Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-21

prise WOuIQ De given some peOple.
"You know how the original packag
agents were worried when here. They wer
the extremists, and when the authoritie
| took hand it was Tor votes. You hav
heard how they treated the agent a
Emporium; threatened to hang hin
if he sold, frightening him nearly to death
and after several days, as the man had solo
nothing, arrested him as vagrant, having
no means of support. You know Of othe
cases as bad as that, if not worse. Severa
years ago champagne supper was given
the Copeland, and the next day the extrem
lists secured the names OF all the guests, ant
attempted where they were employees t.
secure their discharge.
AN EXTREME VIEW.
"ln my opinion. he continued, "prohibi'
tion is not the glorious cure for all evils. II
is curse that tears down; it does not build
up. A curse that has been more far reach
ing in its direful effects than all the grass
hopper plaques, droughts, cyclones and
other evils that Kansas is heir to. 1t ruins
and destroys. and l voted Tor it,"
Nebraska papers speak of prohibition as
"killing Kansas. As to the decrease In
population it is safe to say that at least
20O,0 900 people have left Kansas forever In
the last three years or less. The late census
gives this State an increase of over 500, ,000.
This increase happened when the great
boom" was going on, five years ago.
During that time immigration was exceed
ingIy heavy. When the boom" exploded
the decrease set in, which has continued
ever since and from every appearance will
still go on. With the bursting of the boom
every person was lett in bad financial shape,
and to-day there are many large firms
trembling on the verge OF bankruptcy. 1
know personally of one large corporation
that is barely able to paw its workmen,
much less dividend. II it ceases business
Its charter will be revoked and this fact is
probably the only reason it continues to
operate. As it is the only business of Its
kind in this city the name of the work they
are engaged in will have to be withheld, but
it is business city cannot get along with
out.
GENERAL EXODUS.
During the Oklahoma excitement year
ago, at least II. 900 residents Quilted Topeka,
and a proportionate number from ali over
the State. Less than week ago 365 fami-
lies lett the western part of the State ior
Missouri. The Alliance Tribune, OF this
city, is responsible Tor the assertion that
400 families are being driven from their
homes in Kansas each week by order of the
''Shyiock," as they term the mortgage COM
panies.
Where are the owners of farms whom
service by personal summons cannot reach?
They have lett the State. Service must, in
the majority Of cases, be obtained by publ
cation, and whole newspapers are sometimes
filled with these and Sheriff sale notices.
There is not a weekly paper circulated
among the public to-day but what has whole
columns filled with these notices. So much
competition exists between newspapers Tor
the notices that they are published in many
cases at 20 per cent off legal rates. Sheriffs
and Clerks of Courts run papers purposely
to make money from the notices.
ToPEKA's EMPTY HOUSES.
Topeka has at present over 1000 vacant
houses and over 800 vacant storerooms. All
are desirably located. Rents are dirt cheap
but this does not fill the empty houses with
occupants In the last two months 1
know o. two hotels, four restaurants and
many business houses that have quit bust
ness. There were undoubtedly others I
know nothing of. Topeka supported at
one time I'VE daily newspapers, but at pres
ent only three are published, and from ap-
pearances one of these will soon cease bust
ness. In April and May, about 20 stables,
and over half of those livery stables, were
burned by fire bugs. Not one has been re-
built nor do the former owners show any
inclination to do so. While very lew
papers published in the State will acknowl-
edge in their columns that Kansas is de-
clining, yet they all realize the true state of
affairs, and outside of their publications the
proprietors will acknowledge the truth.
A noticeable sight, in all towns and cities
is the completed cellar for new house, but
the house is not sitting on the foundation.
Weeds have grown tall in such cellars and
in fact OF the streets, even OF Topeka. From
the color OF the lumber and stones in these
it looks as II the intention of
building house had occurred a number of
years past. Nor have I, with one exception,
seen, nor do know of any new buildings
being erected in this or any other city at
present or since 1 became a resident of Kan
'as. The one exception is public build
ng.
NO MONEY TO BE HAD.
Money is scarce, so scarce in fact that 81
,ash will buy S. worth of land. Land,
ponies and other articles are used very ire
Iuently as money. There is one hundred
lines more trading done than buying.
For the convenience OF such trades, notar- |
es public are as thick as Kansas Resubmis- |
ionists Abstractors of title is a native |
business of Kansas, and is carried on by |
hundreds who make it their special work. |
t is needed in land transfers.
There is no work to be had in |
he State. Many laborers have started en-
'loyment offices and secured work TOR
work, and that in Utah,
Colorado Wyoming and the Dukotas +
ras in one of these Offices one day when 100
'opekans were ready to ship for Utah. An
Id man who had lived here IL years and
rho was not less than 60 years old was
lso sent to Kansas City to run as news
gent on railroad, which is about the only
reat thing OF the "Great Southwest" The
emand for domestics, however. is large,
ut the supply is small.