Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1899-12-07

out Of the beaten paths OF civilization.
The Nebraska corn crop this year COW
ers eight million acres, and the yield
Is two hundred and ninety million
bushels, Previous to the construc-
tion OF the Northern Pacific the Great
Northern, Northwestern, st. Paul, Bur-
lington, and other railways that tray
erse that wonderful region known as
the wheat belt there was nothing to
be seen but prairie grass and an occa-
sional band Of untamed savages.
Minnesota this year will ship ninety
million bushels OF wheat, South Da-
kota forty-flve million bushels, North
Dakota sixty-lve million bushels and
Montana four million bushels,
I'm 1S49 there came across the con-
tinent reports OF tho discovery of gold
In California, but the only means OF
reaching Its Golden Gate was by sea
around Cape Horn, or the long and
perllous Journey with OK teams, across
the plains, including what was then
styled In our Biographies the Ameri-
can desert, and through the hazardou.
mountain passes of the western part
Of the continent.
1.-THE completion OF the Pacific rail-
roads changed all this, and opened new
fields for all kinds Of enterprises In
an unexplored territory stretching over
more than two thousand miles to the
west, northwest and southwest of the
Mississippi river the products OF which
region were practically valueless until
the means Of transporting them were
provided by the railroads. ,l.
The wheat crop Of California this
year Is S7O0O,OOO bushels, The largest
crop ever produced In California was
In 1880, when owing to exceptionally
favorable weather conditions that state
produced 63,000000 bushels. The gold
output Of California for the year 1899
Is estimated at s16,OOO,0OO The vine
yards and orange groves Of California
would be OF practically little value
were 1t not for the fact that the rail-
roads, by their trains of refrigerator
and ventilated fruit cars, make It pos
sible to transport the products OF her
fertile valleys to all sections of the
country. 1t seems but yesterday that
the railroads were completed into
Portland, Oregon, Tacoma and Seattle,
Washington, and 1t is marvellous that
for the year ended June 30, 1900, there
was exported from the Columbia River
valley 100000 bushels Of wheat and
r Om the Puget Sound region, 100000
600 bushels. Oregon and Washington
form the northwest corner of the ter
rltory OF the United States, south OF
the line Of British Columbia, and are
directly on the route to our extreme
northwest possession. Alaska. The
wheat crop Of the states of Oregon and,
Washington for the year 1899 Is as
100000 bushels, There was exported
during the year ended June 30, 1899,
from the Columbia river direct to for
eign ports 100000 barrels OF flour,
and from Puget sound points 100000
barrels. Colorado, which, with its In
exhaustible mines Of gold, silver, lead,
iron and coal, forms almost an en-
pire in itself, will produce this year OF
1899 of gold, $24 100000; of silver, $14,-
100000; Of lead 81, 100000, in addition
to n magnificent crop Of wheat, fruit,
and vegetables. Thanks to her rail-
road facilities Montana is today the
richest mineral region OF Its size in
the world. The latest published sta
tistics-those Of 1S97-give the mineral
output OF Montana as $54,00O,0O0.
Without railroads, Kansas, Nebraska,
Minnesota, North and South Dakota,
Montana, Colorado, California, Oregon
and Washington would still be the
home Of savages.
Our passenger service is the finest
on earth. In the United States last
year the flrst-class rates averaged 2.98
cents per mile, although on some large
railways the average was several mills
less than two cents per mile In Eng
land the tlrst-class fare is four cents
per mile; third-class fare for vastly In
ferior service is two cents per mile,
but only on certain parliamentary
trains.
I'm Prussia, the fare is three cents
per mile; in Austria, 3O5 cents per
mile, and in France, 1886 cents per
mile.
Our passenger cars excel those Of
foreign countries in all that goes to
make up the comfort and convenience
Of journey. Our sleeping and parlor
car system is vastly superior to theirs;
our baggage system is infinitely bet
ter than theirs and arranged upon
much more liberal basis. American
railroads carry 1850 pounds OF baggage
free, while the German railroads carry
only 55 pounds free. The lighting OF
our trains is superb, while the light
Ing of trains on most foreign llnea Is
wretched,"