The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-04-01
KANSAS CORN.
Her Cribs Fortress Against Adversely

iarity spoken of was not that of resi-
dence. but that which grows on a news
paper man by years of paragraphing a
certain region. He comes to know more
about it than those who live there. He
writes the names Of the professional and
business men so often that when be
meets them for the first time he knows
them without introduction. He can in
his distant Office sit down with citizen
of the country and inquire with the air
of a friend how DIR. This, Lawyer That
and Rev. Other are getting on, although
he may never have set eyes on those gen
tlemen. Such a familiar country was
once the North and Northwest" as it is
called by a headline in the Atchison
Champion nearly every day in the year.
The route to the North and North
west" lay from Manhattan, on the Rock
Island. climbing from one little creek
valley into another, with big stone barns
and rOck-clinging cedars always III sight;
past Bala. where the Welsh people live,
and 50 to Clay Center, on the Republican,
and then along that stream, its level
sands and ripping waters shining in the
sun. to Clvde and Clifton; and then
north to Belleville and then west, cross
ING the Republican where Scandal nes-
ties under the bluffs even as did the wig
vans of the Pawnee republic hundred
Years ago. nearly. when the astOnished
Indians saw the black and yellow flag Of
Spain come down and the red, white and
blue Of the United States Of America go
up: and then to Mankato and then TO
Burr Oak in the valley of the White
Rock
The two counties of Republic and Jew
ell form a picturesque country by them
selves. With the exception of the wide
valley of the Republican and the mar
rover levels along some Of its tributa-
ries. as the White Rock. the land, more
especially in Jewell, rises into high prai-
RE swells and ridges, amounting to hills.
Sometimes the elevation Is long and
straight on the crest, somehow remind
ing one Of a crouching or sleeping tawny
lion. Occasionally a hill rises above the
level Of the others, in shape like what
woodmen call the ''pOle" of an ak, and
then through riffs in these hills one sees
at times a distant prOmOntOry, blue and
far. as if on its farther side there broke IN
white wrath the sounding waves OF the
sea.
The country seen again after an alb
sence of several years was found i'm
proved" The Rock Island was new
fact and feature in the landscape, and
there were new villages with strange
names. and the old towns had spread out
in additions" and had taken unto
themselves round-houses and depOts, and
opera houses and public buildings, fair
to see.
But the great sight Of all was the corn;
for this country is the banner corn cOun-
try of northern Kansas. If not Of the
state, Jewell acknowledging this year
but one superior. the big Arkansas valley
county of Sedgwick, which shows that
in Kansas corn grows on the highest hill
OF lowest river bottom.
There was the corn everywhere. AT
every station. if it had not a dozen houses
beside the depot, were the long corn
cribs. as long as a city block, built of new
lumber and tightly rooted, and filled to
the ride with yellow corn. In the fields
lay great yellow pyramids OF corn. In
the larger towns there was a village OF
corn cribs about the depot; then corn
cribs on all the otherwise unOccupled
lots in the town; corn at the mills and
corn at the stores: Just corn, tens OF thou
ands of bushels of corn.
The commerce Of the country was IN
corn. Wagons came rolling up to the
big cribs with corn, and other wagons
went by filed with what looked like
loads of gold dust, but, for all, was but
common corn: and out in the fields, farm
wagons. their sides raised high by added
boards. were being filled by the gatherers
of corn.
This was corn in the present tense:
but on a dav in March, but with the
breeze and sky of June, work was going
on with reference to corn future. Here
plows were turning over the soft, fine
black earth like that Of garden; here
the broken down stocks were being
rakbd together in ridges to be burned
and at night narrow lines Of fire marked
/ where these had been laid. and every
where man and horse toiled for more
! corn.
This was the way it looked up in Re
public and in high Jewell and ii was q
goodly sight to see.
/ Corn is the sign and seal Of a good
| American agricultural country. Corn
/ Is an American institution; one of the
/ discoveries of the continent. 1t Is Of the
American west. 1t reaches its best a.
! tate between the Alleghanies and the
Rockies. 1t was known by the Indian:
and to cultivate it was one of the few
! agricultural temptations which overcamC
their proud and hauty contempt fol
! labor. The stOcial savage was so over
come bv the hope of roasting ears tina
! he relaxed his noble Roman tirmneSs ano
/ let his squaw raise some corn for him.
/ Corn is the test. \ good county III ;
/ farming sense is one that brings gooC
corn. If it will not do that, then it may
+ be good country for something else
but it is not an American farmer
country. II requires long season
plenty of ram. a thOrough-Eolng mar
that attends 10 business. but knows wheI
TO stop: a generous soil. and the best ele
mental treatment from the warm sof'
} day on which it Is planted, till the ''troS
is on the pumpkin and the todders Il
the shock" Hence when YOU say that ;
. given region Is a good corn country, Vol
have said it viii raise anything tina
grows in the temperate zone. In
/ greater includes the less.
Corn makes the country and the pee
pie who live in it. 1t tattens cattle anC
hogs. and so tine-haired people who Inv
on cracked wheat and philosophy claim
that 1t has a coarseneSs about IT that i'm
parts itself to the people who eat 1t. bu
for all that it Is the food Of men who tur
wilderness to fruitful fields, span cont
nents. and fight great battles.
Kansas has the corn and 80 Is NJ luck
Scotfers and ribalds talk about the Kan
-aS man burning corn; and 1t Is one q
the merits of corn that il makes goo
fire. but Kansas men know better tha'
that. Everywhere IN every farmer
door ward Is To be seen great plle OF ~
and white corn C0iS. clean and bright
4 =. L Ii. !.