Wichita eagle., 1886-09-18
GROWTH OF KANSAS UNDER REPUBLI
CAN RULE.

! Owing to the unfavorable electrical con-
ditions or for some other reason, the fol
lowing portion of Governor Martins adj
dress did not appear in the columns OF the
EAGLE the next morning after It's delivery.
The interesting facts he then set forth
touching the growth Of Kansas are well
worth reading. He said:
In 1860 Kansas had a population Of only
107 ,206, and ranked as the thirty-third
state in the union. To-day our popula-
ton is fully !, 800, 900, and Kansas ranks
as the fourteenth state. During the past
quarter Of Il century Kansas has passed
ahead of all the northern states except
eight, and of all the southern states except
five. All the other great states of the
union were from fifty to one hundred years
in attaining the population Kansas has
reached in thirty. In 1860 we had only
three towns with population exceeding
900: we have now over one hundred,
each having population in excess OF 900;
twelve having each over 5000, and four
with over Ii, 900 inhabitants.
Twenty-Five years ago We produced only
| 5000, 600 bushels of corn and 194, 900 bush
els of wheat per annum: last year we pro-
duced 1874, 900, 900 bushels Of corn and H.
OOO, 900 bushels of wheat In 1850 the
| farm crops of Kansas were valued at less
| $3.50, 900 In year their value exceeded
500, ,O00,O0 In 1860 the farm products OF
Kansas, including crops, products OF live
stock, etc, were valued at less than 3d.,
coo, GEO; in 1885 their value was nearly
S144, ,00O, 600. In 1850 less than 15O, 900
arces We're under cultivation; last year the
area was nearly Is, coo, 600 acres. In 1860
ONLY ,778, 400 acres were taxable; III 1880,
over 27,7lC, 900 acres. In 1859 the live
stock of Kansas was valued at less than
:S3, 000, 900; in 1888 the valla-
tion reached nearly S1lS,0O0,-
600 The value of the farm
products of Kansas, for the year 1885, ag-
gregated nearly threefourths OF the value
of the gold and silver product Of the whole
civilized world, and were more than double
the value of the products of all the gold
and silver mines in the United States. In
1860 the assessed valuation of all the prop
erty OF Kansas real and personal, was less
than So, ,O0O, 900; for 1885 it was near $249,-
600, 600. The railroads of Kansas are as
sessed, for the year 1886, at $32, 434 936, or
more than double the valuation. of all the
real estate in 1880 We had not a mile of
railway within our borders in 1SS4-we
now have 5,117 Every county in the state,
except twenty, is now traversed by one or
more railroads, and within the present year
| fully 500 miles of new road will be added
to the lines we already have.
In educational privileges what state can
equal Kansas? Our state university, agri-
cultural college and normal school are in
stitutions of which every intelligent Kan
san is justly proud; and our common
school system, supplemented by dozens of
denominaional or private academies and
colleges, is wonderful in the scope and
extent of the educational facilities provid-
ed. We had only 154 school houses and
employed only 1S9 teachers in 1850; we
now have more than 1000 school houses,
in which fully 9,000 teachers are employed
to instruct 100000 scholars. In 1861
the amount expended for the sup
port of common schools was
only 81, 200: the expenditures in 1885 for
the same purpose aggregated S2,911. Ib3.
| During the past quarter OF century Kan
s.s has expended for school buildings and
the support of public schools, including
our institutions for higher education, fully
$50. .0o0.0 .000.
Churches have multiplied with proper
| tlOnate ra1iultV. III 1SDt we ll.u Only 81
church buildings, costing an aggregate of
only Sl43. $50; ia 1885 we had over 1900,
valued at more than $3, ,0G0, 600.
In 1860 only % newspapers were pub
lished in Kansas; we now have over 800,
of which fully 40 are dailies, and their
aggregate circulation exceeds 400 coo
copies. Every county in the state or
ganzed or unorganized, now has one or
more newspapers, and no other state in the
union can boast of a more enterprising and
entelligently conducted press than that of
Kansas.
The provisions made for the unfortunate
have been most generous. Two asyiums
for the insane have been erected, and the
institutions for the blind and for the deaf
and dumb are among the largest and best
i'll the United Sta:es An asy lum for feeble
minded children has been provided The
Soldiers Orphans home. noble charity, IL
lastrating the grateful loyalty of our peo-
pie, will soon be completed. 4 reform
school for wayward boys >iI successful OPP
Grafton. and the state, following the exam
pie of the most advanced commonwealth. is
now erecting an industrial reformatory for
the confinement of law breakers who are
not hardened criminal, thus removing this
class. who NAV possibly be reclaimed by
Wholesome discipline from the degradation
OF the penitentiary.
WHY uE nor TEN