New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-27
WANT IN WESTERN KANSAS.
THE SETTLERS POOR BUT NOT STARVING.

RFcTs EXAGGERATED REPORTS OF DEsTITUTION
-IMPRovIDENCE or SET iLERs IN DEPENDING
UPON SINGLE CRoP-GOoD RESULTS FROM THE
Evils OF The DRoUTH-wILFUL IMPOSITION
UPON THE BENEvoLRNCE OF EAsTERN PIE PIE
IrRoN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE rRIBUSEl
WA-KFENrY, Kau., Dec 10" VISIT Western
Kansas and give us the facts about that country"
read the instructions which received two weeks
ago IN Chicago Since hat time have travelled
over large portion of Kansas. especially the west
eru part. The prevalent idea that all the settlers
are starving Is an erroneous one That they are 10y
no means any too well off Is certain; and undouot-
edly they have had hard work 10 pull through inc
past two years. Their misforlunes began WIN tue
wear 1879 Attracted by glaring railroad advertise
ments and glowing descriptions OF the country,
thousands upon thousands of immigrants came INTO
the State crossing the Missouri River, they rushed
for the Western frontier line which during 1877 ana
1878 moved fully 100 miles each wear nearer the
Rocky Mountains Many came who had no business
here; who after paying their land-cutry fees-the
first settlers being always those upon the public
lauds--had little and IN many instances no money
LETT The case of au Iowa man, told me by the
United states Land Agent OF this district, " no re-
marked after paving the fee for MS land that lie had
"just one dollar left, wife and Jour little children,
besides span of horses and wagon Is oh'y u IAN
specimen OF the condition OF many OF those VINO
came TO tins country. How the man thought he
could build his house. brcak up bis ground ana i've
while he was growing his first years crop Is more
than one can imagine; and yet there were thou
sands Of suc1 people and hundreds WHO
came and took up land without possess
ing so much as yoke OF oxen To
plongh If with 1t NAV be that these simple people
laborcd under the deusi0n that the country was
one vast garden which needed but TO be looked
upon to bimg forth grains aud vegetables OF All
kinds 4: or II may be that many of them thought
they could support themselves and family through
the first year bv working for others forgetting ihal
the Others were in many as badly I'll as them
serves.
What added to their misfortune was that they al
tempted 10 farm upon the same principle as In
ILLINOIS, aud planted the first broken ground with
wheat so that the drouth OF 1879 bronght on
total failure and many who InIent otherwise have
steuIncd the tIde found themselves without food or
money and SLIM chances OF Obsaining employment
Winter came on and great suffering ensued but.
thanks to the aid societies there were no cases OF
starvation.
The spring of ire present year passed away and
no ram came Many of those who had had the
pluck 10 remain threw up their hands ana i'1t the
country III despair There were two classes Il peo-
pie who settled here; one had some MOI eV ana
plenty Of perseverance, the other little money ana
still less perseverance, As rule those OF tue former
class managed to get along and are now IN the pos
session of good farms with more or less stock
Those comprising the latter class have al
most entirely eft the county a+d are
now cur,ng the State for that for winch they them
selves are to blame as no one ever ADVISED them TO
settle in a new country unless they had enough 10
take them through the first year, besides team ana
implements to work WITH Had the year been one
of usual rainfall there would have been Il" COM
plant but an adverse wear makes the poor settler an
object of charity. The same thing happened after
the failure of the wheat or D in llluOls III 1874.
Again, late immigration westward has not been
compact prudent, but remotely scattered, sparse
and hazardous. The good crops since 1879 caused
the settlers lose sight of the liability TO destu-
ton among scattered frontier settlements and the
past year has been sad reminder OF tins oversight
The oOntn, us succession of prosperous seasons for
half a decade commencing in 1870, eliminated III
giving Kansas the lead of all otner states IN wheat
PRODUCTION whether considered aggregate per
acre or per capita. IL this that caused the
population TO increase rapidly. In $50 there
were 1O7.20G people in the State, and live years
later bur I55, sO7. There are now nearly million,
and Kansas stands in the foremost rank OF az rcu-
tural Stacs.
SAMPLE OF THE FRONTIER COUNTRY.
This place, Wa-Keeney, from where write IS a
fair ex ;mple of Western Kansas towns. 1t is 321
miles west from Kansas CITY, and situated on the one
bundredth meridian 1t was first settled III 1871
and now contains 800 700 inhabitants, there
being about 2 800 in the County of lrego, OF winch
II is the county-sea 1t less than 100 miles from
here 10 the western line of the state, and the coun-
try is tlinly settled about half way to the line This
NAV therefore lie considered a frontier place. 1t
contains a new stone business block, just erected.
which conld not be built in the East for less than
100000 "a depot. built of similar stone, worth
$40 COO and there are hotels stores and residences
TO correspond
A drive in! the country found many farmers just
opening. Winter wheat never looked better than at
present and If snow covers the ground this winter
n, rain comes next spIing there Will be fine har
vest | found the same true south of here IN the
great Arkansas Valley The drouth Of last year
and this spring mas driven the INDECENT and poor
settlers away and while II decreased the population
nearly one-half III numbers 1t has improved 1t III
quality. For this reason many settlers affirm that
the drouth has been good thing for Kan
sas: but | do believe that they would prefer
10 have no more of it, Be this as 1t
may il has had good result. People have
learned how 10 farm. They have learned what
crops will stand dry weather and what Will not,
and tina: no business in Western Kansas IS 80 sure
or more profitable than cattle and sheep raising
in connection with general farming. Ii requires
but little feed to take them through the mlld WIN
ters. and there is an abundance Of good grazing
land. and will be for years. 1t too bad to try
10 make "a farming country of Western Kansas
which for the next ten fifteen wears will GER
tainly prove an uncertain field, subject to many
yicissitudes until climatic changes have
taken place when it is such All excellent stock-rais-
ing region. Those who engaged in stock-rasing'
even on the smallest scale, are coming oct very
successfully, while those who attempted to raise
wheat exclusively have failed. Broom corn, sugar
cane Egyptian OF corn. swect.potatoes and pea
nuts will produce we'll and may be grown with
n, tha most scypre th