, are the willows and redbud. The redbud as a prophet is known by all, for who doesn't watch for the bloom of the redbud to tell when the fish will bite?
There are only a few native cedars in the county, although cedars are the most common evergreen. The most of them are not native. The Scotch and Austrian pine and Chinese and common arbivitae have all become quite well adapted to the soil of our county. The osage orange, catalpa, maple and persimmon are so well adapted to Butler county that they are often named among our native trees.
The timber along our streams and rivers has increased much since pioneer days. The pioneers set out groves of native trees on the prairie around the homestead but the prairie fires nearly ruined them. The remains can be seen of these groves but they never have really pros- pered. At present the natural re-foresting is doing much for our timbers and even making new groves where the young trees are allowed to grow.
The lack of education and culture did not find a place in the thoughts of the pioneer homemaker, for the flowers and natural beauties
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appealed to them and made life worth living without it. The wife and mother of the home had her flower beds and flowering shrubs to care for. A pioneer home once viewed by the writer was beautiful with its tall lilac hedge, and various hedges of June roses, japonicas, and flower- ing almonds and currants, clumps of bridal wreath, flags and tiger lilies ; the sweet williams, pinks, and many other beautiful annuals. It was not only these that made the home all that it was, for the prairie gave forth a fragrance and beauty that fixed on the memory of the natives of Butler county an everlasting heritage. From early spring with its adder's tongue, field daisies, violets, sweet williams, bleeding heart. heart's ease. wild roses, evening yellow and white primrose, mallow, foxglove, and spiderwort; to summer with its sunflower and fall with its aster, golden rod and cardinal flower. With all these beauties all around us we do not need to go abroad or even to any other state or county to see the beau- tiful.
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