Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1896-01-16

W t'ehNt Nso eHOtAtSA N~Ass8 tA%Nv - - ~~~
a corn country, which crop gives on
ploymcnt to laborers during ! lasye
part Of the year, In tho hands and nm
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 tn h.
tensiye system. But this Il FIR away
from the theory Of the great rsncheru.
Some Of these owners have ao,lght u
cultivate their land by hired Chinlmsn
or by Leasing to tenants, largely tor
elgners; but the great acreage has beeu
given over TO yast herds Of cattle. horses
and sheep.
This state has her share Of electric
railroads, with certainty Of great n.
crease In the near future, while town.
Of asphaltum pavement and lsvsl o.
easy country grades over almost mud
less roads for cycling have conspired 70
bring the price Of common range horses
below the cost Of raising, Beet pro-
ducers still find a profit II they have
alfalfa fields for q "tlnish," but this
calls for I'M investment In seeding and
irrigatlng. GrMn growing formerly
yielded large returns by means Of The
machinery used which hrst attained
perfection In this state, but II now out
Of the question on lands held at those
prices.
Fruit growing, for which California
IN and ever will be distinguished above
all the other states Of the union, n.
qulrea an Investment on each acre equal
to or greater than tho price Of tho land.
und also the constant overnight Of tho
| owner, or Of IN interested high-grads
manager, Good lands have been con.
sidered first-class security, and the
owners had no difficulty In placing
mortgages OF $4,000 TO 100000. Pay
day comes finally, however, when prln-
cipal, an well US interest, must be met.
and there Ia no alternative except TO lot
the property go at reduced prices.
While this Is disappointment to many
families, who hoped to see tho mag.
nIfccnt estates go to their children,
perhaps for generations to come, yet II
will be Of lncalcuable benefit to tho
state.
These great landed estates In
cludc many Of The most desirable lands
In the valleys, which selections woro
made In early days and purchased q
Spanish grants, often at nominal
price. Other ranches, sometimes COM
prising hundreds Of thousands Of acrel
were purchased In part from railroad
grants Of every alternate or tho 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
80 retarded real development 10 GER
innly 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, eyince less and less
desire to pay taxes on the whole world.
Much Of the land which is coming on
the market at prices within the reach
Of people who are looking for homes Is
slYssdy under irrigation, and canals are
extending their beneflcent waters over
other dry AUTOMATICALLY 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 state.
While California Is better adapted
to specialties in vegetation than any
other state, by reason of her great va
riety Of climatic and soil conditions, II
remains true here, as elsewhere, that
the family which produces on Its own
pcres 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 In an
arid region under irrigation was first
set before the American public by Hor-
ace Greeley when the Tribune proposed
the Greeley colony for Colorado. That
was an experiment, but its successful
results and all that has been learned
during these years in the arts Of agri-
culture, horticulture and irrigation are
now common property, and at the COM
mand Of the most inexperienced.
The furry which was excited By the
Judge Ross decision adverse to the
Wright irrigation law is passing away,
and the hope is generally expressed
that the United States supreme court,
where the case is soon to be heard, will
rule against the Wright law. The
bondholders will be protected where
value has been received, and other dnd
fairer ways will bcworked out than are
provided under that law. In fact, only
q comparatively small portion Of the
Irrigation Of this state was begun under
the Wright law, and capitalists were
from the first disinclined to invest u
those securities.-N. y. Tribune.