The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-09-16

to fioW against the natural slope OF tn
country towards the Arkansas Valley
That this will be accomplished some day
II not at present, is scarcely 70 be doubted
Meanwhile great number Of people hRvt
gone out from all parts Of the State K
chance it" on the continued rain fall.
The lack OF rain in Kansas is not the
only difficulty with which she has had T.
contend, and in tpite OF which she ha'
grown to her present status Of greatness
and prosperity. There mas been also
throughout great area, lack OF timber
and coal. 10 this part Of the State, fol
instance, as In others. there Is no timber
and no coal. But for bArbed wire the coun
try never could have been fenced, and bui
for railroads the people could never have
been supplied with coal even at its pres
ent extravagant price Of S. per ton or 81
cents per buahel. Owing to ''herd" laws
by which everybody is oblised to keep
their stock from running at large, the
barbed wire fence answers every purpose
Of enclosure. III fact it is q Ghesp and
good fence for all stock except hogs, and
these latteshaye to be kept in hog lots or
pastures where one or two boards are sup.
piled az the bottom OF the fence.
THE FARMERS LOT.
Its the richness of her soil and the ease
with which it eau be cultivated by ma.
chinery that has enabled Kansas to over
come all difficulties. In almost all other re-
spects the farmer has been at disadvaut-
age. He has paid high prices for money, for
fuel, for machinery, for freights and for
all sorts Of expenses, and he has sold his
products for relatively low prices, but
Still the State has rapidly gained in popu-
lation and wealth. And because, for
the most part, the farmer could by ms
chinery cultivate unusually large areas Of
land that Is so productive that, even i'm
perfectly cultivated, will yield large crops.
: This is the landof farm machinery OF
all kinds, cultivation by hand is thing
unknown. The farmer rides stthis sea-
son on his "sulky plow" and easily turns
up two to three acres per day for wheat.
'Ee does the same thing in the spring
when he pIoRs for corn, then too he cul-
tiyates his corn riding on the top Of q
"suIky cultiyator." He rides also when
he cuts and gathers his wheat, oats, bar
ley aud rye. He mows even his hay in the
same way, and rakes and stacks It IN like
manner by machinery. It is machinery
throughout all the seasons. And this it
is that spite OF very many adverse circ1m.
stances has constantly advanced the price
OF lands and kept the Kansas farmer, pen.
niless almost at tho start, on his feet.
: Most OF the pioneers came TO this coun-
try Door and took up claims. They came
ahead OF the railroads and had fearful
struggle for existence. The owner Of 100
acres on which this village stands where
crop was raised last year, lived Ia 0 sod
house (still standing) and hauled his wood
from the Indian Territory, distance OF
,ftty miles. 1t took him four days with
his OK team tn make the round trip after
. cord and half Of wood. He now lives
in the best house in the town and has a
stable that his horses would seorn to ex-
change for the former quarters OF the
master. Midas touched the pioneer with
his golden wand and the 100 acres that he
bought for dollar aud quarter per acre
became fortune. Better an acre in Mid
dlesex than a principality in Utopia,"
says Macaulay. And SO this pioneer would
say, better town site than township.
The acUiient OF these Conway Springs
brought the railroad here and located the
town, and made deserving old soldier OF
the war rich man. This Is one case OF
luck in thousand OF reverse character.
As has been said, it is the usual lot of the
pioneer to die in the wilderness, in sight
Of that promised land into which he may
not enter. His general fate is to open the
country to others.
KING CORN.
The great crop OF Kansas is Of course its
corn. Corn is the king crop Of the United
States. The estimate for this year is close
on to 2OO,OOO,0OO bushels. Last year it
was 100 millions. A great corn state is
naturally a great hog State. The real
money in Kansas farming is made by feed
ing crops, not selling them. Unfortunate
ly the majority OF farmers have been SO
poor that they have had to sell their crops
as soon as gathered. With so many sell
ing at once prices are generally much
lower than few months later. Those
who have means and who feed cattle and
hogs, and are able TO hold until the mar
keE suits them, are the farmers who make
the money. They are however only the
minority. This is why corn that sells as
low as 20 cents in November is often worth
IS to 40 cents the next spring
can illustrate the general financial con-
dition Of the Kansas farmers when say as
a matter OF undoubted fact that decided
majority OF the farms in this part Of the
State are under mortgage, and that these
mortgages draw 0 and 10 percent interest.
This Is why money loaning has been such
a great business here. The rate on short
loans for small amounts, on "chattep
mortgage, is 2 percent per month, and
YOU would be surprised at the number OF
borrowers at this rate. There are three
banks and one or two loan agencies in
this little village. l have never yet heard
Of anybody getting money for less than 0
percent.
Kansas farm loans are in great demand
in the East at this time, where there is
such a-plethora OF unemployed money,
have travelled lately good deal with
the land examiner OF one OF these large
Eastern loaning agencies, and have learn
ed the modus operandi pretty well. 1t is
this: A farmer applies for loan to the
agency, aud the land examiner goes out
% look at his land and see what amount
it ia safe to loan on it. Generally they
will loan only up to one-third OF the value
Of the farm, but sometimes up to q half.
EARVNoETGAaEs.
The rate Is either 9 and 10 percent
astraisht," or "seven and ssven"; that ia
! percent interest aud percent coumis
sion. On q five year loan seven and
seyeun is cheaper than and 10 straight, y
but for two years only it amounts to 10!
percent. When 8 or 10 percent
loan is properly arranged for, the farmer
executes two mortgages first mort
gage, say at three or five years, for
percent, and a second mortgage at two
years for the remaining or ; percent
The mortgages are beautifully printed and
look like . United States coupon bond
They have gil led semi-annual coupons at
tached, each coupon calling for 5! percent
interest or s35 on the 81 600 note. Every
mortgage has with It an abstract Of title