New-York tribune., 1891-09-23
A KANSAS COUNTY.
WHERE THERE Is COLD COMFORT FOR THE
CALAMITY WALTERS.
A FINE SHOWING OF pRospEmrY-pEBrs BEING

CALAMITY WALTERS.
A FINE SHOWING OF PRosPEMTY-DEBTsB BEING
PAID AND FARMS ENLARGED.
oswego. Kan. Sept CspeciaD.-There is cold com
fort for the calamity wailerss in Kansas this year.
While they lamenting the ruin that has upon
the downtrodden farmer the downtrodden farmer him
self is rejoicing in prosperity. The stories Of decreas
Ing values, failing crops growing Indebtedness, heavy
mortgages, foreclosures, etc, that have gone abroad
have made Kansas like the favoHte stamping
ground OF the abominatlon Of desolaton. But those
stories are news TO the Kansas citizen. He never
heard them before. And now that he does hear them
lie wonders whether he is dreaming or one else
Is lying. Unless his eyes and aocount-bOOks deceive
him, some one else must be lying. For there is no
such state Of affairs here visible as the "calamity
walters" are proclaming
This county, Labette, is in the southeastern corner
of the State. II is an average county in and
population, and It may fairly be taken representa-
tive Of the state at large. To the visitor travelling
through it by rail along the wagon roads there is
perceptbe an air Of prosperity, and all the interests
of the people appear TO be in healthful and progres
sve condition. The farmers, stOrekeepers bankers
and railroad men all talk cheerfuy and cOnentedly,
too. When the dismal stories of the Farmers Al
lance propagandists are repeated to them they are
partly amused at their absurdity and partly enraged
at the libel upon the state But these are only per
sonal impressions. Perhaps the farmers deuded,
and imagine themselves prosperous when they really
are ruined The official statistics Of the community,
therefore, may well be referred to for positive in
formation. For example, here is report Of the
Register Of Deeds OF Labee County. 1t is backed
by his Official signature, seal and bond Every state
ment in It is sworn to true. 1t shows as nothing
else the actual facts in regard to mortgages on
real estate and chattels This is its showing for last
year, 1890:
Real estate mortgages released d........-....12 25S
Real estate mortgages recorded.....-.----. 707
& can OF fsd reesss NV e,:: sooa sa5 90
Anog6t AmS6t 6 Se% oeyq Tsoc So $50 IS
Amount gained in s97 535 "a
During the year. therefore, the amount Of indebted
ness represented by mortgages on real estate was
lessened by S97 $50 "a, or nearly "a for each man.
woman and child in the county. Here are cor
responding figures regarding chattel mortgages
Number released 9Ss RePTessnttiing 1G fG
Gain Of releases 444 Representing .s414 055 81
The chatte mortgage indebtedness was thus do
creased by s414.O55 SO. and the total decrease Of
mortgage Indebtedness on land and chattels was
s511 5o1 o. or $50 for each fnhabtant. Certainly
Labette County did not drift toward bankruptcy in
1890 The same report gives also the figures for the
first six months of 1891 as fcllOws
Real estate mortgages released. 73e
Real estate mortgages recorded--.---..~ 500
Gain OF releases SH .o,oo o,oee
Amount Of releases s az "a
Gain ...........................slOe,H5 ,H51 20
The decrease OF real estate indebtedness there
fore more than twice as rapid in 1900. Here arc
the chattel mortgage figures:
Number released 900. Representing $3.50 2S2 79
Number recorded 742.. Representing. 10sS63 80
Gain Of releases. 258 Representing !..s16O 800 %
The decrease Of indebtedness was thus S1O9,431 20
on real estate and S1G0s69 % chattels making a
total Of s27o 400 81 in six months say so for each
man, woman and child Evidently the country did not get
much nearer to bankruptcy between January and July
/, 1901 And the second half Of tho year is always
the best debt-paying time.
Among the cries OF the calamity waleTs' one OF
the oldest has been that about the increasing number
Of foreclosures and the consequent dspossesson OF
titles. As a matter OF fact and as every one KNOWS
perfeclv we'll sherfs sale, release made by the
clerk OF the District Court is not evidence that the
parties owning the have been dspossessed Of their
titles Foreclosures are sometimes made 10 perfect
titles There were recorded in this county from jan
nary l. 1884, to July l. 1891, on farm property seven
teen sherifs deeds OF these there were three OF the
mortzagers who never lived on or occupied the land
one was made TO perfect title on account OF the dcah
Of the rnortgager the widow owning and occupying the
land at this time in case the Tortgaser eil Ills
family and absconded from the country in one husband
and wife were both dead and children gone and In one
the mortgager rents the place All Of the seven re
torred 10 here we're delinquent in taxes and interest
when te foreclosures were begun Four Of the seven
teen were begun in 1880 and thirteen in 1890
II il is true says the Register that so many mort
aces arc beinV oreclosed and nany farmers evcted
tu,ned ont with their innocent and helpless fahes aO
tbe rate of hundreds each year-how Is It that the
ocreare of wheat has increased in one year from
81 3eo acres TO 43.55O acresl "Is 1t iact,
nc has been 50 often asserted, that the lariherS
Of this country not making enough 10 pay
their taxes and interest? How can we account Ior
This increase in the acreage In corn4 III I0"o VIC
planted 42254 acres in 1901 we have oZ'le'' an III
croaee Of 10 933 acres If it is fact, as has ana IS
still benr asserted that farmers have been leS'l"'ed
ont Of fair remuneratve prices, how can we account
for the increase in the acreage Of oatSf Ie acreage
IN 1880 was 1872 acres, and in 1o9i 1t IS 4iV-i
an increase Of 2S269 acres II tere Is no IN
there is no energy, If there IS no IelhuneIdUa l ai
farming in Iabcte County, why the increase IN acese
of f;x from 1892 acres in 1890 70 lO24E S. 49, ~
1891 repeat the question if the farming IuEStS St
of this county is failure, the law OF our StaS9 10
Is91 over 1sg09 On March /, 800, this county had
9i9.0io apple trees in 1891, 23G,536. Does this IN
ppcied with farmngl Horticultural products mar
Keted TO March l. 1890, S27.475; 10 March J. lS9i,
Sf49 Pounds Of honey and beeswaX, 1oSO D30D
in 1891. 10 537. Garden products sold TO March J,
1890, si0,2l3 1891, s17.305s Poultry dG6 ana
Number OF pounds Of cheese made IN leo, i,-oV IN
1891 4033. Number OF po1nd5 OF ou!er ao u "a
350, ,2o5: in 1891 542 262 MIX sou I9'V' %5'ofo,
1901 S1O164 Number of horses March j. I5.O, was
8Go3 is0 3s Number Of mich COW: Gov. March March l.
I2I Value of fat stock slaughtered and sold foI
slam shtcr 1890 S245371 in 1891, SilOI08 Ana
might continue the comparison on down through me
entire list OILY to add TO the proof OF advancement
prOsperitv and energy Of farm Industry. Permit
me again TO call the attention Of any one who may read
tbis report that il directly and ohcally rom
the farmer himself. The records which nave copied
this from are before me at this writing"
The population Of the county on March L. I5"o wa, was
o. 4O= and on March !. 1891 il was 2O,ol5. Such
Increase Scarcely indicates eviction and disaster II is
not to be wondered at then that powerful reaction ms
already sci i'm against the calamity walters ana Wltr
cospe of woe and hard times. And what is true Of this
comfy is true If the state in general People every
where are eyasperaed at the scandal that has been
broncht npOn them by the untrue representation of
reckless politicians and they propose to show 10 the
world that Kansas IS not desert and not the home OF
starving baukrupts.
THE PRESIDENT on EM4NCTPiTION.
Wheeling w. Va. sept 22.-B X. Bruce. ex-Tned
states Senator addressed several thousand Of is race
Il ngNTnn nF Nlg