Wichita eagle., 1890-02-26
THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG
To the Editor of the Eagle.

ness and on other matters. The heading
| of this article, which take from another
| paper. is only in substance what | have
often seen of late in yours, and many
others. From this l judge that there
must be some foundation for such an
| opinion. If so the important thing is. if
| possible, to find remedy. 1t is always
| helpful, where evils exists, not TO mag
Nifty them, or think we are worse Oft
| than nybody in the world, or that any
situation in life or any section of the
country is absolutely free from draw
| backs of some kind. We can waste our
lives in fruitless efforts for perfection OF
circumstances or surroundings, and die
sour and discontented.
The writer was born and reared on a
| rough New England farm, and has had
varied experience in manufacturing
and other lines of business, and during
the last fifteen years has Travelled much,
on business and pleasure, over the west
ern states, and of late years spent much
time in Kansas. The fruits of this ex-
tended observation is the opinion that at
present the state of Kansas, all things
considered. is by far the most desirable
section of this broad country for prose-
cutting farming or any other lawful busl-
ness, and if | was younger would move
there at once, or if | had sons starting
life. or if called on to advise others, L
would direct them to your state IN
preferente. to any other. The mild
climate, soil adapted TO such variety
of products, the high grade OF society,
Of that most desirable, and many other
good reasons that can be named would
be good foundation for such advice. If
there have been drouths and seasons of
poor crops, so there have been in other
sections OF the country; ii not III the
same years, then others.
There is great deal going the rounds
of papers at the east, and [ suppose in
other places. about ''ten cent corn" being
burned for fuel. etc. While this may he
true III extreme cases. still 1t proves
the truth of the old proverb that "a half
truth is the most dangerous kind of
falsehood." If manufacturer should
persist in manufacturing ten times as
many goods as the market needed, while
he might be employed on those that
would yield large profit, he cannot
avoid the inevitable consequences OF his
own folly. The people OF Wichita (all
honor TO them) have donated several
hundred thousand dollars to provide two
immense packing houses where there Is
ready home market and L see that
hogs are selling of late at about S.. 70 per
100, and the packers able to get not one
fourth Of what they can handle or are
willing to buy. These packing houses
will eventually help Wichita, more or
less, but it will be a long time before
those who contributed so largely for
them will get all of the money back.
The farmer will reap the larger share OF
the benefit, without any cost to them.
Now, is it not fact that the corn that
is selling for 10 to ID cents is worth, put
into pork, from 30 to 30 cents bushel,
which is more tnan double the cost of
raising it? Here at the east business
that yields more than 100 per cent profit
is considered phenomenal.
If it is said that the farmers have not
the stock to feed, sure this can be recti-
fled in the future, as the amount that
can be raised is practically unlimited. is
it wise or in the interests of truth
for the papers of your state to send
forth statements of partial truth without
proper explanations, that the present
state of things are exceptional, and Will
soon adjust themselves? And this is be-
ing done while Immigration bureaus are
putting forth special efforts to induce
immigration to your state. think there
is room for mnch improvement along
this line, if success attend these efforts.
/ suppose that possibly farmers will
not thank anv one living two thousand
miles away for giving them advice; still
| venture few suggestions. As class
they will III many respects compare
favoraoly with any other men in any
line OF business. Still there is need of a
great deal more hard thinking. In the
present sharp of competitions In trade
and business, the manufacturer, the
merchant, and in many other lines that
might be mentioned, there is absolute
! need OF hard study and careful forecasts
of the future: frequent changes OF ways
to adapt to changed conditions, involv-
ing it may be sleepless nights and in
cessant anxiety. Much of contact with
the world around sharpens wits and
developes these qualities. The
agricuituralist is differently situated.
Oftimes isolated, with the surety
that he can get for his
| products as much as his neighbors. he
sometimes thinks that he is exempt from
the necessity Of hard thinking and IN
cessant anxiety as to methods. But here
there is room for profitable thinking as
to what crops are most profitable to raise,
how they can be produced at least eN-
pense, and how to so diversity them dur
ing a term of years, so that something
shall succeed each year. Many need &c
make study of lessons of economy: not
in doing without that which is absolute
" necessary. if it can be afforded. but
striving to see how far dollar can be
made to go.
The first thing that invariably attracts
the attention of an eastern man on his
first visit west is the wastefulneSs and
prodigalitv of the farmers there. I'm
! plements bought at great expense (per-
! haps from the proceeds of a mortgage
| left after using in open fields or else
where uncovered and uncared for, max
| ing new ones necessary before the mort
gage that bought them is paid: then per-
/ hap5 cursing the loan agent and the east
( ern man that in good faith lent the mon
/ ey. There is great need for that rigid
/ care and economy among western farm
/ ers that has from the first been practised
/ by New England farmers. some OF whom
/ are among you but seem TO fall into the
new wavs of their neighbors.
| As further remedy for existing evils,
too much dependence should not be
placed on legislation. Neither should
! this be overlooked Eternal vigilance
/ is the price of liberty" Ne rule our
selves whether wisely or not, and every
! person that exercises the privileges of q
/ freeman should carefully study all ques-
tions of political economy, and act III