New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-01-19
THE CHRISTOPHER PLAGUE.
THE CONDITION OF KANSAS.
BAD CHOICE OF LANDS THE CAUSE OF
THE FAMINE.

THE EMIGRATION TO THESE LASps hNN"o"""
By SPECTATORS.
TO the Editor of the Trto"ne'
SIN. Tho snfferinp on the western borders Of Kan
sas and Nebraska. now engaging much attention
should lead 20 such inquiry as will place its real
oause where 1t rightly belongs l have previously
stated In your columns the utter worthlessness Tor
agriculture of the region Of country between the
Tooth meridian and the Sierra Nevada Mountains on
account Of insufficient moisture This - Strictly
true with slight exceptions along the river bottoms
where small strips can be artically irrigated, or IN
excessively wet seasons like 1872 and 1870 Also DC
tween the 93th aud Tooth meridians tho drouth ID
such "a TO render agriculture impossible IN AZ east
one half the seasons 1t s in this bells whste nearly
all the suffering is
The facts herein set forth are well known, ald IL
not recognized in future repctitons OF the spectacle
now presented will be frequent. The Land Depart
ment of the Government has taken no steps so 10
inform the public as to avoid such suffering; while
the immense moneyed interests Of railroad corpora
tons have led them to misrepresent this interior
country State agents and enthusiasts have departed
quite as broadly from the plain facts II Is true that
there were grasshoppers but there was also drouth
as there has been in the past and will DO in the III
ture more than half the time This section 10 80
near tho great. arid grasshopper breeding ground
that it ia the first to be cropped by them.
The great aud productive States Of Eastern Kansas
and Nebraska themselves should warn emigration
from setting west OF the Tooth meridian and that
by gong even west OF the 9Sth the emgrant takes
| an even chance Of failure What is here said OF
Western Kansas and Nebraska is equally true all the
WAY from the Rio Grande to the 49ih parallel along
the same parallels of latitude. Tho suffering now
experienced can in large degree, be charged to the
misrepresentations made regarding the country by
interested persons while the very rainy seasons Oh
1872 and 1873 gave color to their statements.
| Fort Bgford, d. L., Dec. 90 1914. W. Is HAZEN.
| urss.cp ov GOV OeBORN-TUE FAMINE DESCRIBED
| AND THE MEASURES or EfLgF-TiiK STATE
| GROWING RICHER AND INCREASING IN PoPULA-
| TON.
Gov. Osborn Of Kansas sent his annual mes
cage to the Legislature on Jan 10. He bogus His mes
sage with description OF th9 famine caused by the
| grasshoppers. He Says
In many OF the western counties. the population ~
which is composed mainly of settlers VINO nave o'ntuu
there IN the last two year., there u scIl uest.
aud the people have been compelled TO appeal 10 the
IL ia no dscrsd 10 the homestead settlers in the west
TO say Of them vat they are Tor INC NOS. paI pooo
homes for themselves their materials IRE tho uhuec
pied public lands; their capital INC INDUSTRY heees'y
made in day. L. requires time 20 break the sod ana
prepaTe me ' which 1yented the settlers
is75 and 1874 from harvesting crop Of wheat last sum
| mrr The corn which they had planted was the reed
upon which they leaned. II the crop when was to
furnish meat, aud bread, ana clOthng lor mem
and in its destruction they nave b5en left destitute.
From the reports IL VIII he observed that tue desun
| non 10 principally confined 10 the new counties lying
west or the sixth principal meridian, and that II |,
greatest In counties whose population Is oI te h,se
recent date. East OF this line, in counties where ihr
Indian tile has INT lately been exiting shed ana "htie
the settlement is but Of recent ate tEero IS some des
tuition; while In some OF the more popuious eoInes
west OF It there 49, apparently. plenty TO supply the
OF the people As thu extent OF the disaster vas
| gradually developed, 10 was mace apparent Ilal vac
people IN the western counties would tnntr uhltrS au
should be afforded them. All agreed that such SUM
ing must not be permitted but tue m9tnrnEOI plahD
which the needed relief might he furnisheWas attended
vailed IA favor of providing for the emergency here
| at home from resources; ana IN detcfehce 10
tssneJ nv proclaim atom convening the Legislature in
extra the 18th Of september last TIC action
OF the Legislature Is matter OF record ana II Is per-
baps unnecessary that should refer to II further III
| entirely tailed to meet the emergency. Oay S76Oof
the bonds authorized have been Issued 10 the dtrue
counties and there Is no further call Tor them under me
prescribed conditions. Ihr propoSuEn Gas we snUTru
dCDsOnie and expensive as the task "OuIi lheNtADY
have beCn-bad NV earnest approval and II was win
no slight modification that saw It's defeat In the inter
| was no aierDatlye left Provision for the destitute
was an imperative necessity aud upon the generosity
OF the good people generally no mater %ueie ocatoi,
a,rdiug who miah be disposed 10 assist the IN,
fortunate an opportunity to do SO, Tue haSaS Ceh'fdi
| Relief Committee was brought into existence
The agencies which now at work may be sufficient
TO meet, at present all pressing demaudi but 10 my
mind IL Wonid he extremely hazardous even II II were
advisable to continue Them to trust to them during the
entire Winter ana spring IL Is Oi paramount Import
ance, not 10 the needy alone unt 10 o thIs o,ato as
we'll that the distress aud suffering of sue unfortunate
should be relieved; and 1t WI" be your duty 10 pro'lde
tue eans therefor II those already adopted should ap
pear to be faulty or nadcduate MY views upon this
question are well known ana IT. Is unnecessary mat
tbey should be here reiterated. They were pubucy an
nounced at au early day, aud the experience inteE-
yeniug has but served TO confirm me In tnem
The aggregate acreage embraced within the organized
counties Of the State Is %IJ 40 Nuinber OF acres al
present subject 10 taxation. l6996,B Number OF acres
cultivated, 36G9'6s Inc Increase OF cultivated acres
from 1873 to o7 7S5SI2 or 2OS0 per cent similar
increase be noted dairy ana other products The
Establishments for the manufacture OF cheese Increased
from ~ 1873 10 40 in 1914; the capital invested from
So $5G3i3 the aggregate production III factories
and FAMILIES from 29j9i pounds IN 1873 TO 1854 pounds
10 1874 The increase ia mHnutct utcd butter during the
Tor beans raised IN $685. the increase In 1874
was 100 per cent. The number Of bushels of 1a1seed
produced 1873 GIFTS; The increase IN 1874 was 275
Der cent O hemp tue production Of 1873 was l,4lO3Oi
| pounds; the increase for 1874 was G5 per cent.
In conclusion the Governor states that the financial
condition Of the State Is very satisfactory that the
tai bonded indebtedness is only 6395o. The receipts
during the year from all s95O3 3d. and the
expenditures exclusive of transfers, ,9GSC5 g. lie
thought The public printing cost too mnch. He thought
that the control OF the Indians should be gwen to the
War Department II this policy was carried out there
would he thought be Indian outragos tho borders
OF Indian Territory. There IS95 school districts IN
the State and the schools cost t2ol,952 yearly. He
recommended b6nnlbi VI De-
eving that the prevalent disposition is to egsate
much with too little reelection upon To probable
sequence Of frequent changes."
TIE AVENUES FOR RELIEF TO KANSAS AND
NEBRASKA
The charge has been made that the promises
OF the Adams Express Company relative TO tho carrying
OF articles for the relief OF Western sufferers have not
been fulfilled. This complaint based upon the i'm
preston that an official announcement had been made
an tho ~ he Connany off ring IN carrv fraa 30