New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-22
THE KANSAS FRONTIER.
,,yrpc1s OF ADVANCING CIVILIZATION.

III
ss.,ropT.xr CLIMATIC CHANGEs-How TIE HOT
w,xna WY az COMPLETELY sUBDUED-RE-
wARK.sIR GROWTH on TIE STATE DURING THE
n..r rrN YFARs-A STRIKING POLITICAL AND
ISDUsrRItI CONTRAST
,pnou SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRfDuNE.i
TopxxA. Kan, Jan. 6.-~There are many farms
s,ortgaaed throughout the central and western
,nrss Of Kansas. The money is all furnished DIV
eastern capitalists. and placed upon the Land oy
agents, usually acting from some loan ana uist
companies These companies merciless, and II for
any cause the unfortunate borrower is unable 70
meet his payments, the land is taken without giving
him any chance 70 save himself The railrohd
companies are not so eyacting and II man falis 70
nav any interest when due they win hold him over
in many cases two or three years. Frequently
aecnte from the Fest approach the lana agents VI
the railroads and try to secure list OF the names
of those who are behind in their payments on and'
apd try TO get the agents to force the payments.
when the farmer Ia thus pushed. the loan agent
appears and makes his loan caring nothing whetner
the farmer can over pay the note or not Tor az tne
first date that interoJt fails 70 10 Kep' up no can
eell the LAND But the land agents have learned
their tricks and now refuse to give them any infor-
( v,atiop The amount of lands under mortgage
would surprise an Eastern man. yet Western
far,ners think but little about it. 1t sometimes
happens that irresponsible agents make extrava-
can't loans upon comparatively worthless lands
-s,a occasionally the Eastern loaner thus becomes
loser /; but such cases are rare.
CLIMATIC CHANGES,
One of the most curious and interesting studies In
Che West Is furnished by the climatic changes
which are constantly at work. A climatic change
Il Kansas Is not theory but fact The general
onnion used to be that the hot, dry winds which
suept over Kansas, a country then known as the
sfaraat American Desert came from outside the
stase hut il is now shown that these winds were,
and ara at present on the frontier born within the
state itsef 1t from this reason that civilization
has the effect Ii does on its climate In the central
and western parts Of Kansas there is no timber
growing. The vast prairies were formerly covered
only with the wiry buffalo grass. which afforded
little protection to the earths surface. Nearly
every fall from one or another cause fire caught
and burned over most of the surface. From this
and its expcsure to the SUMS rays. the ground be
came heated and by radiation soon communicated
its own temperature to that OF the surrounding
atmosphere Thus the hot winds that were once
the terror OF travellers the plains in the summer
months had their origin: 1t was the desert that
Snonyish them. The introduction of an element
foreign to their nature has brought theLa to an end
except In the tar western counties OF the state:
The great immigration, the consequent breaking OF
prairie lands the planting OF trees and the natural
spread of ranker wild grasses, had the effect OF
was absorbed instead of being carried out Of the
country by the rivers soon after falling. The in
creased moisture broke up thus hot stratum OF ar
cooler atmosphere above. The result was seen in
more frequent rains. While the records do not
ssm t e thSs while formerly the rain fell IN
great quantities, in violent storms that Hooded the
rivers and washed cut railroad bridges now the
rainfall is gradual, coming IN geutle showers,
Hence the question was not how to increase the
rainfall Of Western Kansas, but how to utilize It..
Theresis one thing which the Legislature OF the
fr, do ma q
heavy penalty for the careless lighting OF fires on
the Western prairies. If the buffalo grass is lett
10 grow three yeare in succession without burning
ii viii, OF itself prove sufficient to prevent the sur
face OF the soil from becoming parched and dried.
s Start On aa open This way more than aSV
other could the hot winds of Western Kansas be
broken up. The frontier settlers during the past
few wears have become keenly aware OF the dlSaS-
frous effects of burning the praires, and use the
utmost care N trying to avoid starting tnem oat
mofive NAV start D fire which will burn for a hun
dred miles uncoveIng millions OF acres to the suns
rays for that and the next season.
IL ia in great measure for this reason that those
mon the frontiers in Kansas have always been sub
iect to yicisntu les and want Inc ordinary season
two years must necessarily play sad havoc. The
country along the lines Of the railroads and rivers
colorado. and as much Of this land being taken
up for stock purposes 1t Will be only Jew years at
before this frontier dsp tSot w eDsra ooS
declared Western Kansas worthless after repeated
failures In trying to grow garden Dy lrrlgauon
at Fort Dodge. In 1876 the prize watermelons OF
the Centennlal were raised In this same garden
s without irrigation 1t is but few years ago that
trees wcd not grow at SAUNA where nov now eney
TO show the climatic change winch CIVILIZATION mas
effected.
GROWING AND VARIED INDUSTRIES
The experience of the past two years has taught
the settlers that wheat-raisng In Western Kansas
is never a sure thing and that other crops may be
o,,1 lv A
last season built @ sorghum mill at Larned, in
Pawnee County ana demonstrated that sugar and
svrups. eaual to those from New Orleans, can be
made from the amber cane: and the drouth de.
monstrated that the cane Is sure cIop In the dryest
years Millet and rice corn can likewise De grown
HE growth Of the State has been marvellous
during the last decade The population has 11 IN
the number Of cultivated acres from l,322, "a 10
1000 coo; bushels Of corn raised, from Il 90
70 l06,6 3l $50; and OF wheat IRON Z,sSi,aSo 20
heen very great. Over 800, 600 sheep from Colo
rndo and NewzAiexico have been driven into the
The total increase in she value Of farm products in
1879 over Che previous year was $d1 49, 7S9, the
Tb,s ,ioss not look IS IL the people Of Kansas
were in very distfessfui condition. The trouble
beer that Y wEs2g on sDsaSS s. e Ss
only on the extreme frontier. Kansas as whole
has boon probably more prosperous than any other
state liz the Union.
rorITrcs AND PROSPERITY
Az 1 rode across the State of Missouri q few days
since from st. Louis TO Kansas City, could not
hslu thinking Of the great difference between that
State and Kansas, and the reason thereof. The
reason Is very Simple one. yet the people OF the
FORMER sxate do not appear to have found 1t out.
The reason does not lie in the different natural re-
sources Of the soil or climate for Missouri has not
only ono Of the richest soils In the Union put It's