In 1870 Dyson Jackson, a young man twenty-one years old, came west from Indiana to grow up with the country.  He settled on a homestead in Chase county and hoofed it all the way to Topeka, where the land office was located, to file on his claim, not having the means to travel otherwise.  A short time afterwards Mr. Jackson came over to Council Grove on business and was compelled to remain over night; having only ten cents in his pocket he was somewhat puzzled to know how to make that amount buy refreshments for himself and horse.  But as there are good samaritans almost everywhere, the wild west not excepted, Todd Roberts fed and cared for his horse and furnished Mr. Jackson a blanket and he slept in the hay loft.  After spending about eight years on this Chase county farm—in the mean time taking unto himself a better-half—without receiving a very elaborate remuneration for his labors on the Chase county dirt, he sold out and moved to this county, purchasing a small farm in the valley just south of this city.  That was only fourteen years ago and to-day Mr. Jackson owns in one solid body, his north line almost reaching the city limits, 880 acres of land, four hundred of which is in cultivation, one hundred acres of good timber, balance in pasture and tame grasses, also a fine bearing orchard of about ten acres.  His farm is stocked with 150 head of graded cattle, eighteen head of horses and 150 head of hogs.  He has a handsome and commodious residence surrounded by all the conveniences that are necessary to make home pleasant.  A beautiful lawn of several acres set to evergreens and all kinds of shrubbery in front of his residence makes a scene that the most fastidious can feast their eyes upon for hours without tiring.  Near the rear door of the residence is a cistern with filter and a well with wind mill attached which pumps the water used by all the stock, the water being conveyed to the feed lots by underground pipes.
     Mr. Jackson’s success to a great extent has been caused by diversified farming.  He does not plant all of his land to the same crop, but plants

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each year all of the cereal and vegetable crops that can be profitably raised in Kansas, alternating them upon the land so as to get the most without exhausting the soil.  This year he has eighty acres of wheat that is nearly knee high now, the best prospect he ever had, and that is saying a great deal when last year’s crop of ninety acres averaged twenty-seven bushels per acre, and the year before he got a yield of thirty bushels to the acre.  Mr. Jackson only keeps what stock his farm will conveniently support.  As yet he has never raised horses for market, but just enough to do his farm work.  His cattle are mostly graded Herefords, and while passing this farm the other day our attention was attracted to his feeders, forty-two head of coming three-year-olds, which will now average 1500 pounds.  As we viewed these beauties the vacuum in our hungry maw seemed to widen and with a would-thou-wert-mine feeling we wondered how long before the good missionary work would commence at home.  Butchers, do you stagger on?  These cattle will be fed until about June when they will be shipped, together with the hogs that follow them.
     The meadows on this farm are set to timothy and clover; stock like timothy is the best, but when it is mixed with clover a greater yield is obtained.  Mr. Jackson looks for a fair crop of apples this year but not as large as last year.  He is planting this season five acres of potatoes; last year he raised 1000 bushels, but says there is not much money in potatoes, owing to so many being shipped in from other parts.  This obstacle could in a great measure be averted if farmers would pay more attention to this crop and at least produce enough for home consumption.  Every consumer knows to the detriment of his pocket-book that the foreign potato he is compelled to use are more or less worthless and does not begin to compare with our home raised.
     Around this farm you find no implements lying out in the weather.  When not in use every tool is placed under cover, and one glance over the premises will convince the most inexperienced that Dyson Jackson is the right man in the right place.  He does not belong to the “peoples party.”