The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-04-12
NEWS
FRIDAY. APRIL II, 1878.
RRONl a NEVV sETTLER.
A Letter OF sound Advice to Kansas
Land Buyers.
From EmpOrtG, AsnsGs.

A Iaekar OF Sound Advice to Kansas
Land Buyers.
From EmpOrtG, Ksnsos.
We find in the Philadelphia Mes
senger of March 18th, the follow
ing letter from q gentleman who
recently located in Emporia, and
we commend its statements as
being entirely reliable and correct,
and conveying valuable sugges-
lions for people who desire to To-
cate themselves to good advantage
in Kansas:
As I am frequently asked by
readers of the Messenger to give
some more information about
Kansas, and the prospects of a Re-
formed organization in this sec
ton, I feel necessitated to
ask once more for q little space.
Judging from some letters, L also
feel free to say, that it may posi-
bly, assist in the increase Of your
list of subscribers to have occa-
sional letters from this region, If
even they do in some measure nee
cessarily partake of somewhat
more temporal than spiritual or
theological nature. One good
brother q. H. B. Of L., who con-
templates coming to Kansas early
In April with his family, writes on
this subject, as follows: 81 am
sorry that we don't hear from the
Messenger more from your pen.
The subscribers here were very
much interested to hear in this
way from Kansas. And the Mes
senger was quite in demand while
you wrote. 1t would have tend
ency to increase the list OF sub
scribers, and also to concentrate
our Reformed people, who con-
template going West from time to
time"
/ feel sure, there is considerable
truth in the above, and hence will
try and give little further infor-
nation about this section. / have
succeeded in drawing several Re-
formed families to this place al
ready through other papers than
the Messenger, and through letters,
and several very excellent families
are coming very soon to locate
here; hence, we have a very good
prospect to organize our church
here during the current year. !
feel sure that our people cannot
possibly find better locality than
this for general farming and
stock-raising. Marketing facili-
ties here are of the best kind.
Wood and coal are plenty and
cheap, l should say, very cheap
for the far West. Land in this
region Is just as cheap as farther
West, where they have neither
wood nor coal, and IN many places
even no stone for building walls,
etc. Here we have plenty of most
excelle Mt building stone. Another
advantage of this section is, land
here increases much more rapidly
in value than in most sections far.
Their west. In many places west
from here land settled some time
already is at q stand still, so far as
prices are concerned, but here il
is gradually enhancing. This is q
very important consideration to
farmers who wish to come west and
invest to the best advantage fol
themselves and children. I have
been told by men of experience
and observation, that friends OF
theirs have located twenty years
ago, and to-day their land is not
worth more than it was then. This
WILL be the case with many who
are rushed blindly along to the
farther vest, where they of course
and government land to home.
stead, andarailroad lands on long
time. But to improve those one
hundred miles, and farther west
will in each case cost considerable
more than here, and farther easi
from this point, because lumber
costs more to ship farther west, sc
also everything else that is needed
-"to start out in life anew" Sc
also when more westernly located
farmers come to ship their farm
products, it costs them more tt
get them into the great commercial
centres Of this region. All this
additional cost which ! now only
partly and family indicate, de
creases the hard earnings of thu
sturdy husbandman located ives
from this point, and is just 81
much gain in favor Of the farme
locating here. And we must bea
In mind that this loss on on,
hand, and gain on the other, il
permanent. Here in the timbe
region Of Kansas we can get ma
tive timber from ten to twelv
dollars per thousand feet cheape
than imported lumber costs. Thi
native lumber Is much stronge
for framework in buildings thal
the Michigan and Wisconsin pine
the cheapest of which is sold il
our board-yards here at $25 pc
thousand feet.
] will not add anything on thi
subject now, but will say that col
tonwood grows very rapidly here
and beautiful groves can be raise
In = very few years. / reeentl
purchased . farm Of 160 acres 70
. friend Of mine, on which cotton
wood trees are found, plante
three years ago, measuring froT
three to four inches in diameter
and about fifteen to twenty fee
high. This farm has an orchar
OF j 500 choice fruit trees, the ole
est of which were planted Nv
years ago, which have borne tw
crops already. i have seen th
hne peach orchards of Delawar
and California, but i assure th
reader that Kansas peach tree
are as fine in appearance, an
large in growth as any of them.
was simply astonished when
first noticed the fine prospect fc
fruit. The above farm has 60
bearing peach trees; 700 appl
trees, some Of which are expecte
to bear this season; 100 choic
dwarf pear, which are partly in beai
ing, and many other fruit tree
- = = -. :