The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-27
pRouTH OF 1860.


| Sas, writing OF the GroUth OF Is5o, says:
From June 10. 1883 10 November. 1851.
| there was not shower OF rain fen at
any time TO wet the earth two inches in
depth During the intervening winter
there were Two slight SHOWS. neither OF
| which concealed The ground from view
| The roads were never muddy during the
whole period and during the summer the
ground broke open in great cracks. crc-
barrassing the rolling OF wagons. while
the winds blew with 2 burning and parch-
/ ing siroccO's blast from the south, and
with the hot beams OF the unclouded sun.
parched the soil and burned up vegets-
ton.
such was the frightful character OF
the drOuth which It becomes waithfUl
! history to record. The consequence was
that crops We're an almost entire failure.
Fan wheat, induced by the snow and frost
OF winter. shot forth in spring. but with
cred and died when the moisture was ex-
hausted. Spring wheat, OF which there
was little sown Jared no better Out OF
400 acres Of good land sown in shaw
nee county not go bushels were raised
EscUlent vegetables were a perfect fall
ure everywhere not a cabbage, bean, rad
ish. onion or anything Of the kind was
raised. Potatoes and turnips. the next
thing TO the stan Of life, were likewise
failures. From the carefully prepared
statistics OF Shawnee county ii Is shown
that 2I9 acres of potatoes were planted
and only 10 bushels raised: IS acres Of
beans produced but 70 bushels; from "a
acres of Hungarian grass only 10 tons
were moved Corn Jared some better. The
low lands where properly titled averaged
Oue-third Of a crop. and the high lands
and ridges produced no grain whatever
only dry fodder From the above statisti-
cal figures II is shown that from 1913
acres of corn planted only 5.lS7 bushels
were raised. or about one bushel and two
thirds TO an acre.
The wild grass, though not so abund-
ant as usual, still was OF such 4 superior
quality that it kept the cattle fat ali
summer and fan. The sap having dried
up and left IL very nutritive. Stock ate
il with as much relish as though i had
been green. Stock which would have 9th
erwise famished fed upon the sponJa-
neous growth Of grass on the prairies dur
ing the summer. fan and winter
"To add TO the already distressed con
dition of the country, the wells. springs
and brooks dried up. Farmers on the
prairies were, IN many instances, com
PEELED 10 haul their water several miles.
THE drouth in some localities Of Kan
sas was not as bad as above described
Along the Missouri river and in the
northeastern portion sufficient was raised
to feed the population Of that region. III
the Kaw valley, where properly titled
the land yielded a two-third crop Of corn.
The drouth Of 1850 was not confined TO
Kansas alone. Il extended over south
ern Missouri. Arkansas. western Tennes-
see ana a portion OF Kentucky. almost
II not quite as bad as in this territory
AS little was raised, according 10 the
amount planted. IN those states as In
Kansas. BY the fall Of 1860 there WIS
scarcely any corn or wheat in the ter
ritory; not 5000 bushels Of either in each
county.
Furthermore the people here were poor
and scanty Of pecuniary means. Many
OF them had suffered heavy losses in
So and 81 by not being able 70 attend 10
their crops having lost much OF their
time and spending much Of their money
in feeding and clothing their families and
buying arms, ammunition. etc.
The result was that So.0o0 settlers left
the territory and returned 10 their
friends and 10 provision in the east. Il
looked at the time as though che whole
country would be depopulated and left
q barren and uninhabited waste. Claims
with their improvements, houses, fences,
etc, were abandoned ard stood dreary
and alone upon the prairies. Long trains
of covered wagons, drawn by lean horses.
with woe-b egOnc looking inmates, in
1.-The painful fact stared the people OF
Kansas in the face that want and star
walton were before them. There vas no
evading or overcoming il, nOtwlthstand
ing it's admission would initiate against
the character Of a new ard growing coun-
try. The alarming rumor reached the
east, and at once touched the kind and
sympathetic hearts of the numerous
friends Of Kansas. Thadyus Hyatt Of
al snf an
active interest in Kansas, was the first
to move ia relief OF the destitute. He
came to the country himself, visited nu-
merous counties, acquainted himself with
the actual state OF affairs ana gathered
statistics. Being satisfied that The ueces-
sites for relief were urgent, he had the
counties organize and appoint their com
and constituted s. c. Pomeroy
general agent for northern Kansas and
W. +. Arney of southern Kansas. who
should receive and distribute money and
provisions for the suffer- 0Es. Mr.. Hyatt
east, pctitioned the president for
a assistance in behalf Of the destiti re OF
Kansas, and published to the world his
statistics and facts OF personal observa-
ton. with an appeal for an immediate re-
Spouse for the relief Of the sufferers
The movement thus inaUgursteJ con
tinJed its operations until tho surinE q
Of the destitute. Contrib dtions IN cloth
ing and provisions We're received. packed
IN boxes, and sent 10 AtchsOn for de-
livery, while the reuittGuces in money
were applied to drafting the expenses Of
freighting and boxes. On its reception at
Atchison Il was distributed out among
the different counties According 70 the
report Of this committee the total r.
ceipts Of provisions for distribution Up 70
March Is. 1861, were S,090. 951 pounds
'.The whole amount Of cash received
BY the committee was So SO y, which was
chiefly expended on bagging. boxing AID
freighting. But little or no money was
distributed among the settlers
Besides the relief furnished BY this
committee, contributions flowed into ths
territory through other channels.
Churches individuals and communities
operated independently. and FOR some per-
sons or localities. The state Of New
York deserves a special mention iu COR
secti0l with the movement FOR relief. f1r
generously appropriatng SQ.90 toward I
purchasing and shipping seed wheat %
kansas. The legislature Of Wisconsin ez- .
ended q similar favor. while the citizens /
Z Indiana Illinois and ohio made liherai f
iouatious in seed grains - various kirds .
such efforts a. these greatly relieve 4
he people n their wants. without which
not only would hundreds have persisted 1
Turing tho winter but stil more would 4
rave been unable 20 Dlart their feics SD /
he spring But notw slstan1i1g the vast .
mount II remittance from The east.
Hr