Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-02-19
OUR IMMIGRATION BOOM.
What the Hsighboring Papers Have to Say
Of It.
lKiowa Herald.l

Ine report that j.. Il. Lawrence made
in the Herald of January 81, in regard
to the emigration coming into Kansas,
and the suggestion that we join in with
our sister towns in getting up advertise
mems and sending man east and put
them-iA the hal ds of the people who
are coming west, is meeting with the
approval of our sister towns, and all
that we need to do TO get their hearty
cooperation is to put the matter in
shape and get to work. Each town
could get up what matter 1t wanted for
an advertisement and the whole printed
in one circular or paper. The man who
would be selected to take the matter
east could go To those states from which
the EN- grafton IS coming. and by ja-
dicious distribution of them we could
have hundreds of people come to this
part of the state that, otherwise, will
go elsewhere.
We heartily endorse the views ex-
pressed in the INDEX in regard to an
emigration bureau for this part of the
state. We will suggest that as New
kiowa can be reached by rail from all
the towns east that will take part
with us, ana stage lines are running
daily tram- point west, and the
towns in that part of the state can send
their delegates directly here, that the
conveEtiunbe held at New Kiowa. We
make this suggestion with all due re-
gard to our sister towns, but as the
matter was first brought about by New
Kiowa sending j. Il. Lawrence upon
the special mission of investigation. and
the time SO short, are We asking too
much that the delegation meet in New
KiOwa? We do, by the consent of the
mayor of New Kiowa, set the 18th day
of February for the meeting of the dele
CATION. Come, gentlemen, and let us
work together.
Harper Grap'ic.l
In another column will be found
clipping from the Medicine Lodge In
DEX tending to show that some effort is
urgently needed to draw larger per
cent of the eastern immigration to this
section. The subject is timely one
and should receive the united support
of the press of the southwest. That
the claims set forth in the INDEX this
week and last are in the main correct,
every careful observer must admit, for
the vast multitude of settlers who have
fiOcked to the counties along the line
of the Santa Fe the past year are liv-
ing, moving witnesses of the great
efforts put forth by that section. No
one blames the Southern Kansas road.
1t has l2bored day and night for this
locality. but being comparatively new
road. and extending over more than
900 miles of territory, it could not con-
centrate its efforts. The Santa Fe lav-
ing aided in building up the eastern
and middle section of its territory, has
lately turned its entire power, un-
equaled by any road in the state, upon
settling three or four counties in the
west, and that Its efforts have been re-
warded is beyond doubt. Now we can't
consistently ask the Southern Kansas
road to neglect ali its territory in order
to make special effort for Harper and
the counties Immediately west of us,
but knowing Mr.. Ilynes and the other
officials as we do, we feel perfectly con-
fident that they will second our efforts
to the full extent of their ability. They
have never yet diregarded the legiti-
mate demands of the friends of the
road, and will not prove wanting now.
We say let all real estate and business
men generally-everybody who is inter
ested in building up these counties
arrange some definite plan, raise what
funds they can and then appeal to the
road for cooperation. We have no
doubt but that $1,000 can be raised per
month by Harper, Barber, Comanche
and Clark counties, which, when added
to the assistance the railroad can give,
will be d big thing toward steming the
tide. A good man at Kansas City, St.
Louis, Indianapolis, Dayton and other
points could accomplish wonders in the
way of directing land seekers TO this,
the very best section of Kansas. We
know OF fully one hundred letters re-
ceived by parties in Harper alone from
the east making inquiry. and although
they are nearly all answered, yet the re-
plies are not so full or sure of results as
a good bundle of properly printed mat
ter would be. BY all means let US have
an immigration bureau, and count on
the Graphic tolo its full share toward
assisting the effort.