The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-07-26
AROUND THE COUNTRY.


Of the country around Emporia were |
often thought to be overdrawn, and were |
not unfrequently ridiculed by those Of
less faith in the possibilities of our soil
thar. that possessed by the editor. At
that time there were difficulties and OBJ
stacles 70 overcome which we
knew time and industry alone would
surmount. Away back in the six and
seyen column days of our weekly. when
war laid Its unrelenting hand upon ev-
erything. carrying off majority of our
able bodied men. THE NEWS talked
much about the time TO come
when we would have comforta-
BILE homes, the country dotted with
school houses, and the prairies marked
with "hedee rows of living green" 1t
TOOK tolorably fertile imagination and
large degree of hope TO thus draw on
the future. but we trust those youthful
Indulgences did some good in nerving
our sturdy and industrious neighbors to
the efforts which have caused our early
predictions TO be more than realized,
and put to shame those who then laugh
ed at US.
Several briet trips into the farming re-
gions about our city of late show that
the laugh is nov ION the other side of
the mouth" and that what
he then predicted had been
more than realized. When we remem-
Der the cabins, the almost fenceless and
tFeeless condition of our prairies then,
and the general condition Of impecuni-
osity of the inhabitants, and compare
these with the present condition of our
farmers. we can realize what has been
done. Now there are sure enough
'hedge rows of living greeu;" there are
large and comfortable, and in many in
stances, handsome residences; there are
barns which are always well filled; the
diet of bacon, sardines and crackers has
been changed the aguc has disappeared {;
we have large orchards whose blushing
fruits smile through the leaves; We have
pastures filed with fine stock, and We
have carriages and buggles, and the
devotees of Weston are scarce. Many
of our farmers give checks ON banks,
and when presented they are not treated
as were those OF Jim Lane in tho early
days, but are paid. Not the least con
sideration in all this picture of prosper
ity and real beauty, out in the country
around Emporia, Is the increased value
of the farms. The day is coming-we
say this in the light of all the laughing
which has been done at our prophecies
when farms anywhere in the vicinity
of EmpOria will be very valuable prop
| erty, and when one Is sold the sum real
lied will be something worth having
We remember when we advocated
railroad bonds, court house, or /
school house we said the farmers as wei
as the townspcOple would be benefited
II was true. Little by little all thest
things have given us growth and perma
nance, and added value. We are to-day
at the end of the first quarter OF a cen
fury since our settlement, as well al
vanced in all that goes TO make life de
sirable, as many sections of the cas-
three times as old.
We can all look back now and see tina
Kansas has served those well who hav,
stuck TO her. 1t has taken patience;
has taken hard work; il ha
required sacrifices; hardships hav
had to be endured, but tn,
reward has come. Those who hav,
stuck and toiled and saved have averag
ed better than those who ran off afte
gold and silver or returned to theil
wife's relations. We are sorry we d.
not own farm near Emporia.
A little suggestion to some of oul
farmer friends. We know you ar
hard worked and are pushed for tn
means you require for finer stock anC
improvements, but you can adj
greatly to the beauty of your homes at
small outlay of muscle and money. &c
your stock yards away from your iron
doors; clean up the loose board
and rubbish about you
premises; straighten up the fences tina
look like they had been on q 'jamboree +;
sow some blue grass about your grounds
cut down the internal weeds about you
houses and in the roads; clean up you
orchards; paint and whitewash. Itwil
pay you to do these things. 1t will pa
you we'll. Your wife will like you bel
ter; so will your children. Your neigh
Dor will catch the injection and try
beat you. Try 1t. Then when we ride OF
with strangers they will say "wha
lovely country" They will not sa
"this man would have really desirabl
place If he would fix up little" Tr
it, and hext year we Will come aroun
and write good deal better puff for tn
farms than this.