Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1897-01-28
MISCELLANEOUS.
Don't Go West.

Editor Greenbrier Independent:
1t was bright sunny day last
week when left Ardmore, for
north western Kansas, via. Kansas
City. Doors and windows were
thrown open, and the day was per-
feet. We were in northern Okla
homa before fire was needed. 1t
was pleasant to note indications of a
fair degree Of prosperity in Oklaho-
ma. The cotton and grain crops of
that young territory were better
last season than ever before. In the
days of the eXodusters parts of Kan
sas were over run with negroes. When
Oklahoma was opened to settlement
thousands Of them went thither and
very many southern negroes have
swelled the colored population SO
that some OF the towns and neigh.
borhoOds are inhabited chiefly by
the descendants OF Ham. And they
love the cotton plant, and raise it as
far north as the Kansas line.
Kansas had timely rains last year
and if there is such a thing as over
production, the farm products OF
Kansas are an example.
You can form some conception OF
the superabundance of feed when
tell you that in the county of Otta.
wa something over thirty-thousand
head of southern and western range
cattle have been shipped since last
September. There were fully as
many domestic cattle in the county
and Notwithstanding the shipmen
from the county of thousands of tom
of hay, and of corn and wheat by
the train load, great quantities o
provender will 60 to waste for wan
of live stock to consume it, OF tht
$500, 900 hogs received at the Kan
sas City stock yards in 1896, at leas
~, 900 head were fattened in Ottawi
county. | have not the statistics bu
know that large number of horse!
were also shipped from the county
| mention one county because / hap
pen to know most about its receipts
and disbursement. Other countie.
in the state produced more grain
grass and fodder and have more livt
stock to feed, yet one travelling il
those counties in the spring will Set
the torch applied to straw ricks, ant
hundreds and hundreds of acres tina
are thickly dotted with shocks o
sorghum and Kaffir fodder, and corr
stalks will be broken and either
burned or plowed under. In th'
midst Of abundance that their cribs
and sheds will not hold and that they
cannot get livestock enough to con
sumo the Kansas farmers complain
truthfully that they are not growing
richer.
Kansas City has not had mor'
ready money in her banks and hand
of Capitalists to loan in any previou
year. And her retail and wholesal
trade is quite active.
At the stock yards the receipt
have been of a most satisiactor!
character. The live stock exchange
building is the handsomest, larges
and most commOdiOus in the world
The arrangement and convenienc
of the yards is not excelled am
Chicago alone receives and slaugh
ters more cattle, hogs and sheep. A
no other market in the world are
many stockers and feeders bough
and sold and reshipped to the coun
try.
Her great grain elevators this ia
and winter have been taxed to thel
, utmost capacity. And the deep wa
, ter harbor being secured at Calves
: ton has so increased shipments G
grain to the city that railroads rur
ming direct to the Gulf could not 10
months furnish promptly sufhcier
4. transportation facilities.
Yet, despite the demand for multi
tudes of men and women to keep tn
wheels of commerce whirling, an
the show of stupendous labor and a
tiyity in every department of worl
. fully eight thousand people are dali
tramping the streets in search of en-
ployment, which they 80 much nee
' and cannot find.
Employers of labor and chairtabI