Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-12-27
Farms a Investments.

Every visitor to this county from
the Eastern states has wonder to ex-
press as to the price Of farmlands In
Kansas as compared to older settled
communities aud interesting infor-
nation concerning the low prices for
iarmlands in the East compared to
that OF decade ago--the decrease
being In some instances one
half or more. The Baltimore Sun
instances the recent sale Of some
Maryland farms at figures that ap-
pear miraculously low. One farm Of
| 1914 acres, with dwelling and out
buildings, was sold for $500; tract
Of 80 acres was bought for $50, and a
nine-acre lot went for S25.
An Abilene man just back from
Chambcrsburg, Pa, tells Of a farm OF
| 100 acres, cultivated and with good
house and barn, that sold for $1,000
last week. As these lands are situat-
ed conveniently to transportation
facilities the price may have been ex-
ccptionaly moderate, but it lisa well
known fact that at the present time
good, arabic land accessible to mar
kets can be bought at prices that
place the possession Of a farm within
the reach of thousands Of families
that have long desired to own such a.
means Of support. This fact is true
Of nearly every Eastern state,
The effect will be to restore the bal
ancc between urban and rural popt-
lation which during prosperous times
always drifts cityward.
In the years from 1860 to 1870
there was an average increase in the
city population Of the whole country
Of as per cent. Between 1870 and
1880, and largely as a result Of the
panic Of 1873, the percentage Of urban
increase dropped to l.64 per cent but
between 1880 and 1890 this increase
rose again to 6.63 per cent, an in
crease wholly unprecedented even in
this country Of rapid growth. This
urban increase has not, however, been
evenly distributed over the whole
country, but has been much greater
in the North than in the South, and
has been much more noticeable in the
North Atlantic states than anywhere
else.
The consequence is congestion of
city population in Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, New York and the New Eng
land states. In the whole country
the urban population, as shown by
the census Of 1890, Is 1920 per cent
Of the total, but in the states mem
toned 5l.Sl per cent, or more than
half live in cities Of 5000 or more
population. From 1880 to 1890 the
urban population of these states in
creased 44l5 per cent, while the
total population increased only 1913
per cent, and taking the nine states
together the rural population suffer-
cd ON actual decrease. Taking an-
other group Of states, as Indiana,
Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa and
Minnesota, and the census shows that
the total rural population of these
six states increased during the ten
years from lSSoto 1890 only 426,ooo,
while the urban population increased
l,9l6,0Oo, or nearly five to one And
what Is called the rural increase in
cludcs the growth In NIL towns and
villages having less than 5000 inhab-
tants. Such an increase In the cities
is wholly disproportionate and dc-
stroys the natural balance between
city and country life.
Tho resulting low prices of farms
will make them valuable as invest
ments and we may expect to see the
rural population increase as it should
to its normal figure.