The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-11-09

! ernment2 I did not inquire. Are there
no politicians in your State? Are you
nrona Of them? The majority rules. and
| In Kansas takes pleasure In experimenting
with the old crop under new name, have
we any right TO object?
THE GOOD IN KANSAS.
There have been hard times In Kansas
very hard times What were the causes I?
! The nrst settlers could only experiment.
\ and. unfortunately. when the prairie was
| converted fnto grain aeide, two sncees-
s,ve good crops were taken for e5idence
\ thaf Kansas was rich agricultural
| state. Then came imitation. together
| with drouth and grasshoppers. What
| need TO tell tho whole story! The weak
kneed fed. and those who remained from
| choice or necessity were gradually meta
morphosed into the present .hard-working.
| close-fsted Kansas farmers They took
lessons from nature. That same ground
| which refused a return 10 the filler OF
| the soil save In exceptional years. had
| fed and fattened MILLIONS of bunaloes.
| WHY should not our kline thrive? And
| 30 rhe farmer Turned into cattle breeder.
Not the cattle king of Montana or Aii-
IONA. but a heard Of IS or 100 head would
I rcnunerste him handsomely on his In
| vestnenf NJ a few hundred acres. and II
| ne ala cultivate grain or corn, any posi-
| HE eurnlus could be turned into meat or
nor.s. The example Of arabic Colorado
! alec r,,oved beneficial. Irrigation was In
| trodt,ced and three crops Of alfalfa was
no h.d reward for this new departure.
| 'ratse my word for II! Kansas viii pay
her mortgages. and Il will be some time
before her farmers again apply TOT rehei''
often. grudgingly granted at per cent
or more. 80 oos
hard American pluck. and ] do like 70.
Give credit, FOR H. And If you. reader are
American I'm spirit. you will agree win
me. ,.
Int sier intht cmfwyp mfwyp fwyppww
Z There is one thing ! do not armlre III
Kansas and that is the climate, Contoune
Kansas climate There Is 100 much VI
n n is too rich and altogether too va
ricd II Is true that they don't sell 1t
nv the foot or yard as some States do
bnt they could not II they tried If any
sole Of climate were gCinc en- In the
state of Kansas they woulC have TO
take the square mile as unit OF meas
ure and could then afford 10 throw
sof- cthing in.
left Kansas City on Monday, October
18th. 1t was hot. oppressively hot!
Every window in the sleeper was open
and stll it was suItry. Il hope said
nv friend who is on his way TO China
climate can perform without apparent
cxertion. II hope that there will be snow
I'm lbe mountains, Il Is such grand
Sight" His wish was more than grail
fed When Tuesday morning came, we
were treated 20 n genuine Kansas bliz-
gard. which Colorado had done ner hcst
TO strengthen After the heat % the
dav before, the temperature seemed 20
rival that of the Klondlke and went low
Ito Of rtto a1
lev blast. DO not, when travelling In
Kansas express Il wish for change of
;empcrs ture The state keeps great
variety on hand. nd country orders are
flied with promptncss and dispatch.
1 would matter little If Kansas Nou'1
co 1fne this variety within her own I'm
It's bu; she Is TOO lib,,ll. When We
pas.e6 the State line the snow WIS 30
Thick that the engineers did not see the
oabt sc Of a standing freight train 1Hh
yen Introduced his locomotive Tine
caboose in returning the compliment fail
ed TO remain on the rails. There was no
damage, but we were detained some
time in a very interesting and chilly part
Of the road and then struggled on to the
high Ration pass where the tail end of
the storm was plentifuly in evidence.
IMMENSELY OF OUR DOMAIN.
Let me say here that the Athison,
Topeka and Santa Fe by which am trav-
cling has improved very much since 1t
passed from the receivers into the hands
OF President r. p. Ripley. every part Of
the road give evidence Of the personal
supervision of its chief officer May the
Union Pacific be as fortunate after the
reorganization takes place.
/ have referred briefly to the immen-
slty of our domain Nowhere, ] fancy.
are we impressed more with this fact
than when we enter upon the table land
| of New Mexico. The thin and pure at
mosphCre enlarges the horizon and as
miles upon miles pass by, the question
rises spontaneously: Is there no end to
this?
When ! passed by here the last time.
now a little over eight years ago, the
burning question of the hour was alien.
ownership of land and the press
throughout the States mentioned the
territory through which / am passing as
an instance of the harm wrought under
such ownership This Is the famous
Maxwell Land Grant. II has been fought
through State courts and twice the Unit
ed States Supreme Court has rendered
a decision In favor of the present owners
who now hold an undisputed title. Under
a decision rendered by the Secretary Of
the Interior in 1876 part of the grant had
been thrown open to settlers, and when
the final decision was rendered in favor
Of the bona fide purchasers of this do
main, the people who had pre-empted
dpon the land were liable to be evicted
But the company had been reorganzed
and the American directors decided to
purchase the claims of these people. This
humans plan was carried out and at pres
ent there is not a sign of dissatisfaction
anywhere.
VI | remember we'll $40 900 was the
price paid for the grant, and until the
reorganization took place the unfortunate
stockholders were constantly mulctcd by
assessments Now there Is evidence
enough to warrant the assertion that the
investment will be returned without loss.
AS an agricultural section doubt If it
will ever amount to very much. although
the irrigation canals thus far completed
may prove this conclusion TO be over
hasty. / know that at Santa Fe, which
has higher altitude than the plateau
l am speaking Of every kind of decid-
nous fruit thrives and possesses an ex-
cellont flavor. But our farming system
does not contemplate the cultivation of
small farms. The apparently illimited ex-
tent OF arabic territory seems to increase
the desire for vast estates and the hard
times of the past years are dull. not only
to the general depression, but as much
TO the uniformity of the crops necessi-
tated by the extent of the farms and
the cost of labor. Many farmer would