The Advocate and news., 1898-04-06
OPPORTUNITIES IN KANSAS.

AN hANBh5s
Kansas is 200 miles wide and 400 miles
long. It lies at the very heart and center
Of the United States 1t is blessed with
q mild climate, healthful air and pure
water. 1t has an altitude ranging from
700 feet above sea level at It's eastern
border to $500 feet in the northwestern
corner. This gradual southeasterly slope
shelters 1t from the cold, destructive
northwestern blizzards and gives 1t an
admirable climate for growing and feed
ing stock Of all kinds. 1t Is called the
"Sunfower State" because OF the great
prOfusion and beauty of wild sunfowers
which face the sun with their golden
smiles on every plain and In every val
ley. 1t has more bright, sunshlny, health
inspiring days in year than any other
locality, Italy not excepted. 1t is well
watered with streams and springs and
the eastern third Of the State is we'll
supplied with natural timber and ex-
cellent building stone In the south
eastern third bituminous coal Of good
quality Is abundant and easily mined,
and natural gas and coal oil are being de-
veloped in apparently inexhaustible
quantities and lead and zinc mines are
worked on large scale, In the central
part Of the State gypsum and plaster
rock abound and are easily made into
the best quality of plaster for building
purposes, while millions of acres are
underlaid with bed of pure rock salt,
from 100 to 400 feet thick, and at Hutch
inson alone $50 carloads day Of salt
are taken out and shipped to the markets
of the world. No other State In the
Union contains so many great natural
advantages and says so little about them
as does the State OF Kansas.
rhe surface Of the land is gently un-
dulating and the soil is rich and fertile.
The eastern half Of the State Is we'll
adapted for growing corn, small grains,
tame grasses and fruits, while the west
ern half produces wonderful crops of
winter wheat, Katflr and Jerusalem corn,
broom corn and alfalfa and Is we'll
adapted for grazing cattle, sheep and
horses. Wheat often yields from forty
to flfty bushels to the acre and the quail
lty is unexcelled and very seldom eQualed
anywhere. Kansas apples command the
highest prices in the Eastern and Euro
pean markets, and in the northeastern
third Of the State are a sure crop nearly
every year and when in full bearing they
often bring $500 an acre for single crop.
Peaches, pears, plums, cherries, apricots
and small fruits of all kinds are easily
raised and find good and profitable
market. Lands are now cheap and the
present is a golden time for actual set
tiers to procure farms and homes at won
derfully low prices. Good lands can be
bought in the eastern half of the State
at $40 to $50 an acre and in the western
half good wheat and alfalfa lands can be
bought as low as IS an acre, and many
a farmer has more than paid for o farm
with single crop.
Kansas Is admirably located for taking
advantage Of the best markets in the
country. Kansas City is nearly as good
a market for farm products as Chicago,
and 1t is destined at no distant day to
be the controlling market in this country
for stock and meat products. The open
Ing Of the shipping ports on the Gulf of
Mexico furnishes Kansas an export mar
lfet with short and easy haul to tide