The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-04-10
KANSAS

A. Seen Through Unparalleled
SpectacIes. The Immense TiAo Of
Inalgfati0n. Where to LOcate
and what ThinEs Cost There.
HELENE RANCH, IvANPAH,
GREENwOOD Co., KANSAS.
March - 1879.
MR.. EDITOR There is hardly a
home in our country East of the Miss
issippi where Kansas is not a house
hold word The onward march of EN-
pire has drawn upon over crowded
cities and the thickly settled East, to
swell the great tide of humanity that
is pouring into this new State from the
East, North and South. The great
question is from where do these people
come? Hundreds every day cross the
threshold Of the State at Kansas City
and Atchinson. In fact the inhabit-
ants of the overcrowded East are liter
ally taking possession of this great
State.
Ihave received 80 many letters from
friends in the East enquiring about the
amount of capital necessary to start
with here, the prices of everything, the
best localities and towns, that have
concluded to take up the editorial quill
once more and give you for the benefit
Of your readers a few general observa-
tions founded on actual knowledge and
experience.
Many exaggerated statements have
been furnished by correspondents con-
cerning the State, and many people
have inadvertently led them to believe
that all they had to do was to "gO
west" and everything would then flow
easily and fortunes would be assured
without labor. Now there is nothing
more untrue. Men have to work here
for q living, and work hard too; yet 1t
of q mans succeeding in the East is as
one to ten, it is here about nine to ten,
provided the man is willing to work.
I cannot advise any married man to
come here with less than $500 to 81 900
to make q start on q farm, or any sim
then it willrequire plenty of grit, hard
work and rigid economy to get through
the first year or two, Those seeking
and depending on employment can get
plenty of farm work in Spring, Sum-
mer and Fall but Winter employment
is scarce. Wages average about the
same as in the Eastern and Middle
States, being highest during harvest
Young men seeking clerkships in Of
fees or stores cannot do better here
than East, if as well, For every va
cancy that occurs there are now many
applicants.
The resources of the State are prin-
cipalIy agricultural The majority
its citizens are farmers, men who have
come here with limited means and are
as q rule very economical. 1t is such
men to open up and develop her re-
sources that Kansas most needs. and it
is this class who are most successful.
The drOnes of humanity find little to
encourage them, hence Kansas has
drawn from the eastern States some OF
their most enterprising, intelligent and
hard working people, and schools,
churches and newspapers, and all that
builds up an orderly and law abiding
community have kept pace with our
rapid increase and unprecedented de-
velopment. The population of the
State in 1870 was trifie over three
hundred thousand, and to-day it is
in round numbers a million, and yet
the Kansas of yesterday and to-day but
family illustrates what the Kansas of
will be. With a soil unex
celled in richness and productiveness,
lying all ready for the plow and capable
of growing greater number of staple
products than any other State, with
her pure atmosphere and health re-
storing climate, with her excellent
markets, as we'll as an outlet in the
near future, down the Arkansas to
New Orleans and Liverpool, with her
model system of education and total
state debt of less than half a million |
dollars, Kansas is destined to be the |
banner State of our Union. What she |
wants now is men, men of character,
worth and means; intelligent and |
men, farm-making men and !
men. men to help build |
her cities, her railroads and her manu- |
featuring Industries, and assist and en-
courage to still greater achievements |
those who by their intelligence, indus
try and energy have already accom-
plished SO much. am frequently |
asked by friends to advise them as re-
CARDS location, and invariably ask,
IS What do you want to engage in ?" |
II in farming or stock raising, then by |
all means select a location in the beau !
tiful garden valley of the Arkansas.
1t is the most fertile portion of the |
State. The statistics of the Board of
show that the twelve lead |
ing counties in the Arkansas Valley |
along the line of the Atchison, Topeka |
& Santa Fe Railroad produces one
quarter of the total amount of all crops |
raised in the whole State. This fact |
alone is conclusive. To young lawyers |
and professional men I would recon-
mend this portion of the State. 1t is
new, and there are better chances of
success than in the older settled Sec
lions. ALI who visited the Centennial |
will remember the magnificent display
made by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa /
Fe Railroad, which runs along the
Valley of the Arkansas for over 800
miles. 1t eclipsed any agricultural
display ever made from so new a
yet that display to-day would
not bepin to do iustice tn the a0ricul-