The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1877-10-12
FACTS FOR THE PEOPLE.
address OF Hon. ThOs. Ryan,
Delivered aG Wichita
sep. 27Gla, HS75.

Over three hundred years ago
Spanish expedition passed not man!
miles from where we now stand
One Coronado, at the head of twelvt
hundred men, then trsversed tn,
counties of Barbour, Kingman, Re
NO, Harvey and Mcpherson. CoulC
he have done the same thing but {
few short years ago, taking in also
the counties OF Cowley, Sumner
and Sedgwick, he would have ex.
plored the garden OF the universe
still occupied by beast and savage
precisely as he found 1t three centu.
ries before. But were he 70 return
to-day and chronicle the prenaIural
change, and we could go 800 years
into futurity and read his marvel
lous narration, we should doubtless
conclude that Coronado was the
champion liar OF the age in which
he wrote.
But seeing is believing; with ON
own eyes We behold Cowley coun-
ty with her $1,000 population, heI
school houses, her magnificent
churches, her mills, her newspapers,
her 100000 acres paying tribute to
government, and 10000 producing
acres, and yet she was organized but
seven years ago.
Crossing over into Sumner we
find 1t the home of 1900 people,
where also are the school houses,
the churches, the mills and the
printing presses. 100000 acres pay
ing taxes, and 10000 acres bearing
man q reward for his industry, put
this grand county was only organ
lied In 1871.
live were out on the trail OF
Coronado we should find Barbour
and Kingmah budding into a civili-
cation that will coon bloom with
wealth and intelligence.
Following the Spaniard's foot
steps int Reno, organized but five
years ago, we are in the presence OF
1000 thrifty people, CITY of nm
exampled growth, mills, school
houses, churches, public edifices,
business houses and dwellings that
vie with some eastern cities organ
lied $50 years ago, while 100000
acres Of her land bear their share OF
the public burden, and over 100000
acres are producing food for man
and beast.
When we reach Harvey we are in
the midst of eleven thousand cul-
tured people, two hundred and
twenty thousand acres subject to
taxation, one hundred thousand
acres bearing crops, and an enter
prise marked by business houses,
school houses, churches, mills, news
papers, towns and villages, although
il has been but i've years since she
was organized.
Going north into Mcpherson
county,we are in the presence OF
over twelve thousand people fitted
by their social graces for the best
society Of New England; two hum
dred thousand acres under cultiva-
ton; school houses, churches and
an industrial enterprise that will
sooner or later remove the embar-
rassment to her productive energies
occasioned by the absence of rail-
way connection with the great mar
kets of the country.
From where we stand the vision
IL enchanted by the wooded streams,
the fruitful valleys and broad ex-
pAnse of rich undulating prairies OF
your own Sedgwick, and we are
confronted with population OF
twenty thousand people, educated,
intelligent, refined, thrifty, indus
triops and enterprising. Well may
she refer with pride to her school
houses, her churches, her mile, her
newspaper enterprises, der four
hundred thousand acres of taxable
land, and her one hundred and fifty
thousand acres laden with tn air pro-
ducts. With . city whose business
thrift has no rival in the state, the
great grain emporium of the south
west, It's beautiful streets lined with
blocks OF brick aud stone, and
tkzonged with q busy people; with
. connection with the great CON-
mercial centers by one of the best
railways west of the Mississippi
with the waters of the Little Ar
kansas running south, and the IA
nous Arkansas river and the Min
nescah, ,Cowskin and Wild Cal
streams running southeast; with
we'll water easily accessible with
water power available for manu-
factories; with upland of unsur
passed fertility and valleys averag
Ing five miles in width and eurpass.
Ing In their productive capacity the
richest valleys of New York, Penn.
sylvAnia and Virginia, and with 9
civilization of the highest order
Sedgwick offers to the capital, the
brains and the muscle of the woriG
the most Alluring reward for In
vestment, enterprise and industry
Such 10 the seven years old giant o
the Arkansas Valley. How would
like to dwell upon the astounding
development of the whole of thu
southwest, but there is not time
here for that. / content myssl
with this brief allusion to the mag
10 growth along the old Spaniel
trail a. far north as MCPHERSON.
wish / had the language to pain
my own conceptions of the agri
cultural glory that awaits this val
ley In the near future. No country
on the earth offers such q refuge Il
the workshop are closed against tn
workingman he may find exemp
ton from famine in our public lanC
aYstem. i9
The laborer may toll for dali!
wages year otter year, and whel
his life Is well spent he may finC
himself still without a home. Bu
II he goes upon homestead b.
may, for q time, suffer some priva
lions, but he will be freed from tn
peril of starvation, and when tim,
has perfected his title, he will b,
likely to find himself surronndet
by, q population of law-abiding
liberty-loVing, intelligent and in
dustrious people; with the schoo
house, the church, the mill, tn,
the newspaper, the railroad and tn,
/. market at his own door, and hi
farm the foundation of competency
for himself and his children for al
future time. We look out upoI
the prospect before us to behold
millions of acres of rich upland and
fertile valleys throughout every
part OF the state, temptingly lnvit
ing the industries of every CLINE. o
every race and of every class t
homes that may be enriched will
boHntiful harvest, and made happ!
with the comforts of wealth and so
cial refinement. True it is that ma
ny Of the unemployed workingnel
of the country are without tn