Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-12-25

The following is full report Of the re
marks of Mr.. James +. Keeney in
accepting the presidency of the Western
National Fair association. Mr.. Keeney
said:
GENTLEMEN: / thank you for this
honor. most deeply and fully appreci'
ate the splendid compliment you have
paid both myself and the western portion
of the state. pledge myself to do all in
my power 10 make it a success-an honor
to you and the great state of Kansas
known and appreciated not only through
out every state and territory in the Union,
but throughout the whole world. Its sue
cess depends upon you, upon myself, upon
all Of us.
We have the resources in this great and
growing state to make Il most wonderful
display. We have nearly a million Of
peope--as intelligent, wide-awake, and
thrifty as ever graced any country; and a
state four hundred miles long and two
hundred miles wide, containing fifty.two
millions of acres of as rich and fertile
land rs ever the sun saw. Our yield of
wheat alone last year was more than thT-
ty-two millions Of bushels, and OF corn
over eighty-nine millions of bushels. The
yield of oats, harley, vegetables of all
kinds, broom-coru, and fruits was proper
tionately large. Cattle, sheep, hogs, and
horses may he seen on thousand hills.
Fine building stone, lime, gypsum, coal
and chalk are ours in abundance. We
have one OF the finest climates In the
world.
Although much has been said and writ
ten about Kansas, the half has not been
told, and it remains for the Western Ma
tional Fair association to show to the
world the marvels of our young common
wealth. This will take work, and great
deal Of it--a fact which | fully under
stand IN accepting the presidency of the
association. | believe this fair will be
the means OF adding thousands to our pop.
ulation, as it will be the most successful
advertising medium for the West ever
known, not even excepting the exhibition
at Philadelphia.
In August of 1876 visited the centen.
nlaI, and was there for the first time i'm.
pressed with the great resources of Kan
sas and at once made up my mind to go
there. 1t was plain to me that an i'm
mense tide ofnmmigratiom would soon set
in the state and | determined to 90 IN
ahead of it. So went away out on the
Kansas Pacific railroad, three hundred
miles west of Kansas City, and purchased
for our hrm large tract of land, contain
ing many thousands of acres, and went to
work in earnest to have it settled. At
that time there was nothing to obstmct
the view so far as the eye could reach,
and the county Of Trego was wholly unin-
habited except by few trappers, hunters
and hcrdsmen and three "suuatters" on
government land. was told that the
land was good for nothing and that being
beyond the 100 meridian there would be
a fatal dcarth of moisture. This was a
pet theory with Prof Powell.
But, Prof. Powell to the contrary not
withstanding, it does rain, the grass
grows, wheat grows, and we have in our
county to-day 300 people drawn from
the best elements Of eastern civilization.
| speak Of this enterprise merely to show
what advertising will do, what work will
do, and how great and wonderful are the
resources Of Kansas These resources
need only to be brought out ana demon
strated to the world. This is what we
propose to do at the national fair next
fall. believe that Kansas is the greatest
agricultural state IN the Union, and the
time is not far distant when she will be
the richest.
Let us, thcn-and by us mean every
county and every man in the state, as well
as the members of the directory-pull TO-
gether and work together faithfully,
throwing aside all petty local iealousics,
and acting only for the general good. If |
We do this We shall he successful, and the
exhibition will be one OF the grandest our
COnntrY has over sepn.