Smyrna times., 1886-08-18
For The Smyrna Times
Kansas and Southwestern Kan
SaS,

the West.
l said Z" the West" ii term which in
the Atlantic States means anywhere
from the Ohio's eastern border to the
Golden Gate. Here in Kansas we
speak of going West when we start
for Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and any
point East of the Missouri river we call
in the East. A man coming from Hi
nOis refers to it as back East" The
MormOns speak of California as "out
West" imagine wnen one gets in
San Francisco the term "Out West "
ends Despite the indefinite meaning
Of the term wherever it is spoken, it
seems an alluring igaus tatuus that i'm
pels men westward.
Living in Southwestern Kansas you
would say live in the West" Kan
sas, Kansas, Kansas, bleeding" ,"
" droughty,' grasshopper, windy" F."
sunny" Kansas! All of these han
dies have at times been prefxed to her.
Kansas is a portion of the sphere
about 400 miles in length east and west
and over 200 in breadth north and
south, which we call land and which
United States Congress has given the
right to stand on its own bottom.
Looking at the parallel and meridian
lines you will see it contains the CEN
tire of the United States and it says
" Some time the National Capitol will
rest its foundation walls within our
borders )" but we will not push our
claims very strongly just now It also
contains a State Penitentiary where
some of those who "skip" the East to
escape the hungry clutches of the law
come to Kansas to be governor or
U. S. Senator sometimes find sweet
rest at last"
Mr.. Editor, do any of your readers
desire reliable information regarding
Kansas, then let him send to the Gen
eral Land Agent of some railroad for
pamphlets, sit down and devour them
all, body and soul, without ever once
biting down, and he will need no
more until he arrives mere when per-
haps he may feel like giving some.
You may not believe the story but
freight agent told mt that a railroad
or its employees never told a
lie."
If / were to tel you I was a railroad
land agent know you would believe
me, but | am not, and | will tell you
about Kansas and if you
don't believe it, will have the sheriff
after you and have him put you up for
the nomination of sheriff in New Cas-
tie county. Kansas, just like every
other State has rich and poor soil.
have seen soil in Kansas so rich that
to put manure on it would iniure the
crop, and have seen it so poor that
two blades of grass could not grow
within a foot of each other without
one yielding up the ghost, but I have
never seen a sack of guano or phos-
phate in Kansas and 1 have seen very
little manure used. The yields vary
with the seasons, the kind of attention
the crops receive and the number ofin-
'ects on hand. If everything is favor
orable the yields are larger than Della
are used to hearing.
1t seems hard to make an Eastern
man believe he cannot become rich fas-
-er where there is no phosphate to be
bought, no manure to be spread and
.he yields are larger. These are facts.
They are placed before down East
ers " in all sorts of shapes, manners
md forms by the emigration bureau of
and real estate agents of the
West. Lands are cheap. Good lands,
of 160 acres can be had by
paying the land office fees, not exceed
ng S25 and five years residence there
upon. Railroad lands are sold for 50
TO $40 per acre, on reasonable terms.
These lands are raw prairie, wholly
lnimprOved, mostly without even
wood or water. Lands more or less
improved can be bought in the region
lereabont for 81 900 to s2,5OO per 16O
acres. Besides cheap land, rich soil and
large yields there is another thing
quite an important factor in the affairs
Of men which has some influence on
-he subject of riches-the price you re-
2eiye for the products of your labor.
So long as United States money is a
legal tender for debts within its limits.
this will be the most important point
for one who cOntemplates coming West
TO consider. Strangely enough they
almost everything else, but
this seldom enters the mind. They
will ask what they will have to pay for
1ry-gOods, merchandise, &c. These
generally compare favorably with Eas-
tern prices, but seldom think or do ask
The prices they will receive for the pro-
ducts of their skill. Before starting l
have seen some put in an extra pair or
80 of shoes, an extra fne.tooth comb.
Two or three bottles of patent medicine.
gun, revolver, extra boxes of car
ridges and caps, powder and shot, a
lunting-knife or two, and l saw one
young man arrive here with copy of
Wild Bill in his trunk. This was
'nly his model of what he should soon
DC in reality. Let me suggest one |
other thing to the one who has this
to start with toward the
etting sun, one that will make your
'utfit complete, that will drive hours of
iull care away-a bottle of Miss Wins !
ow's Soothing Syrup for your head.
t IS all unnecessary to bring these
long. These, corsets, bustles and all
'ther implements of civilization can be
lad at places where such things are
'ustomarily distributed, at no exhorbi-
ant price.
Many and curious are the questions
hat have been asked me regarding
he West, from 81 wonder how it feels
o be scalped ?" to "How fast can a
horned toad run?" To the first I