, 1879-09-25
How They Have the Eager" in
Kansas.

The two things which will be apt to
strike fresh sojourner most vividly in
Kansas will be the ague and the general
recklessness. Both seem to be integral
parts Of the population, and both are
invariably ignored. In no town os
Southern OF Western Kansas will the
most careful inquiries develop traces Of
any ague People will declare upon their
souls that, though "they do have ager'
in w. or A. or B., within few miles of
their particular locality, there was never
a case known in the limits Of their own
town, and if they do not happen to have
a ''chill' before they finish speaking they
will very likely believe their own words
TO certain extent, SO thoroughly does
each Kansas inhabitant trust in the
superiority Of his own portion Of. the
State. Yet there are some portions OF
Kansas where the ague is So constant
that the people seem to look upon it as
they do upon breathing-as u natural
consequence of existence. They have
"chils" the year around, and have them
finally 70 habitually that one can tell an
old ague sufferer instantly by the
methodical manner in which be shakes,
as if he knew from experience exactly
what particle of flesh would shiver next
and was prepared for It. The people
take "chills" at any time with the most
perfect coolness They 60 to parties and
waltz through them, get married in the
midst of them, and it is no uncommon
thing to see men on the streets suddenly
pull up their coat collars, with the ther-
mometer at 90 degrees, without thinking
it necessary to'announce that they have
a chill. During the months of August
and September, which are especially the
ague-breeding months, one sees whole
populations the color Of brown paper,
looking as if the wholesome part OF their
natures had dried away, and almost
forcing one to the belief that the human
race had it's origin in dried apples
Much of tie suffering from this re-
spect arises from neglect. The country
population in Kansas is made up largely
Of very poor class Of people. The
farmers life here is so hard and toilsome
that it cannot help grinding his nature
down to very narrow issue. Many of
them live miles from railroad, on land
which, if it yields any crops, brings
them no profit because they cannot find
markets for their prodnce. They come
out, led by the graat promises of
"Kansas land" and have found, too
late, that the land is Of very little value
without markets and good roads. They
have no money for medicine or doctors
bills, and SO they 60 on, year after year,
letting the ague eat SO deeply into their
systems that they cannot get it out.
Their lives are as hard and as debased as
it is possible for human lives to be.
Living in little huts Or "dug-outs," in
the midst of the prairie, they manage to
pick up miserable existence, and bring
into the world large family Of children.
In this respect Kansas has been god
send to the rest of the world, because it
has provided sinking hole for large
number of shiftless men and women,
who, if they are miserable here, can at
least be so without injury to the rest OF
their kind, and as retiring place for
"ehcte populations" no section OF
country could have been more valuable.
In time there is 10 doubt but that
Kansas life viii be very different from
what it is now. There are o great mum
Der of men and women moving in who
are Of another calibre than the worn out
farming community Of whom mention
has been made, and who from the priva.
ton and toll Of their own lives wlll
mold different future for their children.
As the population increases and means
OF transit are improved, the capabilities
of the country, which are really rich,
will be brought out, and Kansas VIII be-
come our great agricultural district,
and one OF the richest portions OF our
country.
. ILL., E., y;,,ciura4i yyrittpn IN