The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-06
KANSAS SPRING SUIT.


One of the places of torment tina
Dante saw in his wonderful pilgrimage
through the abode of departed spirits wa:
a black, silent, sullen pool, half bidder
by gloomy shadows. No wind kissed the
sOmbre bosom of the pool and no ripple
danced upon it, but bubbles rose cease
lessly to the surface and broke there, one
by one. And from below, amid the slime
and oOze. assembled forever, faint, stifleC
sounds of lamentatiOn-the voices, the
pilgrim learned, of those who had beer
dark and sad within them during their
DAYS on earth, unthankful for the warmth
of the sunshine and the blessed blue OF
the sky.
1t was a horrible punishment. And
yet we are not sure it would not about
fit the crime of those, if any there be,
who could drive out through the country
highways and byways these glorious
spring days and still be clark and sad
within them" We have been driving
around lately, past fragrant, bloom
laden orchards, past fields of billowy
wheat, past new plowed lands,
sweet smelling as if fresh from the
Creators hand, past green pastures and
by still waters-and are tempted to say,
kansas never looked so pretty as she
does this spring" We would say it did
we not remember that we have been say
ing it every returning spring these
twenty years or more.
Maybe it would be true anyhow. Ger
tain it is, whether or not any difference
can be discovered from one year to an
other, there can be no doubt of the mar
vellOus change for the better that has
come over Kansas if we look back ten
years. There has been a good deal of
complaint about hard times during the
past year; but we venture the assertion
that as a class the farmers of Allen
county are 100 per cent better off now
than than they were ten years ago. They
have better houses, better barns, better
farm machinery, better orchards, more
acres under cultivation, more stock and
incomparably better stock. Ten years
ago a farmer who had a buggy or
spring wagon was an exception.
Today it is the farmer who has not
such a vehicle that IS the exception.
Ten years ago not three farmers
in ten raised more fruit than they
needed. To-day not three farmers in
ten do not raise a surplus. Ten years
ago there was hardly a patch OF clover
or timothy or blue grass IN the county.
To-day there are hundreds Of acres.
Indeed we believe it is in respect OF
these tame grasses that the decade has
brought its greatest change. It Is very
seldom. in either the physical or the
moral world. that we find good thing,
when left to itself, conquering an evil
thing 1t is the sand burr that grows
withoul being planted or cultivated. and
it Is disease that Is catching, and not
health. vice and not virtue. But blue
grass furnishes blessed exception 10 this
bad rule. Blue grass Is pretty and II Is
useful. and vet when left to itself II kills
out weeds which are ugly and useless,
and enters in and possesses the land. That
l. what it Is doing in Kansas. There are
pastues that we know where the
natural sod has never beee broken
and where blue grass has never been
planted by anv mans hand, and yet
where II has taken root and driven out
the prairie grass. And there are long
lanes where the blue grass from the
fields on either side has crept out all the
way to the road and has taken such firm
hold Of the soil that no vile, defacing
weed can find lodging place. Kansas
Il fast growing to be a blue grass oOun-
try: and that Is only another way Of say
ing that it u fast becoming a beautiful
and wealthy country.
SO If there i any danger that anv NAV
become sad and dark within them, We
pray them to drive out or walk out into
the country where they can get close 30
natures heart ard where they can see
her in all the glory Of her bright sprlng
garb. And surely ne must be veTy old
and surlv and cynical or very weary q
life whose blood Is not stirred OF his
heart gladdened b. what be sees ard
hears