Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1888-12-08
THE SAME OLD COMPLAINT.

The exodus from western Kansas con-
tinues. The hot winds of last summer
that came rolling up from the southwest
literally burned up every green thing. It
is said that Ness City, Dighton, Scott
City and many other places that had, two
years ago, from 500 to 1900 people each,
will not this winter hold 100 souls. The
streets are deserted, and the few inhab-
itants left are unable to get away. A year
ago those people passed winter almost
without coal. Already the fatal billiards.
have set in, sweeping away much OF their
stock. They have raised no crops and
they are discouraged. Everybody has
left the country who can get away, and
it appears that the limit Of settlement
between the plains and the Rocky Noun
taiDs has been reached Exchange.
And yet, at the late election, the fol-
lowing counties, scattered through the
west half of the state, extending to the
Colorado line, cast the number Of votes
set opposite, in round numbers: Trego,
800; Ness, 1,300; Rocks, 1900; Hodgman,
500; Thomas, 1900; Rawlins, 1900; Pratt,
2,100; Sherman, 1.3G0; Hamilton, 800;
Scott, 500; Wichita, 300; and Graham,
1900. Rather stiff voting for depopu-
lated country.- Kansas City, Kansas,
Gazette.
People are leaving western Kan
sas. Some Of them always leave
any region wherein the golden fruit
Of the booming land agents fails to
appear on the trees. The dupable
class of people generally exercise no
sense, or they would have known
that fruit could not grow on trees
in region which is treeless. But
they did not stop to think then.
They do not stop to think now.
People who had their eyes open
when they located in western Kan
sas are staying with the country
very well. They see in the midst of
the present depression opportunities
for advancing their interests which
are not available while a boom is
prevailing.
b If a boom could ever strike west
ern Kansas, and find a generation
of land agents who would conine
themselves to relating the truth
concerning the adaptability OF this
territory to the propagation Of GER
tain kinds Of farm crops and live
stock, instead Of sounding inces-
sanity the old straight-farming gag,
the era of permanent prosperity
would then be at hand. Instead OF
studying the newspapers, and learn
ing what western Kansas has been,
and is, the average person from
abroad will come in on a boom, and
proceed to be stuffed full of decep-
tive wind, perhaps by some land
agent who has settled for month
to make raise to help him to get
somewhere, else without counting
railroad ties.
The WESTERN KANSAS WORLD
never has lied Intentionally concern
ing the situation in western Kansas.
When booms have prevailed we
have advocated stock farming, and
warned people against relying upon
exclusive agriculture out here for
either living or profit. When the
booms have collapsed, we have
argued that the country is all right,
and that many people are wrong.
If people in search of new homes
had read the WORLD. and been
guided by its advice, they would
have stayed away from here or come
here to stay. Either Of these acts is
favorable to western Kansas. What
has hurt her has not been people
staying away. She has been hurt
by people coming here full of false
notions, and then going out and
cursing her because nature would
not surrender to their caprices.
The best fortune that can pos
'sibly strike western Kansas is for
another boom never to reach her.
In the line of natural events, this
territory is to be settled by one of
the grandest populations On earth.
1t will be all the better for this
region and for the people at large if
people henceforth will drop in here
after bargains in real estate, school
facilities, and so on, and avoid any
mad rush.
BUSINESS BIZ THE STATE LINE.