The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-16
Tar Heels Prosper in the
Prairie States.
THE SUNSET "EMPIRE"
Purchased from France for Three Mil
lions, this Vast Land has More
Men Worth that Sum than Oak
Trees. An Exposition Turned
TO kindling Mood.

In a walk about the Louisiana Pur-
chase Exposition grounds the most
| significant sign seen was at the office
at the wrecking company. There it was
| in bold letters: Kindling wood for
sale here. A glance across the tops
of the many buildings already dis
mantled told the story. The we'll
known outlines of those immense
structures over which the newspapers
| scared and of which the magazines
gave so many cuts and fine illustrations
| forms and ugly piles of debris As
/ stood in front OF the Administration
| building, now the main building OF
| the fine plant of Washington Univer-
sity, the scene so we'll known to the
| thousands last summer came before
me. How changed the spot since the
ends. of the earth had met there. The
| exhibits, the people, the pagentry, the
circumstance. all gonei Now, all is
about as empty as many of the heads
/ that came from them, If We are TO
! judge by what they were able to tell:
and the place as uninteresting as many
| of the articles written about ii. The
| place is fast assuming the crude, dingy
character of some parts of ST. Louis.
| This leads me TO observe that many
moon will pass before this is an ordi-
narily decent city in appearance. Many
folks working along many lines, will
| have to do much heroic work ere
that glad day comes. j ONCE heard
Newell Dwight Hills say that in the
day of a better social organization the
model city would be free from dust
| and smoke and noise. Rest would
come to eye and nerve: strength 10
intellectual and moral sense But that
is far off in St. Louis. Still. the city
/ is not so bad as one could infer from
| a statement made that the water Of
St Louis had improved since the
drainage canal of Chicago had been
turned into the head-waters of the
Mississippi. For a place would GER
| tainly be in a level way that would
| be improved by the sewerage OF Chi
cago.
| A day run across the State to Kan
sas City carries one through fields of
| wheat and corn of such fertility and
| abundant harvest that one is almost
ready TO agree with the Missourian in
his loudest boasting OF THE best coun-
try on earth" 1t is a fertile land.
| The same must be said Of Kansas. In
early school-boy days l thought or
| poor bleeding Kansas" as one to be
commemorated. Now some of her cit
| izens are disposed to cast pltying
| glance upon all not blessed with a
| place in this land OF promise. Ihe
| products of these fields go afar, as
did the corn ships of Egypt in ancient
days. The stories told of this western
/ land in other days kept up the steady
migration from the. older States, in
which the old worthy State had full
share In many conversations had
with men here and there about these
| Tar heels who went from us good
things are heard. Men from Missouri,
| Montana. Kansas. and Colorado re-
port them as doing well. One man
put it thus They are good, hon
est substantial and successful people.
None stand better in my country. All
of which was most pleasing 70 one
who now rejoices that this good sub
stantial folk have greater concern
| for developing their own State than
was once known, and whose efforts are
| being noted afar. Men as far TO the
northwest as Omaha and Duluth nave
spoken to me Of the recent rapid pro-
gress North Carolina is making. me
eyes of many States are upon the old
State in this her new day.
But / am getting away from the
main line On the glorious fourth
we were on rapidly rolling wheels
| sweeping across the monotonous
plains Of western Kansas and eastern
Colorado with little variation save
| herd of cattle, prairie dogs, town or
cayote. with dropping tail, trotting
away until we ran into the little ham,
| let of Hugo, Colorado There. from
window and door-post, over stores.
bars. merry-g -go-round. pavilion and
residences fioated ''old glory" This was
the point where Teddy eat dinner
with the cowboys from their mess
wagon on his recent trip. A gentle
man of that section told me they were
| still selling the Presidents picture all
over that country. which showed him
| in the act of taking a piece of beck
steak out of the pot. saying: THAT
certainly is fine' The memory of those
stirring events doubtless added jest TO
Independence Day in Hugo. This and
other incidents put me In a reflective
mood that day as the splendid over
| land Limited" of the Union Pacific
swept on towards the setting sun.
How changed the day since the last
spike was driven in that first line OF
the Union Pacific. when the Fast and
the West were united by rail. Cannon
doomed. men hurrahed, bells rang and
ministers gave thanks. even in New
York and other cities far away. The
wagon train and the pony express
along the old Salt Trail were now
tdoomed To give place to the iron horse.
The romance of the long ago surren-
dered TO a great railroad and allowed
the building of great nation. That
night as / walked down the brilliant
streets of Denver with the "celebra-
/, Continued on Page Two.l