The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-03-14
,NSBURG. PA, FRIDAY, MARCH IA, 1879
The Mecca oT the ThriTfy EntIgroHt
as Kansas.
THE GOLDEN BELT-EMPHATICALLY TIKI
BEST PART OF KANSAS

A special correspondent of the Chicago
Times writing from Salina Kansas, under
date of Nov. 12, 1873, says:
There has been much writing on Kansas.
Practically one of the very newest of the new
States-for of its entire area of over tifiy-two
million acres, more than SO per cent. still!
remains virgin soil unbrokrn by the hus-
bandman's plow-Kausas has yet heen the
suiject of more yolumIuous aud superlative
commentator Than any other of the agric1l-
:ural States. The greatest of American
miscellaneous authors. Washington Irving,
early 1882, sounded the padn TO its
brilliant skies, it's bland aud heuiguant at
musphere, aud its fluwery plains aud slopiug
upiands. Since then a multitude OF writer's,
some of them of celebrity in literature and
science. a. Hale. Seward, A Agassiz. Greeley,
Sumner, Winthrop, Richardson and others.
have swellrd ami prolonged the refrain.
Beyond all doubt Kansas is The one State
which offers the very best aud highest in.
ducemeuts 10 immigration. Noorher section
I. is so full of rich promise to the man whod de
sires to found a home and acquire unto him
self and his family ;he ease and comforts of
a competency. In its combination OF soil
aud industry to surround its people with the
circumstances of happy, fortunate, gener
Gus, aud couieuted living, il is superior to
Illinois or Iowa. to Wisconsin or Minnesota
The writer hereof has no property in or ex
pectation from Kansas. He has iourneyed
frequently through various parts of the State
wi hin the last three years. AT present a
citizen of Chicago. he has had a residence in
each of The four States mentioned 10y way Of
comparison. He Intends to be temperate
aud moderate iu statement, but does not
pect that such statement Will TIE uu, halleng-
ell or at leaS= not uususpecteh 10y those not
. conversant with the relarive facts He has
neither The time nor the dara at hand to go
into statistics in detail which sustain the al
legations made. Let the following figures
I've given due confederation. In 1873 there
grown in X Ktnsas thirteen million bush
els of wheat and eighty-oue million bushels
of corn. IN 1876 fifteen million bushels Of
wheat aud eighty-three million bushels of
corn. In 1877 fifteen million bushels OF
wheat and one hundred and three million
bushels of corn. THIS year, in 1878, Kansas
steps to the front, th- irst State in the Union
III the production Of wheat, unless, possibly,
California has 10 be eXcepf Ell, with yield of
more than thirty million bushels of wheat of
superior quality aud standard weight. The
Increase ia acreage sown "a wheat was one
third greater than ia 1917. the c,rn pro
duCtiOu for the current year-the acreage
being somewhat less than in 1877. but the
average yield per acre grearer-is probably
not less than one hundred and Fl We million
bushels. Compare these remarkable results
of four successive years in Kansas with the
record, through the same period, of any 9th
er Sta.ew hich claims agricultural exec Hence
aud it will be seen that now here else have
the rewards of husbaudry, Of general farm
ing, proved so bouutitul aud sure as they
have in This fortunate aud prolific State.
In the successful rea-iug Of live stock the
ratio OF Increase Of Total value Is rapidly
pushing Kansas toward the head The per
ceurage of increase is regular and noteworthy
in both horses cattle, SWINE, aud sleep.
The culture of frutr, that which adds so
much to the completeness of rural domestic
lite, attaius a higher degree of general suc>
cess ia Kansas, both As TO certainty and
quality OF crop, than ia any other of The prai-
rue 5 ttes. The proportion OF fruiriug trees
to those too young To produce fruit IL about
80 per cent, YET The gross market value of
fruits, grares, and wine for 1877 reached The
important figure OF S3.OO0OOO.
Thus new STATE not thickly settled in its
mo-e populous districts, having more than
f1ur-fifIh- of its ui gauized domain open TO
setrl lers Oh lands which may be bought from
S2.5U. % So IN acre, 10y the superior adapti-
billy of its soil aud climate TO produce
wealth, outrauIs ia two joint great staples
ali It's older aud more pupuIous sister S atrs,
aud presents wider range nf profitable gen
era farming than any other STATE.
The immense stretch of wheat fields
conrsed hy the Kansas PLc fl tilway, have
given To TINS rOuTe the name tIsdncfIvely of
the Golden Belt" But that which assures
tor the golden belt" permaueucy of crop
sustaining power and especially adapts it
for continuous wheat-cuiture Is the fact that
ii is 4 limestone region. Ia nearly every
p0riiuu uf the S ate surf.lre soil Is i dark Al
laval mold of varying depth OF from two 10
six feet. Within the limestone belt this
rests on rock basis, having generally inter
p,,sei ricl. clay subsuiL The lands within
The lime>toue belt, having the lime coustitu-
eurs and a uffi,:ient admixture OF silica with
rich re-enforcins, nOlsiure-retiining sab
soil, are very nearly typical wheat lands.
Arkansas need Il greater rainfall, lack the
durable set-ferriIiziug characteristics ot the
former, require greater care in their treat
ment aud will more easily Degenerate.
Another eminent AL vantage posse~sed by
The country through which .hs Kansas Pacific
ruus j. The fact that setrlers thsreiu are more
secure oL the important question of fuel. Ac
coidiug - the reports ot the ) Srate Agricul-
tural Bureau coal Us found in three-fourths
of the counties along the line. Also the
limestone belt has The distinction of an
abundant supply OF building material. rhe
ruagresian limestone, OF proved iuraoility,
from which the State capitol of Topeka aud
other important buildings are constructed,
being fund in great abundance far west
as Trego comfy.
Without ,iispa IA cement of any section OF
The ate. l have briefly uamed the great
leading considerations y hich must attach to
the Kansas Pacific country a preference in
the Judgment oi fbe intelligent and discrim-
iuafing settlers. | use fhe designation
kansas Pacific country" because the
trunk aud branch lines of that railway are
coincident with the main water lines of cen
/, tral aud northern Kansas. and the districts
Indicated accrssibiy by and tributary to tha
, rail route. The following are few sue
I cinctly-staIed statistics aud data, wheel
: carry their own argument:
For the fiscal year ending June 80, 1873
there entered, as appears from the re