The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1903-07-03
Editors on a Lark.

"A numDeT OF hanSaS cultOTS dC-
companied by wife, daughter, sweet
heart or friend boarded Santa Fe,
No. S on the main line at various
points of convenience on Friday
June 10Th, and sped away over the
level prairies of Kansas for weeks
outing among the mountains and re-
sorts of Colorado. This excursion
business is one of the real luxuries
that comes to the life of an editor
in Kansas, and really is rare treat
to the man who spends from ten to
fifteen hours of the day year after
year in some dingy, dust covered,
ink besmeared Office, scratching
away for dear life, trying as best he
knows how to fill his mission as best
he may.
This trip was made unusually
luxurious for the editors by the
Santa Fe as they furnished three
elegant Pullman coaches for the ex
elusive use of the tourists and we
rode and lived in all the luxury Of
the eastern millionaire on western
trip to view his mining interests.
Personally was greatly interest
ed in the trip through Kansas as il
was all new to me from Emporla,
where l joined the crowd, on west
through the corn and wheat fields
into the great alfalfa fields of the
west. AS the train sped along over
this vast plain and noted the i'm
provcments made and being made,
and beheld the growing crops and
large herds of cattle which are con-
verted into a stream of gold for the
enrichment of Uncle Sam and all
his children, from the territory that
was listed in the first geography Of
my boyhood days as the great Amer
lean desert, then l realized what a
wonderful civilizer and developer
the railroad is. For without 1t much
of this broad expanse of territory
must have remained desert.
Our first stop of any duration was
at Rockey Ford, Col, where the Gel
ebrated melons are raised. We
here for the first time on our trip,
had all opportunity to examine into
the workings of irrigation and see it
tried. The town is situated on
what was originally barren sand
waste, without a tree or a shrub
Now we find there a beautiful,
shady, well laid out little city, with
fine houses, abundance of flowers
and beautiful bluegrass lawns. We
walked and droye into the cultivated
fields and saw the melon vines; un-
fortunately we we too early fol the
ripe fruit, but most of all the cult
vation of the sugar beet attracted
our attention. The ground for them
is carefully prepared and they are
drilled in rows by machine. After
they come up gangs of men. boys
and women are employed, who
crawl along the rows and thin them
TO the proper standard. 1t is here
where the great beet sugar factory |
of Kansas is located, which we were
shown through and given very |
minute description OF the process
Of manufacture from the time the
Deets are received until the finished
product is secured.
In a future article we will have
more to say of the beet
business. We found the sun very
lot in Rockey Ford and cool drinks
n demand. AS it is dry town
he boys had to content themselves
With sodas. About 4 O'Clock We
eft Rockey Ford for Pueblo which
:ity we reached in due time where
We were taken in charge by the
board of trade at the depot and
oaded into trolley cars and given
1 delightful two hours ride about
The city. Pueblo is becoming
manufacturing city. Stu
ated at the base of the mountains,
she has abundance of pure water
and inexhaustible beds of coal right
At her door. Vast smelters and iron
are located here. The
pig iron company located at Pueblo
6, 600 men and is now in
;reasing the plant to a capacity
hat will require 1900 more men.
The annual payrole of the large in.
lustries in this city is said to be
nearly SIo, 900, 600.
1t is destined to be one of the
arge cities of the West. 1t has the
natural advantages and the push
and energy among its business men
hat are bound to make it grow.
After our ride over the city we were
aiken to the leading hotel where a
banquet was served, during which
We listened to speeches from lead
ng business men in which We were
given hearty welcome and the future