The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-04-13

The Growth and Present Prosperity of
Kansas.
Statistics Gathered from the Quarterly
Report of the State Board of
Agriculture
TOPEKA, Kas., April S-The quarter
ly report of the Kansas state board of
agriculture for tbs quarter ending March
81, 1882, containing special papers on
the subjects of forest tree growing in
Kansas, and the management and cost of
raising sheep, in the state, together with
a report as TO the condition of winter
wheat, rye, fruits and farm animals, Is
now in the hands of the printer, and will
be ready for distribution the latter part
of April.
THE REPORT OPENS
with an interesting article upon the
growth and development of Kansas, from
The time of its admission into the union
to the present time. During the first
quarter Of this year, or more strictly
speaking, on January 90, 1882,
Kansas attained its majority. In 1861
there was no manufacturing within our
borders. An abstract from the asses
sor's returns of March /, 1881, shows
that there are 29S Touring mills, with a
capital of g, 652, 067; 80 saw mills, cap
ital 1885,, 600; nine agricultural imple-
ment establishments, capital $72, 200;
tWenty-seven cheese factories, capital
$68, 600; and two paper mills, capital
$45, 900. In addition to this a large
rolling mill is in operation at Rosedale,
Wyandotte county, as are also extensive
shors for railroad work. At Topeka
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe rail-
road company have over 100000 in
vested in repair shops, car building, and
a complete establishment for railroad
work in general. The large machine
shops of the Union Pacific, Kansas di-
vision, are located at Armstrong, Wy-I
andotte county. There is every indica-
ton at this time,". says the report, '"that
the state will continue in its rapid and
substantial growth.
AS showing the increase in popula-
ton, taxable property, ETC., in Kansas,
the following figures will be read with
interest: In 1861, when the roll was
called, only 10000 people responded;
in 1890, no less than 995, 1896 Joined the
chorus, and now the aggregate cannot
be far from 1, 100000.
When sprIngtime came in 1867 only
223, SIS acres had turned up their toes
| to the daisies; in 1881 the total number
| of acres under cultivation reached the
neat little sum of $500, 719, an increase
of one million since 1880 and of two
| million since 1879.
The county assessors, figure however
well they could, were only able in 1862
| to find enough farming land in sight to
| put an appraisement on, amounting to
| 1886 ,4S9, and in the towns and viii
| lagos the total value of lots was put at
the moderate sum of So, 143, 057. AS for
| railroad property none was discoverable
| until 1874, when valuation of $14, 721,-
| 27S was handed in. Behold the change
that few short years have wrought.
The year of our Lord eighteen hundred
and eighty-one shows the following
sprightly figures: farming lands, $91,-
2O7, 146 town and city lots, $22, 493, 321
railroad property, $22,775,71O. which
means all the city property in the state
and that
THE FARMERS COULD BUY BOTH
twice over and have few million dol
lars left for buying legislatures. In this
same period the personal property held
by the intellectual residents of Kansas
has jumped up from $2280,0 01 to $34,
737, 459 and $170,S13, 1873, an increase Of
SAG, 100000. The true value of the
property mentioned was, in 1861, $40,
600 1000; in 1881, 1914. 100000.
Another turn in the wheel and the
dealer calls out the various animals
Our useful friends, the horses, and oul
nearer relatives, the mules, kicked th'
beam-especially the muIeS-in 1862 a
little over $500; today the army i!
numbered at 442,0O0-a horse or mule
to every two citizens. The cattle on {
thousand hills have added to the censu!
in a very commendable manner. While
for 1862 but 122 600 showed their horns
for 1881 1,246, 600 came up to be counted
and be fattened for the Kansas City
market-an increase of a round million
The timid sheep began life in 1856:
with a pititul 16,S47; they turned il
fleeees enough in 1881 to show S06, 1928
IN THE PoRCINE KINGDOM
the increase has been no less startling
and gratifying Just 144,809 Kansas
hogs rooted the virgin soil back in 1862
? in 1881 the soil had to support l, 174 %.
of the festive porkers, leaving out thos'
of the human species. All of this goe
to show that whereas in 1869 the tota
value of farm animals was $3,205,
r 600, the total has increased in 1881 Il
$6S, 1916 900. During the same time th'
value of farm products grew from thu
mustard seed of Sd, $50, $50 to the huge
watermelon of $115, ia on.
The next table presented for the en-
Tighten ment of our citizens relates tt
the schools, and right here the three
decker-browed should stick a pin. Tt
begin at the beginning: In 1851, we hae
but twelve organized counties; in 1881
eighty. four. In 1861 there were only
PIT school districts; twenty years late
that number had increased to 6,322
When the wielders of the birch counted
noses the first year following 1860 they
discOnered 1901 children worthy to b.
called scholars and of that number haC
personally administered the rod to 2,31(
last year.
| THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN
enrolled is placed at 249,O34 and the
number of school age 338, 179, of whom
136, ZIG were in daily attendance at thu
temple of learning. In addition to thi:
it has been discovered that in 1862 tht
average time that school was taught die
not exceed 2 20 months, while now Tho
youthful mind is kept in durance vile
during the period 500 months The
grand army ofpedagogues numbered a
the start 319; now the total exceeds 8,
200. Regarding the salaries paid then
1t is remarked that the gentlemen of the
olden times received the gorgeous sti
pend of $27 per month, and the ladies
$16.10. At present the male teacher;
receive $30.21 and the female $23.77
which is encouraging to the weaker sex
The amount expended for school pur
poses in 1861 exceeded $4,000, in 1881
81 100000. The number of school
houses on the plains OF Kansas four
years after its admission into the union
is not given, but in 1867 the figures are
placed at 703.
Since that time the growth has been
a wonderful one. Five thousand seven
hundred and fifty-two were noted as in
existence last year. In the meantime
the valne of all this school property has
risen from $4,000 to nearly So, 900, 600
The same period saw the newspapers
increase from the scanty number of SO
to the plentiful one of 1913. And so il
goes to the end of the chapter. Not
| once does the procession stop. The
boom is continuous aud forever.
We now approach the subject of
FOREST TREE CULTURE
In 1870 the late Hon. Alfred Gray, for
merly secretary of the state board of
| agriculture, divided the state into four
belts, giving the varieties of trees sue
cessfully grown in each. The first belt
comprised all that portion of the state
east of Shawnee county; the second,
east of Saline county; the third, east OF
Ellis county, and fourth east of the Col
orado line. The list for these belts, as
given in the present reports, is as fol-
| lows:
First belt-Lombardy and yellow
popular, catalpa, sycamore, linden. hack
berry, mulberry, Usage orange, ailantus,
chestnut. birch .stulip, beach, white and
yellow cottonwoods, elm, walnut, soft
maple, white and other oaks, willows,
box elder, hickories, pecan, coffee, bean,
Eastwood or linn, honey locust, ashes,
| red cedar, sugar and hard maple.
The forest abound with red bud, paw
paw, wild plum, wild cherry, crab ap-
pie, hazel bush, etc.
4 Among evergreen trees are the Nor
| way spruce, Scotch and Austrian pine,
| arbor VitR, balsam fir, balm of gilead