The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-05
ALIVE WESTERN STATE
WHICH IS THE STATE OF KANSAS.
nr. C.npb.lr. obarItIOas IA tbs Ist'rIOr.
HMk.d Changes Of Recent Dats-rhs Rapid
Rise In Laads-Ist.rsstlns Fact, lad
PIr.ra -PruhihItios ssd PolIties. z.

cOrepoad.Acs Of L'< Intdl9eaor. H Ttt r
MIAMI Co., KAs, June l.-This ismy
third visit to Kansas in five years, and ]
find marked changes in the country. In
1878 visited this particular part OF the
State, and at that time l saw a large
amount Of uninclosed territory or prairie,
the best Of which, within ten miles Of the
county seat, could have been bought fol
$40 per acre on part cash and part time
payments, while plenty OF inferior tracts
could have been bought fIr s. and s. per
acre. Even two years ago, on the occasion
Of my last visit, these same descriptions Of
land had not doomed materially in price,
but were easy obtainable at what to-day
would be considered very low prices. Bot,
presto! change has occurred. The coun.
Try 10 closed up almost entirely with barbed
wire fences, and raw prairie isselling readily
at SIS to so per acre. Farna houses dot
the land thickiy and plowed fields are to
bs seen on every hand like the dark spots
on a checker board. Herds OF cattle ais ,
are always in sight. varying in number
from so TO 200 head, aud now and then a
flock OF sheep. The whole face OF the coun-
Try has changed. The land is teeming with
busy and prosperous farm life. There are
stacks oi last years hay, cribs OF last year .
corn, red and white barns, fine wagons
drawn by foe horses, agricultural imple-
ments Of every description, and carriages,
,bupgies and spring wagons to be. seen'at
every turn OF the road as you travel through
the country. Occasionally get on a high
piece OF land that commands q view all
around the horiz)n for Is TO 20 miles, and
can then take in the changed situation at
q glance, espt cially where | get a glimpse
OF Two or three pretty and prosperous vii
lagos several miles apart.
THE GARDEN sPor OF THE STATE.
This Is Eastern Kansas that am de
scribing, and that particular part OF 1t mid.
way between Fort Scott in the South, and
Kansas City in the North, and only ten to
fifteen miles from the Missouri line. 1t is
a part Of the garden spot OF the State, and
resembles very closely the rich country OF
Texas in the vicinity OF Dallas. 1t is with
Kansas as 1t with Texas, there Is all sorts
Of country in it. There is the great Amer
ican Sahara in the West and the land Of
Egypt here in the East, aud there is m-re
or less land Of Canaan between them, and
altogether they constitute an immense area
OF 1000 square miles, or two.thirds Of the
area Of Eaxland, Scotland, Wales and Ire
land combined.
Kansas only became State in the
Union in the FIRST year OF the war, and
thirty years ago il was not even territory,
and the Missouri compromise bad not been
repealed. It was part Of the Indian do
main OF the country and Fort Lesyenworth
was q far Western frontier post, from
which overland wagons set out for Utah
and California. Now Kansas has over q
million OF people; has $4,000, 900 acres un'
der cultivation. assessed at $50, ,OO0.0oO,
and about 1900 miles Of railroad; raises
the sixth largest crop of corn in the United
States illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri
and Ohio alone. outrankipg her) her crop
in 1880 being los, ,000,00 bushels, besides
over 1900 600 bushels OF wheat and over
s,00O,OO0 bushels Of oats.
This certainly shows remarkable pro.
gress for State only % years old, aud yet
the whole story other progress Is not told
when add that there are but eleven
States in the Union that spend as much
money every year for public school educa'
tion as Kansas. And yet the State expen.
di,ures otherwise are emily about $4,000
more than those Of West Virginia, the net
debt Of the State being less than ha.f a
million OF dollars. IA43 ~
,,,u,>.c,,,vvro yIyrPs