Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-12-21
DIVISION OF LAND HOLDINGS.
Large California Estates Being Practitioners
Among Small Farmers.

recent occurrence in California is the
division of large landed properties
with ultimate plans for colonization.
This comes about from causes beyond
the control of the great land owners,
who part reluctantly with their prince
ly realities. These causes are in opera
ton all over the United States, but are
more efficient in California for various
local reasons, one being the higher price
of land, and another being that it is not
corn country, which crop gives en-
ployment to laborers during a large
part of the year. In the hands and un-
der the watchful eye of an industrious
owner there is no part of the world that
will better repay the small farmer who
engages in mixed husbandry on the in
tensive system. But this is far away
from the theory of the great ranchers.
Some of these owners have sought to
cultivate their land by hired Cinnamon
or by leasing to tenants, largely for
eigners; but the great acreage has been
given over to vast herds of cattle, horses
and sheep.
This state has her share of electric
railroads, with certainty of great in
crease in the near future, while towns
of asphaltum pavement and level or
easy country grades over almost mud
less roads for cyclinghave conspired to
bring the price of common range horses
below the cost of raising. Beef pro-
ducers still find profit if they have
alfalfa fields for a ''fnish,'' but this
calls for an investment in seeding and
irrigating. Grain growing formerly
yielded large returns by means of the
machinery used, which first attained
perfection in this state, but is now out
of the question on lands held at these
prices.
Fruit growing, for which, California
is and ever will be distinguished above
all the other states of the union, re-
quires an investment on each .acre.equaF
to or greater than the price ofthe land,
and also the constant oversight of the
owner, or of an interested high-grads
manager. Good lands have been con-
sidered first-class security, and the
owners had no difficulty in placing
mortgages of s., 900 to 100000. Pay
day comes finally, however; when prin-
cipal, as well as interest, must be met
the property go at reduced prices
While this is a disappointmentsto many
families, who hoped to see the mag
nificCnt estates go to their children,
perhaps for generations to come, yet it
will be of incalculable benefit to the
state.
These great landed estates in
cIude many of the most desirable lands
in the valleys, which selections were
made in early days and purchased as
Spanish grants, often at a nominal
price. Other ranches, sometimes COM
prising hundreds of thousands of acres,
were purchased in part from railroad
grants of every alternate or the odd
numbered sections or square miles,.
while the even numbered sections were
acquired from the United States
through the various land laws, and
finally gathered into the millionaire's
estate. This land monopoly, which has
so retarded real development; is GER
tainly giving way under the pressure
of the new conditions.
Most of the great lords, of the soil
have passed already into the scar and
yellow leaf, while several have dropped
by the way, and, and their surviving
partners, or heirs, evince less and less
desire to pay taxes on the whole world.
Much of the land which isscoming ON
the market at prices within the reach
of people who are looking forFhomes is
already under irrigation, and canals are,
extending their beneficent waters over
other dry but wonderfully fertile tracts.
Hitherto the subdivision of lands and
welcoming of, immigrants has taken
place chiefly in few localities, but the
forced conditions above described EXIST
in all portions of the statet
While California is better adaptedl
to specialties in vegetation than any
other state, by reason of her great va--
riety of climatic and soil conditions, it,
remains true here, as elsewhere, that
the family which produces on it's own.
acres its supply of vegetables, milk,
butter. eggs, poultry, meat, fruit and
nuts, as well as grass and grain for the
domestic animals, is independent of
market fluctuations. The fact that
such results are easiest attained irr an
arid region under irregafion was first
set before the American public by Hor-
ace Greeley when heTriDune proposed
the Greeley colony for Colorado. That
was an experiment, but it's successful
results and all that1 has been learned
during these yearsSin tAe arts of agri-
culture, horticulture and irrigation are
now common property and at the COM
mand of the mostihex Tserienced.
The furry which YVES excited by the.
Judge Ross decisionl adverse to the
Wright irrigation law is passing away
and the hope IS generally ezpressedI
that the United1 States supreme courts.
where the case is-sosn to be heard, will
rule against the. Wright law. The.
bondholders will De protected where
value has been received, ana other and
fairer ways will be worked aut thar are.
provided under that law. IN fact. only
a comparatively small position OF the.