The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-07-24
KANSAS IN 1850

dented growth OF Kansas since her admis-
sion into the Union of States has been the
snbj ct of many warm and glowing eulo-
gies Her progress in everything has been
phenomenal. T he has built in proportion
TO The years OF her existence more railroads,
founded more schools, established more
industries and contributed more to the ag-
gregate weslth OF the nation in every way
than any other commonwealth in the coun-
try. Time was, and very short time
since. too, when the declaration was made
and believed that al that region west of
the Missouri was vast and sterile desert
upon which nothing could be grown or pro-
duced, and yet in 1873 Kansas was the
first wheat producing State in the Union,
and Whist is now Kansas wa formerly
part of the Gres. American Desert Ac-
cording to estimates made for the present
year, based upoa returns made from the
counties, the population Of the State at the
present time is nesrly 100000, and By the
end of the year, if the immigration is any,
thing at all "a We have reason TO believe it
will be, the number OF inhabitants will
fully reach that figure. The influx this
year from the East, South mot taking into
consideration at all the exodus) and Eu-
rope has been very large, and the promise
for its continuance in the fall is very
fi,ttering. most encouraging feature of
the immigration Of this year has been that
the class OF settlers has been of the very
best, consisting OF practicsI farmers who
have sought our state not with the expec-
tstion Of raising fortunes in 10 or three
crops but with the idea TIL. we have
magnificent soil, a Fl ne elm sic, aud, in fact,
country where a man can make home
in comparatively short time at com
paratively small cost. Kansas ia no place
for lazy farmer aud the one who
is not willing to strip and fight
his way is not needed here. ODe
feature in regard to the immigration of this
year is worthy of remark and attention, and
that is that it has been more equally dis
tributed than that Of any previous year,
not being confined SO exclusively 10 the
lines Of the great trunk railroads rs hereto
fore. During the spring the roads Leading
to the northwestern and southern parts of
the SAFE were fairly lined with long white
caravans OF prsiTie schooners, resembling
the baggage train of an immense army,
freighted with the families and worldly
goods of The adventurous pioneer who had
left some comfortable home IN the East to
come to Kansas and grow up with the
country. The conss guence of this was that
the vast and fertile region of the State |
which is Of from the railroads has been |
filling up rapidly aud further consequence
has been that the railroads have begun TO |
follow this iDflIx ard are now building into |
parts of the State that otherwise would not |
have hsd railroad facilities and advantages |
for years to come. The msnia for railroad
extension this year in Kansas has deyel-
oped into positive epid.m'c, and several
hundred miles Of iron highway viii be
added 10 the already extensive system of
the State. In the North the Central Branch
OF the Union Pacific road is building up the
North ard South Forks Of the Solomon, !
the fork in the roads TO be made a short
distance west Of Cawker City, the grading
for the two extensions being almost COM
pleted and the work OF tieing and ironing
to be begun at once; the Ksnses Pacific
rosd is about to build two branches toward
the north, one from Clyde west to Concordia
and thence into Jewell county, the other from
to Beloit; scheme is on foot |
to build branch from Burlingame, on the
Santa Fe to Manhattan, on the Kansas I
Pacific, the ultimate purpose Of this being
a connection with the Union Pacific; the
Kansas Central Marrow Gauge) is prepar-
ing to extend its line westward from Onaga
in Pottawatomie county, one hundred miles
or 20, lincoln Center. the county seat
Of Lincoln county, being ore objective ,
point; the Kansas Pacific is constructing &
line southwark from Sslina to Mcpherson /,
which Is nearly completed; the Atchisop, !
Topeka Santa Fe has built a branch I
'outh from Emporia which has reached
Eureka, in Greenwood county, which
will ultimately be extended south
% Sedan, in Chautauqua county and from
here into the Indian Territory; two other Q
branches southwark are al.o in contempla. ?
ion, or rather have been under corsidera-
ion, from Wichita and Eldorado: the Mis-.
ouri Pacific is building westward from b
1aola, the road to branch al Osswatomie, q
me fork running to Ottawa and Topeka, =
md the other to Garnett and from there n
enthusiastically; the St. Louis & San q
francisco, or rather the Missouri, Wichita n
Western, is building westward from y
'svego, Wichita being the objective point, i
he Leavenworth, Lawrence & Calves ia ri
constructing line westward from indie. ri
endence to Winfield, work upon which il o. o.
ow being vigorously prosecuted. There are r
Their roads In contemplation and which &c
ill in all probability be under way in
hort time, such as the line between Leay.
s.oitK and Topeka IA ..athsr. Skiis" j a,
lany case4 abandoued roadbede. .hs1iI II