Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1895-09-25
MONOPOLY CURSED.
A TERRIBLE ARRAIGNMENT OF
OUR CIVILIZATION.
How the Good Gifts OF Heaven Are
Thwarted by Monopoly-Five Hun
dred Men Own Half of the State of
California.

From "The New Crisis" by Capt.
Bell: Half of California, including
more than three-fourths of the best ar
able and pasture land, is owned by less
than 500 men. Travelling once in that
paradisiacal country, where nature
seems to have halted in awe of the great
Pacific and emptied out her precious
load of all that could happily a world !;
so rich the soil, so bountiful and lux
uriant the fruit and vegetable world,
SO varied the climate and pure ami
healthful the air, that 1t seemed could
hear the gods whisper from the snow
capped mountains and the tropical val
leys, for man to come and eat and
drink and be happy, as plenty defied
exhaustion of her stores. Driving up a
valley so rich, fertile and beautiful, I
halted in wonder, and stood in silent
amazement, beholding the enchanting
| scene. On one side the bold mountain
stood grandly erect, with snow-capped
| summit that, like a crowned giant,
| guarded the fairy land, and the fieecy
| clouds that floated majestically over
from the sea stopped to kiss the fair
cheek of the generous king of the west
The mountains brows were hung with
fruits and vines, from which hung great
festoons of ripened grapes of natures
kind.
The forests were silent except for tbs
music of the birds and the sweet purlins
rills; the grass uncropped, except by the
timid deer and antelope; the soil un
broken, except by the track Of the
freighter's lonely team, and the lone
some world Of beauty seemed to sigt
for some to praise and enjoy. Th'
smiling valley was nearly as wide a
that of the Nile, and as fertile as tha
of the Pc. Thirty miles from huma,
habitation, I came upon train of sad
weary, slowly-trudging emigrants
The teams were jaded and every ste
of the weary animals was a silent pro
test against the pleading driver for a
onward movement. There were seve
teams with seven families. The me
were sad, sturdy, honest and brave
looking pioneers, with Drowned cheek.
worn and dusty clothing; and a loo
and word of subdued kindness shove
them honest and true. There wer
seven wives and mothers, from tn
bride of a few months to the gray
haired dame, who lived again for he
children's children. And, oh, what
sad, weary, hopeless looking group the
were as they moved like ghosts abo,
the campfire, preparing the frug;
!, meal. Their eyes were deep and slu,
, gish; their cheeks were brown, bl
sunken; their forms were bent an
., their arms lean and weak Tired n;
ture had chased away womanly mo,
esty, pride and loveliness. The will
cred breasts Of almost savage mothel
were unblushingly exposed, ar
scrawny babes were vainly trying
gather from the dried-up fount Il
means of life. What looking childre
I There were twenty. Were a smile
u come that way, the pouting faces wou
t frighten it away, never to return. N
s ture opened her acres and seemed
e glee to cheer the hearts of those ney
s comers. The rustling trees said, "con
t to my shade, and rest until you bui
r habitation.' The fertile soil sal
T "plow me up, and quickly I will fatt,
o the sides of all the weary colony" al
;, the fruits said, pluck and eat, for t
u gods have provided for the children
r, men,
n With prospects so chaming why we
e these people sad? Why did they not i
u joice, like the pilgrims of old, or Z
7: multitudes in the oriental tale, VIII
II they found like country? They we
1t searching for homes, fer place
10 which to build habitation, where tn
IT could cultivate the soil. sow crops, a
g rest at even, under their own wine a
r: fig tree" Why were they sad a
D, helpless? For ten leagues there was
II habitation, and why not bless God a
go to work?
They were hunting homes in VOL
1t where nature placed them. They we
N hunting resting place on Gods To-
s, stool, where they might humbIy t
at His feet and praise Him for T