Wichita eagle., 1889-03-14
KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA.

ssGath," of the Cincinnati Enquirer re-
Gently expressed the truth in homely
but pertinent manner when he said that
western Missouri had been settled from
the back door, The vast tide OF emlgra-
ton which flowed from the east into
Kansas, beginning with the settlement
of this state in 1854, is still fresh In the
minds of many of our older readers. AS
is inevitable in the history of all new
countries, many of the immigrants were
disappointed in what was then a strug-
Cling territory, and, becoming dlsheart-
ened with the privations and hardships
of pioneer life, turned back again toward
civilization. The natural sense OF pride
which every man feels in accomplishing
what he sets out to do prevented many
settlers from returning to their old homes,
to be rldlculed by their friends over their
failure. They found in Missouri many
of the advantages which they had hoped
to realize in Kansas and less of dlscom-
fort than existed in the new territory,
and thus the receding wave OF immigra-
ton cast large numbers Of people upon
Missouri soil who became permanent set
tiers.
The indications are that this experience
will be repeated in Kansas in the settle
ment of Oklahoma. The temptations
offered by the cheap lands, the produc-
tive soil and the delightful climate OF
Oklahoma will induce thousands of peo-
pie from all sections of the country to
emigrate to this new land OF promise.
They will find the conditions for getting
on IN the world very much the same
there after all, as they are anywhere else.
There will be the same necessity for TOLL,
for sagacious management, for the prac-
tice of economy and self-sacrifice which
are precedent to success the world over.
The competition for claims will be sharp,
the conveniences for living, at first, will
be meager, and there will be much, as
there always is in new countries to
discourage settlers. The territory to
be opened is small, too, compared
with the vast army of home-seekers who
are turning their eyes in the direction OF
Oklahoma. 1t would be to discredit his
tory to assume that all the people who
pour into Oklahoma will stay. There is
bound to be receeding wave OF lmml-
grafton, and Kansas lies directly In its
path. There are thousands of acres not
only Of cheap, raw lands in this state,
but of soil which is already under cultl-
walton which cannot fail to arrest the at
tention of persons in search of homes,
and which offer tempting advantages to
settlers. The chances are that the exc
dus which the people Of western Kan
sas have feared as the result of the open
ing of Oklahoma, will be much more
than made good by the immigration
which it will indirectly attract to the
state.
The prospect for good season in Kan
sas was never more encouraging. The
wheat has come through the winter in
admirable condition and is looking eX-
ceptionally well. The ground has been
well supplied with moisture by winter
rains, the grass is already beginning to
grow and in a few short weeks will
clothe the prairies in a mantle Of vivid
green. The state will present scene OF
inviting beauty by the time that the
flood of immigration to Oklahoma is at
its height, and it will be impossible for
homeseekers to resist the impression
which Kansas creates in her spring and
summer garbs. She cannot fail to reap
largely of the benefits of movement
which will make her the pathway of a
vast volume of immigration from the
older states She will be like the Afri-
cans coon trap-she will ''cotch EN- 60
in and comm"