The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-12-26
KANSAS TO THE FRONT.

some Facts Of the wo,derf.l Growth o.
| Our Great Agricultural Empire.
Rron Editosial in Kanas City JoarnL
The onward march of the star Of empire
in the great State of Kansas is unexam
pied. Columns and volumes have been
written of the wonderful growth and ma
tenal prosperity Of the State, but how
ever mindful we are of the exaggeration
incident to the settlement of new coun.
try, we must admit that the results of tn.
labors Of its pioneers have far exceeded
the expectations of the most sanguine
Take for instance the population. which
in 1855 was but s,60l. In 1850 it was
twelve times as great, being l07. LOG. In
1865. the population was is, s07, an in
crease Of over 26 per cent during the war
period. In 1870 it had 364, SS9 showing
an increase in FIVE years Of over l60 per
cent. In the next FIVE years the increase
was more than ~ per cent. In March
last the population was 10S. 49,. an in
crease In twenty-four years of Sl37.S1 per
cent. An average annual increase in al
most a quarter of a century Of 1906 per
cent. But little reflection is necessary to
convince the reader that this is remark.
able-a most wonderful record of growth
There is still room for more. The total
acreage of the State Is fifty-two millions.
but of this only six millions and halt
are under cultivation. leaving more than
forty-ive million acres OF unsurpassed pro-
ductiyeness yet to be made respondent t.
the husbandman' care. And nearly all
OF this vast acreage. or at least by much
the greater part, Is still open for settle
ment, either as homesteads or by pur
chase.
In the past thirteen years, the period
including the States agricultural growth.
the product Of wheat has increased from
less than two hundred thousand bushel,
to more than thirty-two million bushels.
And the corn crop has grown from siI
million to ninety million bushels N the
same golden period. These statistics
mean more than population, they sho~
what brings the population. and how thu
people live and thrive. Twelve years age
Kansas ranked as the twenty-fourth STATE
in the production of wheat twenty-second
in the production Of corn, while to-day
it ranks firstas wheat-growing State, and
fourth in the production of corn.
In farm animals the record Of kansa.
is almost as surprising as in grain and
population, while the gross amount added
to the value Of real estate By improvement
indicates that this seeming prosperity IL
real. There is a constant flow Of immigra-
ton across the border. and each individu-
al who places his foot on Kansas soil with
an unalterable determination to turn th.
natural wealth Of the soil and climate to
his own personal account, is at once an in.
dependent man. The record of the hun
dreds of thousands already there is evil
dence that this is so.
With this beginning, then. what is to
he the future of this great agricultural EN-
pirey The next census will show over
million Of population. and the accession
of wealth incident to the growth in popu-
lation and products will be still! more mark
ed than in the past. for the class Of immi-
grafton now flowing into the State is su-
perior as wealth-producing population
to any heretofore acquired.