The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-05-17
Letter from Kansas.

Editor Vermont Wdtchn,an:-Possib a
lew lines from one who spent forty years
of his life in Vermont, where he was ac-
lively engaged in business, bnt who for six
years since has been a resident of Kansas,
may be OF some interest to his acquaint-
ances in the old Green Mountain state.
A few days ago | noticed letter in one of
the Vermont papers headed, Farming
Pays in Vermont" The writer described
how some farmer had saved $500 in one
years time besides supporting his family.
This probably means that his farm was
clear from mortgage and that he did not
have to pay much if any interest money. 1t
stated that he had, last year, two acres Of
potatoes, one and one-half acres of corn
and something like three acres of oats, and
twelve cows, had actually saved S400, aud
therefore advises no one to move to any
western state. OF course this $4OO was
saved by the strictest economy-his wife,
doubtless, doing all of her work. For one who
has lived in this grand and beautiful state
for SIX years, that amount of cultivated land
seems very small indeed. IL is not very un-
usual for farmers here to have two hundred
acres of corn, and it is quite unusual to ind
less than fifty acres of corn cultivated on
any ordinary farm each year. [ call to mind
two farms with which I am well acquainted,
which OF course are extreme cases) where,
last year (and this there Were thirteen
hundred acres of corn in one field, and last
winter there were twenty-eight hundred
head OF cattle kept, fattened and shipped to
market from this farm, besides the large
amount OF other crops raised on the farm.
Another one in my mind, where, last year
there were fourteen hundred acres IF corn
in one field, and at one time there were one
hundred and eighty men cutting and
shocking the corn. These two places are
situated within twenty miles of our beauti-
ful city of Topeka. One man can ordi-
narily tend one hundred acres of corn, and
10 of
corn crop in our state this year, as we are
having copious rains and everythingis liz look
ing favorable to that end
The political situation is Improving we
think. That is, there has been a great
change during the last few months in popu-
lar sentiment The populists are beginning
TO see that they have made a mistake. and
we are looking for a large republican gain
from time to time. 1 never have heard it
lntimated by any one, even the populists in
Kansas, that they had any idea of repudiat-
ing their hoRest debts, which story has been
to some extent circulated in the East We
had Tor succession of years in Kansas
partial failure of crops. A certain class of
men seemed 10 think that some great referm
was needed, and that the government was
somehow responsible for the condition of
their finances
do not know of country where so much
can be raised with little work as here. While
L love the old Green Mountain state, the
home of my childhood, and where i was ia
successful business for 80 many years, vet.
after having been here now, begin to feel
some like the man who migrated from Indi-
ana. He said he did not intend to go back to
the Old state, nor had any desire to go back to
her. Ihere seems to be a chance for young
men OF this country to develop and spread
out in great many ways, that they cannot
have in eastern states.
In writing this, do not wish to induce
any one to leave the East, but should they
wish TO do so, will say there are grand OPP
portunities here for any one who is willing
TO work and economize as they do at home.
l wish to say word about our Capital city.
IL Is growing more beautiful from year TO
year and has increased in population some-
thing like 1000 people in the last year. We
have the best system OF electric street rail-
road system OF any city in the West, and it
only ranks second in the United States in
the manufacture of flour. New mills and
elevators are continually growing up. The
prospect for manufactures in the city are
daily growing. e. b. MERRIAM.