The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-12-08
AN APPEAL FOR AID.
Suffering. Condition of the People in
Western Kansas, with the
Causes which led to 1t.


Causes which led to It.
The exhibit of Kansas products made
at the Centennial in 1876, together
with the representation made of that
State by several Railroad Corpora
tions, has made such an impression
upon the minds of the people as to lead
to a great immigration to it Of people
from all the Northern States of the
Union. This immigration was largely
accelerated by the financial pressure
originating in 1873, to which has been
added the exodus of the colored peo-
pie of the South. The increase Of the
population of the State since March l,
1878, is 276, 000,-twsDty-six thousand
over one quarter of million. A very
large proportion Of these have settled
on the Homestead lands, in Western
Kansas, on what is known as the
Buffalo Sod Lands" which was once
known as the Great American Des-
ert." In Northwestern Kansas, on an
area including twelve counties, now
settled :here were in 1870 just 40 per-
SONS; in 1878 there were 27 900, and
on the first of June, 1880, the general
census returns show population of
1900, giving an increase Of fifty
thousand in two years. These people
settled out on the prairie lands with
out house or shed of any kind except
the cover Of their own wagons fuel
to draw from one to twenty five, and
often thirty miles water to draw in
barrels at various distances from one
to even eight miles, or be got by dig
ing some times to a depth Of $50 fee:.
A very large proportion OF the ina
grants when they reached the country,
found themselves, from various causes
destitute of means, and hard times
commencing with them at the begin
ming, with no possibility of raising q
crop on Buffalo Sod the first year
under the most favorable circumstan
ces they would be on expense, without
any return beyond a few bushels ol
worm eaten "sod corn" with the addi
ton of squashes or melons for at leas
fifteen months. Sod can be broken il
the Spring and the ground sown tC
wheat in the fall, bat many of tht
settlers had not the means to buy thu
seed, and the land lay over to b,
planted in corn, which, at best, upoI
new western lands is but an Indiferen
crop. In 1878 the fifty thousanC
people above referred to could raisr
nothing. In 1879 the crop was very
light, and 10 1880 crops of ali kind
have been failure. Very large quau
titles of wheat was soWn in the fall 0
1879, but the wiuler following wa
positively destitute of either rain o
snow for at least eight months, and tn
wheat either died in the ground 0
came up in some cases as late as tn
last weeks of the following June. Tn
result is almost universal suffering
= among the people. A State Aid Com
mittee was organized at Topeka, th
f. Capitol of the State, as early as Jun
or July, and the western counties wer
canvassed under its direction, and a
that time there we're found to be 25, 90
D people needing aid Having no fund
] of their own beyond the voluntar
e contributions of the people the con
mittee simply broke down and advise
the people to leave the country. Man
Of them did so, but for a person VIII
O intends to make his home in thu
r country is a terrible necessity. involy
! ing the loss of about all they hav
4 left, together with a journey in WACO
of from three to six hundred mile
. upon the nero chance Of dropping i
{ some place where work may be needed