The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-10-22
rnn sounxAL,s MISSIONARY.
Especial Cusrespondence saline Co. Journal.l
ApELINR, H., Oct. IL, 1891.

to get . few lines written for thu
JOURNAL, but II seems almost impos.
sible 10 accomplish 1t. have been
very busy since reaching my old
home, and have spent nearly . week
in Chicago. There Is little that
could write from this place that will
be Of interest 10 the JOURNALS read.
sry, because Of the distance, AMI be-
cause perhaps not . single one Of
them Ii acquainted with the place or
people. But can hardly help writ
ing Of some things that have come
under my observation here, and OF
some conversations had with old
friends. One Of the first questions
IL: "How do you like Kansas?"
When begin to sing the praises OF
the Sunfiower state, some Of them
look . little doubtful and say I:
"Well, amt people starving to death
out there, or didn't they starve last
winter" Then 1 tell them that
Kansas raises more wheat and corn
combined than any other state; has
almost as much stock; and Is getting
to be the greatest fruit state; and is
rapidly paying of her debts; and
that my own county has nearly q
million dollars In deposits in the
banks, and is shipping carloads Of
-four every day inthe year to other
states and Europe, and have docu-
ments with me to prove it, they ask,
"Then why do you have an Alli-
ance?" / can't answer that. Then
I wish 1 had brought along with me
few copies Of the Union. Perhaps
some OF these people could under
stand its reasons for n calamity
party's existence. can't.
This 10 an old settled community
settled largely by people from Penn
sylvsnia, and Maryland, and there
are some wealthy people here, but
the wealthiest OF them are the
'downtrodden slaves of farmers that
the plutocrats have been rubbing.
I'll give you the names of few, and
they have all made their money By
honest toll, working on their farms,
and though some OF them are not at
present engaged in farming, they all
made their money that way, and all
of them eve their prosperity to
farming. There is no telling what
they would be worth IL they had the
benefit Of the sub-tressury, fiat
money end government loans to far
mers. Some of them never signed q
mortgage In their lives, tho nearly
all began rs poor as the average far
mer who homesteaded in Saline
county. Their wealth is estimated
at from SIS 900 to $50, 1000.
John F. Blair, owns five farms,
and he began with almost nothing.
He lives on the farm his father
bought OF Unce Sam; John b.
Cooley, living on the interest Of his
money. i have hesrd him tell Of
walking twenty-five miles to buy q
spade with which to earn ninety cent
q day working for neighbors while
he was living In his cabin and i'm
proving bis own land. On his way
home with his new spade On his
shoulder he was chased by wolves,
and fought them off by swinging his
spade around him In q circle. He
didn't mortgage his land to get
money to loaf on, and never cursed
the money power. His sons and
daughters are all well-to-do. Ernest
Gesin, money to loan, and all made
on his farm. Henry Dovenberger
owns more land than he can tell
without using Q pencil to figure 1t up,
now president Of q bank and proba-
bly, the richest man In this part of the
county. John Koontz a fine, large
farm, with plenty Of money to loan,
but no time to howl calamity or to
curse the government. VIM. Baker
retired and taking it easy. Ferdin-
and Hoffman, retired aud living In
town, with several farms for his sons
to carry on. could extend the list
but these parties began with in two
or three miles OF where / write. /
might mention the names OF several
who have died in the last few years,
leaving large estates reaching to fifty
or sixty thousand all made from the
smallest beginnings. Geo. w.
Mitchell, (country merchsnts) David
Baker and Jonathan Myers. But
none Of these men had any better
opportunities than Kansas mer-
chants and farmers now have, and
that Is why 1 can't see any use for
calamity party
There are people here vino came to
this country at as early a day as
these parties mentioned; had the
same chances for making money,
the same chances to own farms, and
they are still renting from year to
year, and going from farm to farm.
Perhaps calamity will make some Of
them rich when It reaches out and
takes in other states besides Kan
sas, but I seriously doubt 1t, just as
I seriously doubt Its adding to the
wealth Of the same class OF farmers
In the latter state.
have seen crop failures, chinch
bugs and killing frosts In Illinois,
but thousands Of farmers here are
rich and prosperous In spite OF these
drawbacks, and 1t IL SO In Kansas,
and IL will be % world without end.
1t has been very hot, dry aud dus-
ty, and the past month OF Septem-
Der will be remembered for gener-
alton as excelling all other Septem-
bers In that respect. Still there has
been an excellent crop of small
grain and fruits, and the corn crop
IL one Of the best the state ever had.
Kansas farmers who expect enor-
nous prices for their corn this year
will be disappointed, for corn seems
to be good everywhere.
A great many people here are
talking Of coming to Kansas to
secure farms, and the railroads
/ amid unaka a Uvaaf sfyiko hv soodiov