The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-22
RAILROAD NEWS.
Paul Morton Talks of Cond itiOns
In the West.
Says Kansas Has Abundance of
Wheat and Money.
SUGAR BEET INDUSTRY
Of Colorado Comes in For Pr0mi-
nent Mention.
Discusses Business Between
Discusses Business Between
United States and Orient.

Paul Morton, second vice president of
the Santa Fe, and from his position of
traffic manager for that system has the
opportunity for knowing many impor-
tant facts regarding conditions in the
country tributary to that line, is out
in a recent interview of much interest
to the west.
I'VE are much pleased said he,
with the panorama presented by Kan
saS as we passed through it. There is
very large acreage of winter wheat,
which is looking splendidly, although it
is a long time before harvest next July,
and many things can happen before
that time. Kansas practically lost it's
corn crop, but the people there are so
prosperous that the loss has not been
felt very much and everybody seems
satisfied. A tremendous crop of wheat
of an unusual good quality has been
great help to the state. One old
farmer, in talking of the condition that
prevails in Kansas, said they had lost
their corn orOp-it was almost a total
failure-and they had nothing left but
wheat and money. Colorado is to be
very much congratulated on two of its
great industries which we visited.
THE American Beet Sugar company
at Rocky Ford has a plant that cost
nearly 100000 and barring the pres
ent war of prices forced on them by
the sugar trust, it is a great success
The beets will average about 16 per
cent. saccharine and over so per cent.
in purity. The sugar made there is of
the highest grade The company will
pay out over $500 900 this fall to the
farmers of Otero and Prowers counties
for beets alone. The success of this in
dustry in the Arkansas valley shows
what can be done in the reclamation of
arid lands and ought to be a great OBJ
ject-lesson to memb ers of congress.
The sugar beet business is only one
of many that should be encouraged in
the state. The dairy industry is in its
infancy. Alfalfa is such good feed for
COWS and makes so many crops a year
that Colorado ought to be shipping
CRASHED butter nine or ten months in
the year-this of itself is a great adj
vantage over Iowa, Wisconsin and New
York. The future of the American but
ter market is best explained by the one
statement that last year Great Britain
imported over $S6, 900 900 worth of but
ter, and the United States supplied less
than 2 per cent. of it. Here is a field
well worth working for
Concerning the business between this
country and the Orient. the traffic
manager of the Santa Fe is thoroughly
alive.
THE business with the Orient said
he, will be a cheap business for years
to come, but it will be so large that the
railways and steamship companies will
be eager enough to secure it. We have
just closed a deal with the Pacific Mail
company, so that by next February we
will be in the same position as other
lines in regard to Oriental business.
The indications are that, although the
business of the Santa Fre was unusually
large last year, it will be fully as large
this year. All the states west of the
Missouri river are enjoying good times
and all classes of business seem to be 4
upon substantial basis and not the
boom basis, which is always followed
by a reaction