The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-07-29
BELIEVES IN WEST.
President Leeds of the Rock
Island Discusses Conditions.

New York, July 2s.-President w. b
Leeds of the Rock Island railroad is
believ-r in the great future of the west
He holds some very optimistic views OF
the prospects of the western country,
which he declares were never SO prom
Using as now. Disastrous crop failures
are no longer to be feared. He says
there is no danger of the panic of 1898
being repeated, and the problem Tor
railroads to solve is to keep pace with
increased population
Commercial prosperity is going to
last" said Mr.. Leeds. "Of course it
GIBBS and flows always. I think the re-
str1ctive influence of some people IS
caused largely by the recollection of
1898, and it is impossible to get them
away from the basis of that year. In
the period following 1893 our currency
system was reOrgan1zed and in 1t, IT
seems to me, was eliminated the only
underlying weakness diScernible in the
business structure
During the hard times following 1898
two things resulted from enforced prac-
tice of economy. One was the natural
growth of the county was not provided
for; the other was the discovery of the
true basis of handling our enormous
railroad tonnage In 1893 we had 3d.
100000 people; in 1900. 100000. Since
the former date we have only begun
to build. to take care of the additional
100000 souls, nation in themselves.
In 1910 we shall probably have 9O.000,OO
people. don't think the growth of
railroads at present has been any more
than sufficient to take care of the pop
ulation of 1900, and we have still to in
crease our facilities and broaden our
structure to take care of the 10000, 900
in 1910, which is, of course, only short
way off in the course of the business
world.
Present prospects Of business on the
western roads have never been excell
ed, according to the reports and the
i'm CrT1a of hos vt1o I>raR
watching conditions for Is years. 1t is
the lack of moisture and not the excess
of it that damages the west. In some
of the lowlands the recent floods have
caused a little damage. but in proper
ton to the total acreage under cultiva
ton the injury is so slight that the gen.
eral result has not been affected. In
some instances oats have been hurt to
the farmer, but not as a tonnage prOpO-
Sition. Just as many tons of oats. re-
CARELESS of the grading, will be carried
to the market. Prospects are that an
enormous corn crop will be recorded.
Moderate estimates figure the yield at
$500, 100000 bushels. Many competent
judges are of the opinion that the av-
erage will be much higher, possibly s.
000, OOO, 600.
1.-The prosperity which has been gen.
eral all over the country has, to greater
degree, extended throughout the west
ern country served by the roads west
of the Mississippi river, whereby con-
sumers have been enabled to increase
and develop resources at hand, instead
of pursuing the hand-to-mouth policy
which was forced upon them because of
past depression. With the reserves of
the past added to this years enormous
agricultural products, the country serv-
ed by the western roads will for the
year 1902 be placed in a position dis
tinctly in advance. both in producing
and consuming, over that of the past
years. The richer they get the stronger
they are both for the producer and the
consumer. Oklahoma and the Indian
Territory have become greater produc-
ers and consumers year by year. The
resources of Arkansas are in their in
fancy, but that state is showing con-
slant, rapid growth.
1.-The needs of the country for the
commodities raised in these three Sec
rank with the greatest agricultural
states.
Methods of farming have so changed
and improved in the past 10 years that
past have practically disappeared, never
to recur to any extent In the early
period of the western ranches the large
influx of population, totally unfit for
farming, had the idea that ownership
of so many acres of land was of itself
sufficient to insure their prosperity. The
survival of the fittest eliminated the in
experienced element and the men now
III pOSSGSSlOu Ol Tie IdT-nS are III luG
position to maintain themselves COM
fortably and prosperously.
Improved machinery enables the
farmer to seed his grain so deep in the
ground that droughts and winds. which
heretofore have caused total failures,
have usually but slight effect. Now, as
a rule, the farmer is at least assured
the cost of his labor and a profit even
in bad times. Conditions seem to show
that what is bad for the wheat crop is
good for the corn crop, so that by the
diversity of the crops the farmer is safe
from a total failure. Improvements in
the method of farming are naturally
bringing about higher average per
acre of cultivation.
Irrigation in the west is progressing
more rapidly on larger scale. The in
tereSt the government now is taking
in the developn ent of arid lands by
irrigation insures a continuance of this
and to that degree increases the average
production of this section. In the minds
of the closest students those conditions
which heretofore have produced g. feel
ing of uncertainty and total crop fail
ures have disappeared. This section OF
the country has become safe and re-
liable a producer, year in and year out
of agricultural products as any other
section within our borders.
Railways will have to prepare tC
take care of as much greater increase
of tonnage and traffic during the mex,
10 years as they had to handle during
the past 10 years. There is no rift il
1