Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-25
Wealth IN KANSAS
Big Wheat Crop and High Prices
Making the Kansas Farmers
Rich.
The Yield in That State Largest
For Many Years-Harvest
Begun.
Work of Reaping the Big Wheat
Fields Now Well Under
Way.

Fields Now Well Under
Way.
Salina, .Kas, June e5.-The first week
of the greatest harvest that the golden
belt of Kansas ever experienced closed
Saturday night During the last week
of thousands of acres of gold
en- grain has been harvested, and twice
as much more still remains in the fields.
Never before in the history of Kansas
has such a crop been seen.
Forty years ago the Kansas wheat
belt was labeled on the maps as the
Great American Desert. Now it not
only blossoms as the rose, but a dozen
counties in central and southern Kan
sasswill yield within the next TWO Weeks
millions of dollars worth of food for
the nations of the world.
The great wheat region of Kansasis a.
triangle. The crop of the state this
year is estimated al 10o,ooo.0o0 bushels in
round numbers and the greater portion
of it Is raised in twenty or twenty-five
> !
counties within this triangle. each of
which VIII raise from 2,Voo'cVo 20 o'o 'V'
Geo bushels one or Two may even run
over the 100000 mark. The apex Of this
triangle extends over the state line
down into Oklahoma, into Kay county.
The northeasterly point is Clay county
and the noithwesterly is Ellis county.
OF course. many other counties raise
lbie wheat crops, but these constitute the
golden belt OF kansa1s
Within the last two weeks the farm
ing communities of Kansas have peen
augmented by 10000 men IheS came to
save he wheat crop. The farmers OF
Kansas could not do IT by themselves
and they said so. The newspapers pub
lshed the fact 10 the world, and men be-.
gar 70 pour into the harvest 11eids by
the thousands. Every passenger train
brought them. and more came on
freights Freight conductors We're IN
structed TO allow them TO rice tree
when they had no money. for the rail-
roads are as much interested in saving
the wheat crop as any one. The trains
running into the wheat belt have been
as crowded for thelast two weeks as tho
popular excursions We're being run.
passenger trains for no other purpose
than to allow harvest hands without
money to ride in them free
And a motley crowd it has been.
Many of the harvest hands are college
students, fresh FROM the halls of learn
ing. A few of them have already re-
5ceived their diplomas and have y. 3.
attached TO their names, but being
without funds they have gone into the
harvest fields to earn enough to get a
start in some profession. Three such
I young fellows left the University of
Kansas with their diplomas the other
day and made straight for the harvest
fields. They exnect 70 go thru the
wheat harvest and then help about the
l8threshing. and when winter comes they
will have enough money TO start in Their
\ chosen professions and VIII be blessed
/ with abundant health besides.
But the great majority Of the lahorers
are men from the towns ard cities who
are attracted by the generous wages
1 Tnskilled labor receives sl.i5 and So
day, besides board and lodging. 81
course the work is hard. but harvest
jhands8as| q rule. are not afraid OF work
There are few Of the genus hobo.
among them. The professional tranil
4 avoids the harvest field az nc does q
barh. Hardly genuine tramp could D.
found in the wheat belt today. He car
not get ANYTHING to eat without work
ing for it. because most Of the farmers
are on the lookout for all the help they
/ can get. He uses every man Who offers
4 himself. for the more help he has tns
i quicker his wheat viii be safe from de-
l..,,t, II .
i The great question in Kansas is
What will the harvest be- EVERYBODY
lis Interested in it. for on that depend:
much of the states prosperity. From
the tine the wheat begins to shoot up il