Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-01-10
KANSAS LETTER.

n CrOp ThlteQ III lnlo luAN VI tAo
first failure for twenty years, and people
seem 10 take it very hard, not being as used
10 IL as are those who live farther west,
where failures are the rule.
Stock men are very much iDconvenienced
ON account Of lack OF water in creeks a. d
the smaller riyers-some being entirely dry
and OF ers nearly 30. Many stock raisers
are hauling water fiye or six miles, and that
is hard work.
While on this subject 1t may be interesting
10 note the remarkable interest In irrigation,
In ,he west, At first II was thought that the
water would ali have TO be taken from the
runninq streams, but within the last few
years Il has been found that the under
flow" can be utilized with less expense and
10 greater advantage. Hundreds OF acres,
nerbaps thousands have been watered from
wells. the water being raised by wind mills:
The supply is practically inexhaustole, ana
the "Kansas zephyrs" furnishes the power
at last q practical use has been Joined for the
famous Kansas wind.
the vicinity of Garden City, where immense
crops have been produced upon land
practically worthless when watered by ma
ture, the water supply being pumped TO the
surface and distributed by means OF dltches.
Al Syracuse nearly the whole Arkansas
valley ia .under ditch" and has been proved
10 be A grand success, for the best OF crops
are raised where but few years ago, moth
ing was sure but buffalo grass and the soap
plant. At Syracuse the water is obtained
from the Arkansas river and conducted oy
a main ditch, while lateral orancnes take
the water to where 1t is needed.
Some weeks ago an article, illustrated by
numerous engrayings, appeared IN Hdrpers
Weeklu. giving an account OF the plan o.
irrlpatinQ at Garden City. Editorials have
appeared on this subject in many OF the
principal papers and magazines east and
west. conventions have met to discuss the
mater, and all this agitation means some
thing, II means that thousands OF square
mites of arid land will be reclaimed, and
that the Great American Desert shall yet
blossom as the rose"
OF all the plans tried 1t seems that the
most practicable is utilizing tne under
flow. for the waters of the rivers can only
be used within limited areas, |. O., the val
leys, and can be obtained only at consider
able expense in the construction, or to those
outside of the company by the paying OF
rents for water privileges, while by the other
plan every farmer who can raise money
enough to dig we'll and buy a windmill, can
have all the water he wants free of charge,
and the extent to which he can make use OF
it, is limited only to his willingness to pro-
vide means for its distribution over his land.
look for great boom" IN irrigation
during the next ten years, and should not
he surprised to find that those who held on
to their westernland would reap a rich reward
In Kansas there ia nothing 80 certain as
uncertainty, and this is true in politics as
in everything else. Two years ago the state
went PopulIst by large majoriles; four or
five wears ago it gave Harrison eighty-two
thousand majority, and this year 1t has gone
Republican again by about twenty thous nd
plurality. Two years ago Kansas was the
stronghold of Populism, to-day the state
seems to have recovered from its temporary
alteration of mind, and to bea sane as ever.
Kansas has suffered much from its many
mistakes and sins of commission and com
mission; from the envy and spite OF It's
enemies, from the misguided zeal OF its
friends, from grasshoppers, and droughts,
and hot winds, and occasionally from an over
abundant supply Of water, but IT never came
so near TO totally and eternally wrecking
itself as it did when it tried to carry Lewell-
ing and Populism.
IewellinR, Waite, Altgeld and Peneroye
| form a uuartette the like of which any age or
cline may be challenged to produce their
equal The state has suffered immeasuraoly
| from it's self infiction, and 1t Is to be hoped
| that it has learned much needed lesson.
| The legislature convenes next week, and
| as the inauguration of Gov. Morrill, does not
occur until week from that time, many are
the surmises as to what Gov. Lewelling will
do. Some think he will do all in his power
| to obstruct legislation, and will, by the sup,
port of the senate, fill all the rppointlve Of
| fees with Populists. OF course he could dc
| great deal to make things uncomfortable
| for the incoming administration II he should
40 choose to do, but it seems scarcely posi-.
bic that he should so far forget what is due
to the dignity of his Office as to do from
mere spite what would be unbecoming IN
him both as governor of Kansas, and as
man.
The Republicans went wild over tlleir vic
tory, and great was the rejoicing and many
and elaborate the celebrations in honor Of
it. At Topeka the professions and bands
and various floats, together with every va
riety of noise which the world had evel
thought of, to say nothing Of dozen ol
more invented especially for the occasion
all made the night one long to be remember
| ed, but not with unalloyed pleasure, by ttfost
who did not care for such things. 1t seems
as If the people, men, women and cnaaufei
| we're fairly crazed, for the time.
One "society couple" marched up Kansas
| Avenue the man carrying large dishpan
and the woman beating upon IT with a Gro
get mallet.
Squads of ''society" ladies would marcf
along the avenue, blowing tin horns Blk zee
long, and in most dismal discord. Ii was
sight to make one not exactly proud OF TN
Anglo-Saxon race, and to wonder II afte
all, our civilization and refinement IS no
merely on the surface, and ifweare not near
or savages than most of us thinks
| Wh;nf hsinoa IN mind tbn fart that IL II
not 80 very long ago that we were savages
and that the Anglo Saxon was about the las
race civilized. Who was it said "When tn
ancestors Of Queen Victoria were living II
bark huts among the fens and swamps 9
Jutland ,subsisting upon raw meat and drink
ing warm blood, the ancestors OF Dlsrael
we're refined, educated, intelligent jews
cultivated in poetry, literature, science AM
the arts, being the product of centuries o
civilization. The savage is yet lurking be
meath the surface and appears now and the
Just to prevent our becoming too conceiteo
4 Just now the absorbing topic is the elec
tion of United States senator to fill the plao
left vacant by the death of Senator Plumt
Two years ago Judge Martin, fusion Demo
crat was elected to serve ont Plumbs unez
pired term, and now is the time when tn
regular election takes place. OF course ther
are many candidated for the place, anon
the most prominent beingJ. W.Ady, Mayo
. Hood, Plumbs law partner, j. r. Burto
ICY" Leland, S. 0. Thatcher, and last, bu
! not least ex. Senator ingalls,. Mr.. Ingal
processes not to be candidate, saying tn
he would prefer his old place, now held b
, Senator PETER, but petitions are bein
signed all over the state asking the Legi
lature to send him back to Washington
Some claim that the ex-senator has not sal
that he would not take an election, and tn,
there stories are very industriously circl
lated by the avowed aspirants for the plac
but however that may be, one thing is sur
and that is that Mr.. ingalls, does not frequel
the corridors of the copeland" but instea,
stays quietly at home, or once in while fill
! lecture engagement. It may be that th
"masterly inactivity" of his will prove MOI
potent than oil the hand shaking, and 'wil
ing and dining of the other candidate
: who can tell2 Kansas politics are the mo