The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-03-31


Gold LA.
From the Wertern Christian Advocate
Kansas.
BY BISHOP JESSE t. PECK D. D.
Kansas was organized as Terri
tory by act of Congress, passed May
80, 1854, and became q State in jan
uary, 1861. Its eastern boundry is
the State of Missouri; western, the
18th meridian, separating it from
Colorado; northern, the 10th ; and
southern, the 37th degree of lati-
tude; being four hundred miles
long from west to east, and two
hundred miles wide; "as long as
the distance from Boston to Buffalo,
and as wide as from Philadelphia
to Fortress Monroe" containing
1918 square miles.
The land is chiefly roaling prairie,
its lines of waving beauty varying
from valleys TO say thirty feet of
gracefully graded hills. The springs
and streams are numerous in large
portions of the State, and frequent
ly very clear, skirted by groves of
timber, mostly, so far as have seen,
s'second growth" The rich grass
es and grains, with flowers and
fruits in their season, make land
scApe of SURPRISING beauty.
The soil is generally black, rich
joan; on the high prairie, from
one to three feet deep; ia "the bot
tom," it is sometimes twenty feet.
This vegetable mold, more or less
mixed with sand, is the source of
inexhaustible wealth. After the
prairie is subdued, the farming is
easy and delightful.
Up to 1854 these choice lands
were in possession of Indians from
New York; Pottawatamies, Kaws,
Delawares, Ottoes and Missouries.
Kickapoos, Sacs and Foxes, Weas,
SLawnees and Wyandots, in the
East; while the wild Oamanches,
Kiowas, Cheyennes, and Arrapa-
hoes, roamed over the West. See
the changesl
In 1855, there were 8,6OI inhabit-
ants in Kansas; in 1850. 107 ,2O6; in
1868, 140,179; in 1870, 81, 1893 in
1875, 52S,437.
These, people are here from all
parts of the q United States, aud 9TH
er parts of America, and from Eu-
rope, intermingled and mixed,
promising to result in the fullest
type of the American nation, to be
found on the continent. They are
healthy, strong. plucky. and full of
great ideas. Many of them came
here to establish slavery on this
virgin soil, and have lived here long
- In hnk 81 hat
ter without it. Lecompton, the
center and capital of this doomed
institution, has nearly gone down,
the symbol of "border rufian" pow
er which produced it. Large num-
bers came to battle for freedom, ana
this Topeka capital is rich and grow
ing, the symbol of the great thoughts
and plans of liberty which produc-
ed it. To large extent the "war
of classes" is over, aud Kansas citi-
zenship is fast becoming brotherly
and homogeneous.
All the great industries are active,
healthy, and remunerative here.
While immense portions of this
"empire" are yet uncultivated, of
the 52,043, 500 acres in the State, 3d.
750,600 (say two thirds), are in the
organized counties. In 1875, this
energetic people had in principal
crops 4, 749, 900,S9 acres. The value
of the products for the year named
amounted to $43, $40, 494. %.
a line exhibit of corn prodnc e,
averaged for twelve years, up to
1873, shows: Massachusetts, 81 !;
New York, IS; Pennsylvania, Sc /;
Ohio, 80; Indiana, AZ; Illinois, 40:
Missouri, So; average of the above.
81; Kansas, 40-next to the highest,
and three above the average.
But wheat is the most reliable
crop in Kansas. Now the true ex-
hibit in the above seven States and
Kansas shows an average of l6 6 !;
Kansas, 81. These figures are of
immense importance TO farmers.
They are reliable, and place Kansas
in the front ranks of productive
States east eff the Rocky Mountains.
Manufacturers are beginning to
utilize the immense water-power of
the State, applying also steam-pow-
er to a considerable extent. For a
new State, this interest is really
large, but capable of indefinite ex-
pansion. We have saw-mills, -four
mills, cabinet factories. rollingmills.
wooden factories. oil, cheese, gyp-
sum, soap and carriage factories,
numbering, in 1864, 305; in 1874,
604.
1 have visited at Blue Rapids the
manufactures over the Big Blue,
and find grand Touring, paper, and
wooden mills, using but fraction
of that immense and splendid pow
er.
Coal is abundant and very good.
There are three principal seams
which are extensively worked-the
Usage, Cherokee, and Fort Scott
varying in quality. These Goals
compare well with tae middle car
boniferous veins of bituminous
Goals in IIlibois and Western Penn
sylvania.
Railroads cut these coal fields,
and furnish 3 fine market, as they
do from the rich harvests, manu-
factories, and other products of
Kansas mines of wealth. Atchi-
son, Topeka, and Santa Fe, Kansas
Pacific, st. Joseph and Denver,
Missouri, Kansas and Texas, Mis-
souri, River, Fort Scott and Gulf,
Missouri Pacific and st. Louis Lar
annie and Western, with their vari-
Gus branches, connections, and ter
mini, make grand system of over
two thousand miles, slowly extend
ing and approaching completion.
The school system, from the COM
mon school to the university, is
gradually advancing toward the
highest standard of American cHi-
ture.
The Churches are reported as fol-
lnVs for 1871.