The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-06-26
RAILROAD NEWS.
Santa Fe Has a Colonization
Scheme For Colorado.
Hundreds of Dunkards and
MennOnites Going There.
RAISE SUGAR BETS.
q. L. Seagraves to Solicit Col
Onists in the East.
What Mr.. Seagraves Says About
the Situation.
RAISE SUGAR BETS.

c. I. Seagraves, passenger agent Of
the Santa Fe. left Tuesday night for a
three months trip to Ohio, Michigan,
New York and Pennsylvania, where he
viii work in the interests of an extern
sive scheme of Colorado colonization
which the Santa Fe is backing
The work of Mr. Seagraves viii be
largely among the Dunkards and Men
nonites. and he expects to be able to in
duce many hundreds Of them ITO leave
their eastern hon es and move to Prov
ers county. Colorado. where the chief
industry is sugar-beet culture.
In his trip Mr.. Seagraves will be ac-
companiec by J. L. Hamilton, of New
York. secretary Of the American Beet
Sugar company, which has a. million
dollar mill at Rocky Ford, Colo.
During the past year, good many
Mennonites from Kansas have moved to
Prowers county. The Santa Fe finds
that MennoniteS and Dunkards are on
the whole the most satisfactory colon
lists they can find, though a great many
other people who are seeking a good 10
cation for intensive farming are be-
coming interested in the prospects OF
ProWerS county.
Mr.. Seagraves has just returned from
a trip to this newly developed section
and tells a very interesting story OF its
prospects and present conditions.
Seagraves, is located in the Arkansas
valley, adjacent to Rocky Ford. The
lands owned by the American Beet
Sugar company are between Holly and
Lamar, and comprise 10000 acres. The
CON pany sells not less than 20 or more
than 40 acres to a single purchaser, and
the terms are such that people with
very limited capital can purchase land,
build house and barn, and raise j
crop of beets.
The farms are watered by the Amity
canal When the Arkansas river is
high. the canal is fed direct from the
river; when the river is low, the canal
IS fed from five immense reservoirs
which hold $4,000 acre feet of water
That is, there is enough water in the
reservoirs to cover $4,000 acres one foot
deep. There IS enough water in the
reservoirs to supply. if necessary, the
entire 1900 acres for two years. with
out taking a drop of water from the
Arkansas river itself
zone man can cultivate about fifteen
acres of sugar beets. The beets run
from 20 to 50 tons to the acre, and last
year sold for about $4-75 a ton. The
company pays the freight on the beets
from the fields to the sugar mill al
Rocky Ford. The mill has a capacity
of 1000 tons a day, and another fac
tory. of still greater capacity, is about
to be built at Holly or Lamar. "A third
factory is contemplated. and will be
built as soon as the colonists can raise
beets enough to supply it.
ITO teach the colOnists to raise beets
successfully, the company has engaged
q German expert for head farm er. The
head farmer has thirty-tWO assistants,
and these men devote their whole time
to travelling around among the farmers
showing them exactly the best way to
raise the best beets and the most of
them.
7 think that within six months every
acre OF the 1906 600 which the company
owns will be occupied by beet farmers,
and within a few years that will be the
richest farming country in the world.