Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-03-11
Kansas Letter.

est: our first warm days were some
thing over week ago, and they have
been growing more spring-like evel
since.
Everybody is glad to see warm wealth
er again, for our seven weeks winter
was all we wanted; it was an old fash
ioned one while 1t lasted, cold, wind
sleet and snow, making one think ht
was In some northern State, instead o.
In. "Sunny Kansas" but, as the
uGraphic" remarked short time ago
"So0n we will forget all about the cold
ofthis winter and be ready to tell ev'
erybody who comes here that the ther'
moneter never reaches freezing point
that farmers plow for oats in January
and other like whoppers."
Inoticed an amusing paragraph In a
Kingman paper, during one of our big
snow storms. A stranger waded with
great difficulty through the snow drifts
to where citizen was standing, and
blowing on his benumbed fingers to
keep them warm, asked rs this Sunny
Kansas The citizen was obliged to
confess it was. "Well" said the stanger,
"Ithought perhaps it was section of the
north pole broke loose, but as am here,
I'd better do as the Kansans do; SO Pll
write card home and tell them that
the grass is six inches high, that stock
Is turned out on the prairie, and that
the farmers are plowing barefoot"
The citizens congratulated him on so
easily falling in with the customs of the
country.
The "Graphic" said, not long ago,
"Kansas is bound to be ahead, whatev-
er happens, if the grass hoppers come,
they are bigger, eat more, and stay lon
ger than any others i'm the world. If it
is warm, you will think section of the
torrid zone is anchored in your front
yard, If it is cold, you will find the
north pole planted by your back door
If it is droughty season, and the crops
all fail, there is panic; IL on the con-
trary, there is good yield, barns are
bursting, granaries overfowing,and the
railroads cannot furnish transportation
to move the immense crops.
With all her back sets, Kansas in her
twenty-five years ofexistance as State,
has astonished the world by her giant
strides in the march of progress, and
her resources are not one quarter de-
veloped. There is in her promise
of the grandest and richest and best
State i'm the union. and twenty-five
more years will place her so far ahead
of the rest as to be out of sight of all
competition.
But jesting aside, Kansas, with all her
imperfections is so much better for
home than the East that their can be
no comparison between the east and
she west.
For the slow going conservative ele-
ment the East may do very we'll; but
for one who has much vim, force,o life,
it Is far too tame. The rush and whirl
and vigor of our western life is what
stimulates one to the eXertion of all his
powers, and often makes new man of
him. He may sometimes 60 East to
rest up. but he will not stay long, the
destinations Of the boundless West are
too much for him, and soon he is back
and In the midst Of the struggle for
wealth. If one has what we westerners
call "sand" he is all right and Kansas
is just the place for him, but If not, he
had better stay where he is, for the
turmoil will be too much for him.
With the opening of spring, every
thing is reviving, business which was
dull during the cold weather is increas-
ing at a rapid rate. The farming COM
munty are busily engaged in getting
their ground ready for spring planting
and sowing. A farmer near Harper
sowed his oats the 18th, being the first
so far as is heard, this season. Garden
making has begun, and the smell of
burning turf is present in the air at
all times, coming from the burning
prairies preparatory to "breaking."
Building has been resumed with full
vlgor, and soon several important
blocks will be commenced, among
them q large hotel, and fine business
block both adjoining, one on the south
and the other on the north, ofthe Opera
House block. Dwelling houses are go
ing up In every direction, and Harper
promises q large growth this season.
Quite an excitement has been In and
around Harper for the last few days.
Three men, desperadoes Of the worst
type, shot man in a fight in Danville,
small town seven or eight miles east
of here, ON the Southern Kansas. The
men were brought here forsafe keeping,
and Tuesday night about eleven
o'clock, some seventy-five men came
up from Danville and vicinity to lynch
them. But our officers was not caught
mapping by any means, and got their
prisoners out Of the way jvst IN time to
save them. They staid IN buffalo wal