Barber County Kansas
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Barber County Kansas |
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It is dollars to doughnuts that there is nowhere in Barber county a better located or better managed property than the stock and farm ranch of C.B. Currie, a mile distant from Medicine Lodge, in a northeasterly direction. It consists of three quarter sections, 480 acres of land, watered by two natural water courses, Elm and Spring creeks. When Mr. Currie settled there away back in 1872, the one desirable feature nature had not provided was a generous growth of timber. One would not think this if not told, for great trees, whose massive trunks might indicate the growth of a century, line the highway, and groves of cottonwoods are everywhere. They have all been planted by him, and have repaid him a hundred fold.Mr. Currie confines himself exclusively to stock farming, using thoroughbred short horn males with native cows. At present his holdings are made up of 450 cows and 200 last spring's calves. He is also in the horse business to some extent and has a bunch of 60 head. Perhaps 40 of these are brood mares with the English Shire stallion, Black Prince, imported stock, at their head. For the increase he finds ready sale at home, very seldom disposing of any to foreign buyers.
He is all business and carries on his work with as much system as a banker. As we have said, his home farm consists of 480 acres, 140 acres of this watered by sub-irrigation from the seepage of the city water works canal, is in alfalfa that is harvested four times a year, yielding an average of one and a half tons per acre at a cutting. The remainder of his farm, with the exception of some ten acres of orchard, from which he gathers an abundance of fruit, is devoted to pasture and the growth of rough feed.
In addition to this property, he is the owner of 800 acres of land on Chikaskia Creek, Kingman county. Here is where he raises his corn and keeps his cows through the weaning season and winter.
He believes the profit in cattle is largely owing to the care that is given them and to that end he not only has capacious barns and stables on both ranches, but numerous corrals built of boards nailed up and down 6 or 8 feet high with watering places convenient in all of them.
He is one of the old timers in the west, crossing the Missouri before the railroads and coming to Barber county in the fateful year when the crime of ‘73 was committed.
Coming from New Hampshire, he inherited the thrift of his New England ancestors, and making it his motto "Pay as you go; if you can't pay, don't go," he has prospered and grown fat in the possession of worldly goods and the comforts of life that are the fruits of honest toil and wise investments.
The Barber County Index, July 9, 1902. Currie - Field
On Monday, June 30, 1902, at the residence of R. S. Field in Kansas City, Charles B. Currie and Mrs. Lilah M. Field were united in marriage. They arrived home on Tuesday night and at once began housekeeping at the attractive Currie ranch adjoining this city.
On Saturday night about a dozen couples of the older set "old timers," as it were, waited on Mr. and Mrs. Currie with all the regalia and incidentals necessary to make life merry. Mr. Currie did the proper thing in the way of fixing them up with refreshments and the "meeting" was enjoyed to the fullest extent.
The parties to this marriage are two of the county's leading citizens and have contributed much to the upbuilding of the county. They have a very wide acquaintanceship and are honored and respected by all. The union is a most happy one and their friends take pleasure in congratulating them.
Louise J. (Petit) Currie, wife of Charles B. Currie.
Thanks to Ellen (Knowles) Bisson for finding, transcribing and contributing the above Medicine Lodge Cresset article to this web site and to Shirley Brier for the wedding announcement.!
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