Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1899-11-22
THE OMAHA EXPOSITION.
ITS BEAUTIES DISSOLVED
FOREVER.
The Last Great Educational and Amuse-
ment Enterprise of The Century.


ment Enterprise of The Century.
Special Correspondence to the Evening Capital
Twenty years ago the farmers OF Ne
braska were obliged to ship all their cattle
and hogs to Chicago. Today the second
and third largest stock yards and pack
ing centers in the world are Kansas City
and Omaha. making the very best OF
markets within few hours ride of the
farmers door.
Twenty years ago this section had prac-
tieally no home market. Today there are
in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska and Kan
sas manufacturing industries that employ
over Iso. 900 hands, whose annual earn
ings aggregate s74.735.s65. Twenty
years ago this was Q new country with
old and improbable methods and ideas.
Today it is an older country with new
and profitable methods and ideas.
So much for Nebraska and the strides
it has made in single decade. The
first exhibit that attracted our attention
was that OF Dawson county, this State.
Dawson county only fifteen years ago
contained nothing but buffaloes and In
dians. today it has 10000 acres under
irrigation. The farmer pays perpetual
water right of so cents an acre for irriga-
iion. In 1898 Dawson county produced
ISo. 900 bushels OF wheat; zoo. 900 BUSH
els OF COIN; 9 1000 bushels Of oats; 600.
600 bushels Of barley; 400. 900 bushels OF
rye and IS 900 acres of alfalfa. The ex-
hibit of this county was very artistic -
Among the handsome decorations was a
f,ce, entirely of cereals. and was made
OF hog mcllet. silks Of corn, milomace
and other grain.
Polk equity, Iowa, had a handsome
dis. lay. among which was large Amer
ioan Eagle and handsome United States
nag. made entirely Of corn. the work of
a oung man of skill and ingenuity
The Burlington Route" exhibit was
unique. Here was a table spread for
Thanksgiving dinner. on which were the
products OF the earth. The cloth was
made of plated corn husks. of creamy
sheen. with red border. The father.
mother, two sons and q daughter were
seated about the table. Their faces were
of putty. their hair of corn silk, their
teeth OF grains of corn. their clothing OF
corn husks and corn silk. No two were
dressed alike. and their appearance was
as neat and artistic as it was novel;
Above their heads was "Happiness" and
on card suspended from the table was:
"Mother, ain't you glad you came to
Nebraska?"
This is the question the husband asks
the wife at each Thanksgiving dinner.
for these figures of this family group sur
rounding this well-hlled table represent
people living in Nebraska along the Bur-
lington Route today. the road that holds
the worlds record for "I,o75 miles in
T,o47 minutes. The legend OF this fam
lily group is as follows: In 1868 the son
of an illinois farmer, acting upon the ad-
vice OF Greedy, goes West to grow up
with the country. With yoke of oxen
and a good prairie he starts
out. and after four or FIVE weeks travel
at fifteen miles day, reaches the grea,
american Desert, somewhat on the di.
vide between the Republican and Platte
rivers, 100 to $50 miles west Of the Mis-
souri river. He finds an entirely unde.
veloped country, but recognizes in its
magnificent soil, salubrious climate and
pure water, in never failing supply. three
all important factors for future prosperity
and happiness.
He applies to Uncle Sam for I6o acres
of this vast domain. Uncle Sam gives il
to him with pleasure on payment of a
small fee. He builds himself a sod house,
digs a well, and while his neighbors (few
and far between) break up only 90 or 4o
acres with one yoke Of oxen, he at once
gets to work with two yoke, and with a
I6-inch breaking plow. breaks up 90
acres the first season. He is not going
to spend half of his valuable time cook
ing and washing dishes. SO he gets him.
self an industrious little wife to attend to
these things. These two young people
OF industry and coed sense. live thirty
years together, raising three children
two sons and one alphabetically and
intelligent natives of the Tree Planters
State" Today the farmer is s. years
old, has good house. barn, windmill
and tank, fine lawn, plenty Of shade
trees. thoroughbred Herefords and fine
horses.
His children are well educated and his
fine farm Of 300 acres 10 well stocked.
He is one of the wealthiest farmers in
LNCOEdSkas bHu " tstS Cuu CFiuCuhy tOt-
lowed the Biblical injunction. one of the
notices on the Agricultural Building
Honour the Lord with thy substance,
and the first fruits OF thine increase, so
shall thy barns be filed with plenty. and
thy presses burst out with new wine.
Linn county. Kansas, also had fine ex-
hibit. Iaere was a church made entirely
of wild grass, and here was Kansas pop
corn IL feet from the roots. IS feet in all.
Here we also saw huge heart made oi
corn. and what more appropriate emblem
could there be, for is not corn the life
blood of our nation7 bleeding Kansas
was indeed well represented in these ex.
hibits. The handsomest exhibit in the
Agricultural Building was that Of Doug
las county, which won the first prize.
This exhibit was a marvel Of art. In
Douglas county "corn is on top" and to
emphasize this huge top was made en-.
tirely OF corn, In this county there are
zI7.o74 acres OF land. of which $4,000
acres are in corn. Eighty-fve per cent.
of seed OF the whole United States il
grown in this county. In this exhibit we
saw the Douglas county courthouse made
entirely Of seed,-lettuce. onion and to-
bacco seed. II was indeed marvel oi
art. There were ears Of corn in this ex-
hibit "a inches long. not one ear. but
dozens and dozens of this length. with
the corn in most perfect rows, not one
grain "out Of lint" with its fellows. There
was also a new species Of beet. the man.