The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-02-10
KANSAS STATE NEWS.

KANSAS STATE NEWS.
Governor st. John ON the Condition Of
Kansas.
In a recent interview with New York
reporter who asked his views on the pros
poets. crops, railways and general condition
| of the State, Governor st. John said:
"Kansas is in very flourishing condition.
| from any point of view. We have about 900
miles of railroads in successful operation.
State, and the school fund invested in inter-
est-bearing securities amounts to 81 200 coo
very nearly. There are, furthermore, unsOld
school lands which will eventually swell that
to SIS, 600. 600. So prosperous are our schools
and so efficient their support, l venture to
predict that within q few years we shall be
able to educate the children of the State with
last United States census was taken, which
gave US in round numbers population OF
Zoo, 900 people, Immigration has added at
least another 1000 The State debt amounts
to little over 100000, and about 100000 of
this amount is invested in the school fund
and controlled wholly by the State In fact,
there is very small part OF the bonded in
debtedness that is not directly subject to the
control of the State and the Legislature.
There have recently been developed extern
sive lead mines in the southeastern part of the
State and a number of small zinc mines. Coal
beds are worked in the greater part of the
eastern half of the state. All of these mines
are a source of large revenue, especially the
lead deposits. The State, as whole, Is grow.
ing very rapidly; to wns are constantly spring
ing up in every direction, and business was
never better. 1t has be. n the most prOsper1
Gus year we have known. We have also i'm
mense herds of cattle and sheep in Western
Kansas. Sheep raising especia ~ is rapidly
becoming very profitable branch of indus
adapted to the successful raising of cattle
and sheep. The colOred people who came in
few years ago from the South and located
verv successful in the production of cotton,
some of which was exhibited in the Kansas
display at the recent exposition in Atlanta.
It is regarded as a very fair quality of cotton.
We do not claim that Kansas is as well
adapted as the Southern States to the raising
of cotton, still for the past two years the eff
try have certainly met with marked
success. 1 have strong doubts. however,
as to its ultimate success. l fear the con-
ditions have been too favorable to justify us
in regarding this as a fair experiment. We
have also been able to produce in Western
Kansas a sugar cane from which we have
and sirup. This industry was Introduced
about two years ago, and has been most sue
cessful ever since. 1t is amber colored sor-
ghum cane. OF course the sirupis not so good
rs maple or New Orleans sirup, still it is an
excellent quality, and the sugar is very pleas
ant to the taste and fully equal to any of the
brown sugar manufactured in this country.
There are farmers settled in the Arkansas
Valley and Southern Kansas whose earnings
for the year 1881 were worth more than the en-
tire cost of farms, utensils and all the i'm
R%heas pSinclpa hsy Seu could farn pa aa
to facts still more convincing, but
these will do to illustrate our present con-
about "a ,OCO, GOO bushels, which is a large in
crease over the crop of the preceding year,
but not so large as the crop of 1873. The
corn crop was comparatively light, but we
produced 100, OO00 900 bushels. The value of the
wheat crop of 1881 was S63, OK, goo. The pros
pect for splendid wheat crop in the coming
tor beans and flax, all of which thrive won
derfully well. AS / said before, there are
4 900 miles of railroads in Kansas, and they
penetrate nearly every settled and inhab.
tied county in the State. l do not believe
there are dozen counties which arc
not intersected by, some railroad. As
ings of the railroads, will quote to you fl ON
the report of Mr.. G. E. Wheeler. the General |
Manager of the Atchison, Topeka Il Santa Fe |
1850 amounted to IS $3.50, 1854, and estimating
the month of December, 1881, the gross earn |
fngs for the year 1881 amounted to $685.
the Kansas branch of the Union Pacific are |
the principal roads in the State. But there |
are u number of smaller ones that give the |
farmers and stock men access to the mar |
with any portion of the State. While 1 have |
not with me the official figures I have |
very good reasons for saying that the |
Kansas branch of the Union Pacific has been |
quite as successful as the AtchsOn, Topeka & |
Santa Fe. The immigration of the past year |
or two has been better in quality than we |
have ever had before. What mean to say is /
that it is the very best class of immigrants, as
q whole, that the State has ever received both |
morally and financially. Men of means are |
now constantly coming in. while formerly all |
the new settlers were wretchedly poor. Our /
foreign population Is less than that of any
one of the other Western States, being only II |
per cent. of the whole population. In CalifOr-
MIA it is % per cent in Colorado, 20 lin Illinois,
Is in Iowa, 16; Nebraska, 81, and Nevada, Al.
Most of our Immigrants are from the New
England and Eastern States. They are men
Of pluck and energy. who come to a new
Most of them have some money, and as
numbers about 1000 at present,
rom the South during the past three years.
As a rule they are getting along splendidly.
Manv who came penniless have by their in
lustry accumulated sufficient means to buy
he little house in which they live, and live
too. The very best evidence
hat they are more comfortable in Kansas
han in the South is the fact that they are
extremely well satisfied with the new order of
hings. and never complain of any thing. |
They engage in all the vacations that usually
occupy other labOring people. They are 0
luiet and well behaved class OF people"