The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-01-08

Another Letter from Col. Geo.
HICKS ON the Situation
Ina That SasaHa

which gave his impressions of tn
state OF Kansas, was very largel,
copied by the Kansas press, an;
generally Endorsed as, on tn,
whole, the fairest showing tina
had been made of the effects O
the grasshopper visitation. 1t wa
also republished in the papers o
other states-among others, in tn,
Gazette, of Waukegan, Ill. Col
Hicks wrote to the Gazette 4 sup
Elemental letter which will inter
est our readers, and which VIC
here inserted.
KANSAS CITY, Dec. IA, 1874.
Editor Wdukegdn Gazette:
L notice that in the last number
OF the Gazette you reprint my let.
ter to the Kansas City Journal OF
Commerce, in which 1 made a re,
port of what ssw and learned oil
Kansas during my recent trip
through that state. also notice
some kind personal illusions to
myself, for whick please accept
my thanks.
Since writing that letter i have
seen a published statement eman-
ating from official sources, con
tanning two facts of a somewhat
diverse nature, but both of con-
siderable importance and use in
forming q correct judgment of the
present condition and prospects
of Kansas.
PRODUCTS OF KANSAS.
First fact-According to this
statement, during the year 1874
the chief products of Kansas were,
in round numbers, as follows /:
Winter wheat, 100000 bushels;
spring wheat, 100000 bushels |;
corn, 16, 100000 bushels; oats, g.
100000 bushels; rye, 100000 Blu. /;
barley, 100000 bushels; sorgum,
100000 gallons; cheese, 500, 900
pounds; butter, 1900 pounds.
With such q showing for q new
state and in the year OF disaster,
Kansas need not fear that her rep
utation as n good farming coun-
try will be lost. mention here
an additional item, which is sig
nificant as showing that the state
will not suffer when put IN compe-
tition with other sections of the
When l called at the
chief office of the Atchison, To-
peka IL Santa Fe railroad, in the
city of Topeka, the officials of the
road manifested pardonable pride
in exhibiting the blue ribbon they
had received at the great Cincin-
natl exposition, for this road had
been awarded the medal for the
chest collection of the products of
the earth, exhibited by any land,
railroad or immigration company,
with n view to inducing immigra-
tion." And these products, which
are gathered ali along the line of
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railroad, and which gained the
first premium, were the products
of the grasshopper year 1874.
THE CHRISTOPHER SUFFERERS.
Second fact-According to the
referred to, the number
of grasshopper victims is large
fifteen thousand-all of whom will
need some help befor the winter is
fully over, and some of whom need
help at once.
In my former letter it was in
timated that an authorized appeal
for aid in behalf OF the destitute
might become necessary; and such
an appeal has been made. Kan
sas, at first, very heroically deter
mined to meet all her own wants;
but the burden would have been a
heavy one, and not absolutely a
necessary one, for friends in other
states manifested a disposition and
desire to render assistane. Num-
bers of adventures were taking
advantage of this feeling of sym
patty, and were securing for them
selves very lucrative employment
as self-appointed agents for the
Kansas sufferers. To furnish a
reliable channel through which
could be sent, and
to systematize the work of relief,
there has been organized at Tope-
ka
4 CENTRAL RELIEF COMMITTEE
consisting of some of the best men
in the state, with Lieut-Gov. +. S.
Slower as chairman. The COM
mittee make it one Of their chief
aims to raise within Kansas as
large a relief fund as practicable;
but the wants of the needy will
not be adequately and fully pro-
vide for without help from abroad.
1t is not necessary nor is it desira-
bic to await the appearance OF
some travelling agent before rem
dering assistance. Those who
have been intending, out of abund-
ance of their holiday cheer, to
spare something of their super
fluities to meet the necessities of
less favored people on the frontier,
should send their offerings direct
To this central relief committee,
and may rest assured that their
gifts will be prudently and care
fully distributed.
GOV. sToVER's LETTER.
In response to some inquiries az
to the work of the committee the
matter of unauthorized agents,
ETC., / have received from the
chairman Il letter, from which ]
extract Two Or three naraOranhS as