The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-03-15
KANSAS.
A HARD UOUNTRY To 1--we IN.


, In reply, would state that | have resld
ed in the State of Kansas nearly clever
years, and have become acquainted, some
what, with the resources and the bad an'
GOOD qualities of the State in general. Ih
northern and northwestern parts have II
: general healthy climate, the princlpa
diseases being Chills and Fever and Pneu
monia. The products of this part of thu
state consists of rye, wheat, barley, oats
corn, cattle, hogs, and horses; and coulC
the farmer get good prices for all or the
greater part of these commodities he woulc
make money as fast as any farmer ought to
make it, their business being slow at best
The tlouble however, is that if they are
blessed with a good crop the price is so low
that after counting all of the expenses il
raising and marketing they have little OF
nothing left. This is when they make gooc
crops, and have good success with then
stock etc., but let the cholera get among
their hogs and the Texas fever among then
cattle and they will fall behind every time.
Lot the Rocky Mountain locusts or grass
hopper pounce down among their growing
crops by countless billions as they have
done several times within the past ten OF
fifteen years, and starvation for man and
beast is inevitable unless assistance com es
from the neighboring states.
Nor are these ali of the troubles and diff
ficulties which the Kansas emigrant has
10 encounter. He has long and tedious
cold winter, with which to contend. For
over sixty days already the present winter
the earth has been covered with snow from
twelve to eighteen inches in depth while
the mercury in the thermometer has stood
from eight totwenty four degrees below zero.
Many of the farmers who use wood have
to haul it six and eight miles, and if they
do not own the land, on which the wood
grows they will have to pay four and often
six bits a cord for it standing in the tree,
Kansas is also very windy country. The
winds often blow in perfect gales, with
hurricane velocity prostrating fences,
buildings, stacks of hay, grain and what
ever it meets with in its onward course.
Having no forests to obstruct the wind, it
glides over those vasts prairies with incred>
ible velocity and power. So cold is it many
times in the winter, that if a man is not
very warmly clad in wool and furs with
heavy boots, he is sure to have some of his
limbs, if not his whole body, frozen. I
know a number of men and women in the
neighborhood where live that have had
their hands, their feet, or their ears frozen
the present winter. It is but just to say,
however, that the present winter has been
rather severer than common.
You ask me if have any property in
Kansas. I would say 1 still have some I'M
sold. Though once had over one thou
sand acres there, and kept the land paying
taxes, and making Improvements on it,
until it well-nigh financially ruined me;
for was not able to sell it for as much as
it cost me eight or nine years previous.
You also inquired if I would advise
hard working men and poor men to go to
Kansas. would say in reply that in no
case would I advise a poor man, white OF
black, to go to Kansas from the South for
the following reasons
l. Farming in the North is entirely diff
ferent from what it is in the South, and it
is trade which anyone must learn before
he can do it successfully.
9. No man can farm the land there with
a single mule or horse. He must own a
good double team, and all the farming i'm
plements necessary to farm, and raise a
crop and he must also be able to feed hun
self, family, and team OF he cannot get land
to cultivate. Every renter of whom 1 ever
heard stands upon his own responsibility |
or falls as the case may be, there is no |
running" linn as they call it here.
8. A tenant, or renter as they are called
here, when he farms on shares has to give
one third of all the grain, potatoes, and hay
|
the land; and in some cases he has to haul
it to market for the land lord. He also has
to furnish all the seeds which he plants or
sows. If he pays cash rent the landlord
can prevent him from moving bushel of
grain or any other product of the land un>
til the rent is paid or secured.
ba (oiI re T |
stand, holding out great inducements to
the Colored People to emigrate to that state,
paying their fare and in some cases giving
hem six months provisions. Now Sir if
here is any truth in this statement, it must
must have reference to the Souther part of
,he state and to the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Rail Road Company. This COM
oany has large grants of public lands made
oy Congress, for the building of the road,
md it is tired of paying taxes upon these
ands, besides being IN danger, according
% Secretary Schurz decision, of losing
hem unless sold by certain time. The
company proposed to sell to those wishing
% purchase one-fourth section of land
IN long credit, say eight or ten years at
he price of from three to ten dollars per
scre, binding the purchaser to pay the in
crest on the purchase money, and the
Taxes on the land.
If, however, he fails to pay both or either,
lie forfeits and loses the land and all he may
AVE paid, up to the time of his failure.
whenever the colored man has
got into Kansas, he must stay there, for
line times out of ten he can never obtain
money enough to bring him back. He
must then root hog or die" as the saying
S. Now, these assertions are not mere idle |
ak, for I know of number of sales made
o free white men by the Central branch of :
he Union Pacific Railroad, on long
redit, the purchaser binding himself to
Jay the annual interest and taxes. After ,
making some three or four hundred dollars
worth of improvements, and paying the
and s,f, /