The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-09-12
KANSAS FARMS.
The Report Of an Examiner From
the East.
Henry M. Cleveland, Representing New
England Investors, Carefully Studies
the Situation and Makes an En-
couraging Report.

A recent issue of the Hartford, Conn,
Times contained a review of the situa-
ton in Kansas, which is reprinted here
with. 1t was prepared in the interest
of eastern investors by Henry NJ. Cleve-
land. of Brooklyn, Conn, well-known
LAWYER, who was specially employed to
examine the situation:
To Whom it May Concern:
Employed by several gentlemen who
have large real estate investments in
Kansas, have just finished an investi-
CATION of its farming and financial in
terests, and we have agreed that few
of the facts | have gathered may inter
est the persons in this state who have
loans in Kansas, and also those who
are looking for good real estate
security for loans or investments. We
are not attempting to boom Kansas: we
are not attempting to boom any corpor-
alton in Kansas; we have endeavored
to get the absolute, undeniable facts in
relation to the lands and their possibil-
tiles and to the ability of the perma-
nent settlers to make money farming,
and to pay their mortgage indebted
ness. I travelled nearly the whole
length of the state, from the Missouri
border on the east to the Colorado line
on the west. l spent some time in
nineteen counties in different parts of
the state, spending the most of the
time in the western counties which
have been so misunderstood and ma
lipned by newspaper writers and polit-
ical tricksters like PETER and "Sockless
Simpson" obtained many facts
which appear in this letter from per-
sonal friends and farmers of large and
long experience and observation in sew
eral counties. My imagination has
furnished no material for this letter.
In this investigation | exercised the
same care and thoroughhess that did
in 1877 when I investigated the real
estate assets in the west of the life in
surance companies of Connecticut un-
der an appointment from the state.
NV employers desired only plain cold
facts; these have given them. Kansas
is divided into 106 counties, containing
a population of about ], 500, 600, at least
two-thirds of which are Americans, one-
half of the other third are Germans and
the remainder is composed of all other
nationalities It is conceded by every
BODY that the central and eastern parts
of the state possess almost unlimited
land resources and that the soil and
seasons are favorable for the production
Of grain, stock, etc. The assaults that
have been made upon Kansas have been
aimed mainly at the western third of
the state. 1t has been said and written
over and over that the land is poor
that they have no rainfall there, that
nearly all the farms started there had
been abandoned and that all the money
loaned on farms there would be lost
| Now it is true that farms have been
given up, some voluntarily and
some by foreclosure, and the exp1ana-
ton is clear; all the men who have
abandoned their farms in the way have
named, were in two classes. One class
would go there, take a quarter section OF
government land, break a few acres,
| build sod house, do nothing until the
time came to prove up and get title and
then borrow all the money they could
on the farm, which meant sale to the
| lender The other class were men who
went from the corn states and tried tc
raise corn, which cannot be done sue.
cessfully in that part of the state, for
the reason that the altitude is too high,
the nights are too cool and that August
and September are the dry months
which damage the crops. Some OF
these men got discouraged and went
off, others began to raise wheat anC
did we'll. Winter wheat is the safe,
great crop of western Kansas. 1t is
planted in the fall, the winter rains and
SHOWS keep the ground in fine condi
ton and the crop comes off before the
dry weather sets in. With rare ex
ceptions the men who went into west
ern Kansas during the last ten years
intending to stay, are there now (f liv
ing) and are in independent circum
stances, most of them, and some o
them are moderately rich. They suffer
there occasionally from prolonged
drought, as we do in this state and a
they do in all other states
They do not realize the full benef
of the rainfall for the reason that tbs
surface of vast tracts of unbroken prai
RE land has been made as hard as stone
almost, by the incessant tramp of buf
faloes, in the early history of the state
The water runs off and the soil get
very little moisture. The damage t
crops by droughts will be less frequen
as the land is brought under cultivation
have some knowledge OF all the grail
states. | have travelled twice over tn
famous Red river valley wheat lands i
North Dakota, and do not hesitate t
say that | have never seen a richer
handsomer belt of wheat and all SINAI
grain lands, than those have travele
over in western Kansas. A compan
of gentlemen own a large body of Ian
in southwestern Kansas, and l had
long interview with their manager, an
: he said he should put in 5000 acres {
wheat this fall, and next year quat
ruple it He said 10 me: Il beliey
the next great wheat belt of the cour
try will be in western Kansas, easter
Colorado and the panhandle of Texas
The crops all over Kansas are unusual
large, although corn in some parts
the state is a little backward, and tt