Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-07-03
That Kansas Letter.

That AanSaS Letter.
Last week we made some refer
ence to a letter in the down town
Kansas organ, in which we gave
positive evidence that the value of
crops raised in Michigan exceeded
that OF those raised in Kansas, and
the statistics showed that the result
per acre was considerably in favor
of Michigan. Had the name of the
author of that communication.
which makes such a boast of Kal-
sas. been known TO the reader when
the first part of the article appear
ed, it would have been scarcely
worth while to have made any re-
ply, as the source itself is enough
to condemn the correspondence,
and any praise it might attempt to
bestow on his much adored western
country. lie goes on at rate
characteristic of no one but himself,
and shows nothing and proves
nothing, except that, to the think
ing reader, his article is continu-
Gus hurrang of something that he
knows bat very little, or compare
lively nothing about. It is evident
that he has been persuaded to en-
courage emigration to Kansas, and
we would not deny that he has
been promised some remuneration
for his services. He tries to show
that it is a nice country to live in,
because the cases of sunstroke in
Kansas, with population of 1884,
900, is not as great as in the State
Of New York, where the popula-
ton is more than 1882, 900. What
a brilliantly conceived statement
that was, TO be sure. But the
whole course of his article is on the
same intelligent (!) strain. He fails
TO tell his readers that the lands Of
Alpena county, which he endeavors
so hard to underestimate, could not
be purchased at price six times
as large as the value of Kansas
lands.
1t is only a few days since we
asked farmer in this county if he
wished to sell his farm, and being
informed in the Affirmative, we en-
ouired the price, and were told
that it was $4,000 for so acres
and that, too, twenty miles from
the city of Alpena--and which, sew
en- years ago, was q wilderness.
This does not look as IL the farmers
of Alpena county considered their
lands worthless, or that they were
unable to raise good crops and plen-
ty of them.
He says that it is unfair to say
that we can raise more crops to the
acre in Alpena county than they
can in Kansas, but he does moi
pretend TO dispute the fact, rather
acknowledging it, but endeavors &c
lead the reader to believe that be
cause he was connected with q
Touring mill that season, that the
wheat was of an inferior quality
Perhaps it was when he was buying
the grain, but as it so happened, we
used q good deal of -four that was
made from the wheat raised ia thi:
county that year, and we found il
as good as any flour we ever saw
Sometimes it makes a difference In
the quality of an article when some
men are buying. Nor does be tel
US that he charged just as much
as for other a2k
Ha says thas~ win consume al
aman can earn to feed his stock
here in the winter, hut be does moi
inform the public that in Kansas
after the first crop of grass in the
summer, that everything becomes
so parcbed that it is next to starv'
ing cattle to let them run and pick
their own living, and that after the
dry season II requires about three
months to get the cattle back TO .
respectable condition.
He thinks--or at least be says 30
that be could raise corn ct ten
cents a buslsl u Kaasas, but whso