The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-01-12
The Average Kansas.
Kansas Capital.

Kansas Capital.
At q recent social assembly in
Topeka, among crystal presents was
a broken goblet contributed by
The Average Kanssn."
On the sym ooIic goblet was an
inscription-ave verse of poetry, which
halted en- one of it's lines, and limp
ed on the other three. The idea of
the inscription was that the citizens
OF Kansas, though like the shattered
crystal cup he may be badly broken
by successive misfortunes, yet has
net lost heart, and ia loyal to the
spirit of the legend on our coat OF
arms - To great achievements
through severe trials.
The Average kansan is a man Of
resources. He is not easily dis
couraged. If one ventare fails, he
tries another. If the wheat is eaten
off he puts in rye. If preaching
does not pay, he turns to peddling
or politics. If people will not buy
his prescriptions, or become his eli
ents, he edits newspaper, or sells
patents, or lectures on chronology.
When misfortunes strike the Az
erage Kansan, they f1ud him, not
sullen and stubborn, but cheerful,
elastic and flexible. The historic
Bourbon dynasty had abilities and
ideas, but it was prOverbial that they
would not learn-and they perish
ed. The Average Kansan has tai
ents and opinions, but he is willing
TO lesrn--and he does not perish.
He even makes great discoveries.
For instance, he Is finding out that ii
is the cattle and horse that roam
over the country, and not the grow
ing crops. He declares that he new
er saw an itinerant corn-field. He
challenges the world to produce 8
breachy potato patch. He offers a
standing reward to anybody who
will show him an unruly wheat
neld, or vineyard on the rampage,
though he is willing to admit, for
the sake of the argument, that wa
termelons do sometimes travel OF
dark nights. He proposes to invest
10 more money in fences to restrain
the quiet crops and orchards-but
TO watch the vagrant
herds.
The Average Kansan does not
wear long hair, and lie not in the
habit of bawling himself hoarse
about reforms-but he is sufficiently
to be opposed to rail-
road trains that run so slow that
they have to put the cow-catcher
behIHd TO prevent cattle from throw
ing the cars off the track and he
promptly buys all the new and i'm
proved tools and machinery that he
can get on credit.
He is not easily influenced. Him
self independent and free of thought
and speech, he constantly bears in
mind the oriental proverb-The
speaker is one and the hesrer is an
other. In Kansas you may say what
you choose, without let or him
with the assurance that your
words will do as little harm, or
good, as in any part of the world.
The Average kanssn has travelled
failed in business
once or twice-served in the army
and in some cases he is now living
with his second wife. Consequent
ly he is not man to be easily excl
ted or scared by anything. No one
who knows him will select him as
victim of q game of bluff.
He is not sentimental, and abhors
gush. In no writing book in his
school house do you find the copy
g God tempers the wind to the shorn
lamb" He is too intelligent to be-
lieve that such stuff is in the Bible,
and he detects its resemblance to it's
Il uthOr, the superfine sentimentalist,
Lawrence Sterne. He knows that
no special dispensaiion has been
granted to those engaged in sheep
raising; being aware, indeed, that
ia sheep-growing regions there Oft
en- prevail, in the late spring, storms
called by the people "lamb Killers"
because SO alal to the tender lambs.
He believes in an over-ruling Prov.
idencs, therefore he builds corrals
and sheds for his stock, feeds them
and prays for dry weather.
Too sincere to smile very much,
except i'll a bibulous and figurative
sense, he laughs heartily If not Oft
en--but he seldom weeps. He is
too old for tears, which are the ex-
pressions of the young in years or
The recruit trembles
with enthusiasm as he sigas the
muster roland he weeps as he
kisses his wife or sweetheart, and
goes out to contend for bis country.
After he has faced batteries and led
fOrlorn hopes-after he has march
ed into the jaws of death, into the
Of holfO Ls ~ -
not less strong, but lie deeper, and
his eyes are dry az q stone. The
GOODNESS of the veteran is not that of
but that of experience !;
it is the steadiness of q character too
genuine to be demonstrative. The
Average Kansan is q veteran.
He makes no sign. bat he is gen.
eroas and warm hearted. Two
years ago, when our country was
resting under q calamity that came
in a day, and literally on the wings
Of the wind, those who knew the
facts said: "No feature in the his
tory of these sad times 10 more
than the disposition on
the part of the people to divide
their supplies among one another to
he last bushel and the last pound"
This record. like Mercutio's wound,
'Is not so deep as q well, nor so
wide as q church door, but tits
twill serve"
The Average Kansan is coura-
geoHs, yet prudent. He is not at
all represented by that well knewn
bull, bold but rash, that attacked the
He is Of opinion that
he ancient illustrative bull ought
10 be allowed to resign, like q su-
judge, and to retire on
Iull pay.
He has faiths and convictions
carnal, and mixed; he
does not care much for arguing
about them, but he is ready to fight
for them-and, If need be, give fur
her proef of his devotions. Adju-
amt General Fry reports that Kan
'as had more men in the army, and
suffered greater mortality, in pro-
portion to population, than any 9TH
Or State in the Union.
The Average Kansan has never
been accused of lack of cheek. His
enemies aver that when he went TO
Philadelphia last summer, and gai-
" dispsrted his fair proportions on
the Exposition grounds, he was
wearing garments that two years
haEora had hoon sdfatrihutaNS froCn