The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-01-26
From the Philadelphia Press.
A RluAkXABLB STATE.

From the Philadelphia Press.
4 R1uAkKABLB STATE.
Kansas 10 = remarkable country now, and
IL now only In her infancy. There IL really
- much in her history aud rapid advance
ment aud settlement to attract and challenge
the admiration OF oil those who believe in
enterprise and acornment-that such per-
son 10 liable to be accused Of over-coloring
and giving too much p-aise-an error which
too sanguine correspondent might aud IL
liable to fall into. Remembering this fact, IL |
shall be my aim to represent Kansas as 1t has
been In the past, what 1t is now, and what 1t |
may become in the future, rs 1t appears to |
me after quite an extensive tour through II, |
aud quite q sojouru in what / call the gar. |
den spot Of it, as see it'll refer to the Ar |
kansas valley in the southwest Kansas, begot |
in the sin Of = political conspiracy 10 plant
| human slavery in her midst during the throc |
| OF the bloodest and most barberous civil
war that has blackened the annals OF mod
| ern civilization, rocked in the cradle of Ut
| ter desolation and helplessness through
many, many years Of the most unpromiring
| childhood, nevertheless, to-day, she Is more
fair and more hopeful aud stronger than
almost any Of the young sisterhood of Amer
lean States. Little did Lonmorse. the old
geographer, know when he marked his map
| Of the United States OF some fifty or sixty
years ago, s.The Great American Desert
that it should, even within his time, be
transformed into 4 wide and far-reaching
oasis, and comprise within its very limits
some OF the richest soil in this whole coun.
try. To-day what M. Lonmorse terms the
''Grcat American Desert" can most appro-
priately be called the "Great American Ora
merry and history and statistics will sub
stan late the assertion, and transportation or
correction of the old geographer's judgment
or mistake, or whatever you may be pleased
to call it.
The shadows have passed the sun shines,
aud prosperity and fullness, hand in hand,
now with increasing tide. 1t seems, at least
| to the locker on or observer, that no coun-
try could be much more prosperous or have
much more to look forward to in the near
future than this. There is more wealth, it
Is true, at the east than at the west, but it is
locked up in depressed reality and pitiful
and unreliable stocks. Trade, production,
values, everything has touched the maxi
mum, and is on the shrinking process. But
here the tendency is upward, the country is
young and growing, trade steadily expand
ing, productiveness increasing, wealth ID
rapidly, yet BEAUTIFULLY accommodating with
La. -
lieve in all sincerity it can truthfully be said,
after careful observation and attention, that
Kansas offers more to the emigrhnt to-day
than any land between the two oceans. The
climate is charming, and the soil is for the
most part unequalable, and in this, the
southwestern part of the State, doubt very
much whether there is any better to be found
anywhere In any part OF the west, and the
varieties and possibilities Of the soil are
truly wonderful. The schools are good. 80
ciety is good and improving, all the while
the air Of the country is heathful and life
giving. and the force OF it more beautiful
than will attempt TO describe. There is
wood, coal, lime and timber Of many varie-
ties, water and fruits all of good quality, and
what much more can be asked by person
seeking location in a new country.
Kansas is essentially an agricultural coun-
try. Manufacturing and trade will always
be subordinate to productions in region Of
almost unlimited resources like this. and de-
velopment Is concurrcd. Before her, all must
admit who have Travelled over the State to
any extent is u brilliant future.
Less than fifteen per cent. of all the lands
In the State are un6.- cultivation, and
great part OF that country Is specifically n,
best, and Kansas may be said to be stu in
the hands Of the pioneers, in the main t
least.
BY men who have come here with little or
no meau., aud have settled the country un-
der disadvantages peculiar, however, to the
settlement Of any new country. They are
ambitious, and like that admirable but some
times unfortunate passion or trait, theirs too
often O'erleaps itself, or In other words
and palmer speaking. they undertake 100
much. The pioneer seems 10 want all the
land surrounding and joining him, and trie
to get it, buys on credit, till, like Robinson
Crusoc, he 10 .'monarch Of all he surveys"
He buys on credit, seeming to forget at the
time that debt is something to be paid, and
that its maturity IL sure, thing, . some
thing rs inevitable rs the march of time.
But suddenly he stops buying. The time for
the payment OF the lands he has been adding
to his domain rolls on nearer and nearer.
He now starts to work in good earnest. He
commences "hreaking up" lconstrue it as
| you will. and he turns hundreds Of beauti-
tul acres upside down." But, although he
| ''plow. deep it is ''too late" and this, as l
have been often informed, has been almost u
universal failing In prairie farming in the
early stages all the west over. The result
comes, too much land, and too little farming
or cultivation. The end is nigh, and the
man, as has been often and is the case. loses
not only his land, but a greater part of his
| labors also, AS has been unfortunately often
the ease Of late years with great many men.
But for this sad ending of the venture and
undertaking Kansas is not to blame, but the
man or men tbemselves-they attempted too
much. and their expectations were too great.
The people Of Kansas, il has been said, take !
| them all over the State, and all in alt. are
more cosmopolitan ip their makeup than
those Of any other country in the world
nearly 900 OF the present population were |
born in the southern States. They came here |
for the better social, educational and relig- |
ious advantages; for the rich soil and splcn- |
did native pasturage, cheaper land and supe- |
rior climate. They are generally earnest,
ambitious and progressive men, and are do |
ing their full share towards the development |
Of their state.
But a few years ago the ~, T. 4 5. F. rail-
road lay through lonely yet beautiful will
derness, and to-day there is a bright string of
growing towns, among which are Cotton
wood Falls, Florence, Marion Center. Pea.
body, Newton, Wichita, Hutchinson, Ster-
ling, Great Bend Larned. Kinsley and Dodge
City. These towns are all centres OF active
trade, have excellent schools, churches and
social advantages. and are said to be desira-
Bile places OF residence.
Considering the age of Kansas. unusual,
in fact wonderful progress has been made in
the building Of railroads. A dozen years
ago hardly As many miles of railroad were
running in the State. At this date there are
over $500 miles in operation, and still rail-
road operations and projects are going for
ward on several new extensions with almost
the vigor Of the pre-panc period. The roads
are all under excellent management for the
most part, and as general rule have outside
al /