Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1881-09-29
GLORY OF KANSAS.
The Greatest Success of the Many Glo-
rious Gatherings of Her People.
Topeka Correspondence Kansas City journal.

rious Gatherings of Her People.
Topeka Correspondence Kansas City Journal
Kansas has another Centennial! Five
years ago she buckled on her armor.
and with the "audacity of genius"
entered the arena in a contest with
every state, and with all nations as
spectators. And Kansas won the day.
Presidents and governors heaped words
of eulogy upon her victory, and crown
ed heads from across the sea FASTENED
to congratulate her.
Born in strife, christened in war.
Injured to violence, ravaged by savages,
stricken by famine, the story of her
misfortunes had traversed the globe.
Her name was BLEEDING Kansas" and
the hearts of men OF all climes and
countries bled at the mention of it.
She was ill-starved at the beginning.
and troubles multiplied with each sue
eeeding year. Her origin seemed a
calamity, and her continued existence
cruel fate.
But Kansas lived and grew, and be-
came strong and beautiful. Her sons
came home from the war and brought
their comrades with them. They
brought to the aYocations of peace the
same determination, the same self de-
nial, the same clearly defined purposes,
that had made them successful in war.
Never state felt such an impulse of
intelligent labor as Kansas after the
war. The universal, heartfelt IN mks
giving for the return of peace lui1d
expression in the blows that Y IL
struck for new homes in the wilG. =
ness, and stimulated and quickent,
every mans endeavor They felt tina.
nearly half decade had been spent in
wasting, desolating war, and now the
time must be redeemed, the loss, so far
IS possible, made good. And there
was feeling nobler than this, a senti-
ment enshrined in the heart of every
soldier. that his country was greater
and grander and dearer to him than be-
fore, and he felt new, a personal. in
terest III her development and glory.
There comes thrill of pride with the
ownership of land that nothing else
can give. A government must be
strong and virtuous where the people
own the land.
And so Kansas, being in the path of
empire, received and welcomed the SOL
iiers, and they possessed the land.
Year by year the frontier receded, and
the plow encrOached upon the domain
Of the buffalo. Railroad: threaded the
valleys and crossed the plains. The
newspapers told us of the changes be-
ing wrought, but men discredited it OF
were too busy to read. The centennial
came on. A few men saw the oppor-
tunity of Kansas, and through reprOach
and oblOquy adorned her as bride,
for the admiration of the world. All
honor to Alfred Gray, Geo. T. Antho-
ny, Geo. A. Crawford, and that match.
less genius, Henry Worral, for the
victory she won. The Centennial gave
Kansas an impetus that is irresist-
able. Its beneficial effects will new.
er cease so long as men till the
soil in this state and engage
in pursuits of agriculture. But the
Kansas OF 1881 would shame the Kan
sas of 1876. The capabilities of the
state in agricultural and mineral pro.
ducts have nearly doubled since then,
as well as its population: and, given an
equal opportunity with that at Phila-
delphia, Kansas would astonish her
own people, and literally outdo her.
self. The State fair proves this. The
exhibit in the county building, made
by counties that have been settled since
the Centennial, surpassed the exhibit
of the whole state in agricultural pro-
ducts at Philadelphia. Counties two
hundred miles interior exhibited cattle
and sheep that cannot be excelled on
the continent to-day. Stock breeders
from the Eastern and Middle states
declared that Kansas produced finer
herds of cattle than were ever exhibit
ed at their national cattle shows,
Would any representative of Kansas at
the Centennial have stated that corn
would grow to height of seventeen
feet in Harvey county, and yield sey EN-.
ty five bushels to the acre? 1 think
not; and yet the evidence of this has
been on exhibition in Topeka for a
week. Would any man have dared to
assert that Harvey and Reno and
Sedgwick and Barton and Pawnee
were fruit counties? Hardly, and yet
these counties present an array OF
fruit of all varieties that is not and
never has been excelled in the state
More than this, these far off counties
have developed other resources. The
United States government has adopt
ed their stone for its public buildings
and quarries of marble have been dis.
covered which for quality of texture
and susceptibility of polish rival that
of the Atlantic states. Sugar factories
are being established in the heart OF
the tabled american DESERT" and silk
factories 200 miles west of the Mis-
souri, river.
These were represented at Topeka
At the Centennial Kansas was abroad
and a visitor; at Topeka she was al
home and most royal host. Hel
display at the Centennial was an epit
ONE of the wealth and greatness it
self. And so henceforth the people Of
Kansas need not refer to their success.
at far off Philadelphia, but can poin
to their own capital, and to display
which for extent, variety and excel
lence, eclipsed all former efforts.
THE REUNION.
Thursday last was red letter day il
the history of Kansas. Its memorie
will lie cherished by the soldiers pres
ent while life shall last. This, toe
was most agreeable disappointment
to Kansas. Five thousand had beel
expected, and nearly twelve thousan,
registered their namesl Every loya
state, and several seeding states, wer
represented by squads, companies O
regiments-"Vermont headquarters
Massachusetts veterans" "Kentuck,
soldiers" Pennsylvania headuuar