The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-21
NEBRASKA'S GREAT CROPS.
N BEDLEss PROCESSION OF olRS
TAXING GRAIN TO WARKEE

vnu vafus or Harra Products This Yeav re
tiusated nc More Thau ouoo. 900
Prospcrity or General Business and or Rarn.
srs-Ths Liauidarion sr Farn Mortgages.
LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 2o.-For the past two
Wvsrs an endless procession Of heavily laden
oaEv, freiehted with the wheat and corn Of No
braska, has been passing through Lincoln. The
Burlington and Missouri River Railroad, the
Western extension Of the 20" system Of Iowa,
r. the main commercial highway for Nebraska.
To the east, south, west, northwest, and north
from the State capital its rails stretch, here and
there darting on at an angle TO tap some rich
agricultural community, but pushing steadily
on to Kansas, to Colorado. 10 Wyoming, and to
the Dskotas. The Burlington 10 the business
thsEmometer for Nebraska, and no better evil
dsucs that prosperity has returned to the State
could be desired than the activity 30 marked all
along fts lines.
The change from last year. whom tho doleful
calamity howlers found ready listeners at every
oressroads schoolhouso, In amazing. From every
business centre Of the State comes the news that
SALES % farmers have been doubled in volume,
and the impetus thus given to business 10 felt in
ovsry line Of trade. In Nebraska the old prin-
cipls Of political economy that agriculture 10
the basts Of all commerce finds daily exemplin-
cation. The same engines and cars that haul
the great bumper crops Of 1897 eastward bring
back barrels, boxes. and crates Of goods, while
the quarterly statements Of the banks show tho
surplus accommodating for the happiness and con-
tontment Of the farmer. General Manager Cal
vert Of the Burlington said the other day,
"The crops are moving toward the markets
In greater volume ct this season Of tho year
than ever before In the history Of our road. The
demand for cars ct way stations 10 greater than
We can meet, and our transportation facilities
are taxed beyond cur capacity. From every
division comes the call for engines, but we have
not enough. The yards at Hastings. AZ Lincoln,
at Omaha. at Kansas City are filled almost to
overnewing with cars laden with grain, and
with all that we can do We cannot raise
the blockade. In my opinion tho crop
this year fully equals that of 1892.
Then, however. wheat was not SO much
cultivated, and everything was corn, corn. The
dealers at Chicago, where most of our corn was
marketed, were speedily surfeited. and prices
fell 90 low that 1t did not pay to have 1t hauled.
Consequently after q few months the railroads
found no very great extra demand upon their
facilities. Now 1t 10 different The good prices
for wheat and corn now paid are moving
not only what was produced this year. In great
part, bus the millions OF bushels bought last fall
tie farmers and held for the raise they expected,
an expectation that has been fulfilled. We have
ordoroa ahead now for oars to last us six weoks.
ali wintor with the same force now employed.
1.-THE demand 10 great for cars for cattle and
hoEs also. Many farmers have learned that tho
faisfng Of hogs and beef cattle by meane Of
home feeding yields even q better return than
diversihcatien Of crops. The market has kept
up well. and many thousands of dollars that
were sent into the State. last summer to fatten
csttlo and. hogs for market are reaping the sure
and certain return that the speculation prom
Used. Still another evidence OF tho prosperity
that has Infused itself all over the State is
the fact that the Burlington, as well as
every other Nebraska railroad COMPANY, has
been for tho past four months running its con-
s~truction and repair shops ten hours o day.
whereas six has been the average for five years.
As the pay rolls Of the Nebraska companies
number 1000 men, including those building
and repairing, cars and locomotives. the infu:
0nce OF this added prosperity 10 widely iffused.'
Nebraska has a State Board Of Agriculture.
but 1t has no bureau for the gathering OF statis-
tics that would be valuable as showing resources
and yields. The nearest approach to anything
like an organized hunt for facts Is carried on By
the Burlington. which has made each agent o
weather observer and q compiler o. figures CIV
Ing acreage and. yields. In addition to those
men Q number of crop experts are employed,
and their figuring on tho Nebraska crop for
1897 10 as follows: