The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-11-03
SHORT GRASS MAN IN SALIEA
SEES, HEARS AND FORMS SOME
OPINIONS.
What the Central Kansas Town
Thinks OF the West, and Vice
EeFsa.

Versa.
SaIina has arrived at the age OF
pantaIoons and suspenders-drinks
a little on the sly, thrusts its thumbs
in the arm-hOles OF its vest, talks and
feels big Why not? The town has
arrived at mans estate. Has gas, cleo
trio lights, the Sixth principal meri-
dian near BY. and a few wholesale
hOuses-also hacks. mud and bad
water
The city has been favored enough
by valley lands TO rake in considerable
wealth. mostly in the hands Of its an
cient business men These fellows
have the John D. Rockefeller thumb.
showing a large acquisitive faculty,
with no intention Of letting loose eth
er until the coffin screws go down on
EN- faint don't hurt them; they
built a Carnegie memorial a couple Of
years ago with Carnegie money. They
call IL library.
Salinas young men show genius
which Is a large capacity for hard
work on a bread and water salary
Their income" together with their
love for the pretty girls, maintains a
thriving institution, namely. a dress
suit lecture course. and theater. Sa-
lima is also much benefited by another
institution, a business college, where
boys and girls from over the state
exchange their hard cash for hero
glyphics and finger exercise.
They have large revival and tenn
perance demonstrations down there;
churches, preachers and pipe organs,
well populated jaiIs and friends in
Lansing. They have not only the first
childhood, but the second childhood
-superannuated preachers-and both
alike in matters religious have TO be
pleased with a rattle and tickled with
a straw These latter banished great
H A Cleveland to BIankatO while the
writer was attending college there.
An, IL they had been as maguamim-
Gus as Castaline when he confessed to
his accompIics- The fault Is not in
our star, but in ourselves, dear
Brutus-" But as between diapers and
pantaloOns, give US pantalOOns every
time
Here and there in the town you hear
the business men talking about west
ern Kansas. They admit We have had
q crop this year, and several good
ones behind that, but their pocket
nerve is yet so sensitive they fear TO
touch IL 70 buy land with. Their con-
servatfsm leaps back on itself and Is
startled with every new idea, yet they
take our money and want our trade
One Of them was heard to say, yes.
they have had a great crop this year.
It has more than equalled the value
OF the land, but you can't tell a thing
about next year" That's it They
have the eastern idea 50 dyed into
them they can't see anything good
beyond their own noses They are
afflicted with mental myopia- The
scales will fall of some day, but per-
haps not until Sherman county has
surpassed Saline in agricultural pro-
ductlOn. which is destined to come
within the next twenty-five years.
The people are civilized and much
cultivated. If you stop at the hotel,
you are steered to a certain table,
chair is run against your legs to make
you squat; and the waitress, after ask
ing you If you take sugar in your tea,
- it out for you with a pair Of
{, 4rs. One thing 10 their credit,
thOI =, the menu cards don't look
like st"pie'' line.
In Salina, politics and the church
are bed fellows. Preachers drive
some men from behind the bar, and
tie othe-s up in front Of the altar 1t
is't fair to drive one man out Of bust
ness, and load the other down with
more than he can handle. They are
not good at equity.
In short, Salina is vanity fair; ats
great as a side-shOw-just because OF
it's pantaloOns and suspenders.
But the thing that most impressed
the representative Of this paper in
his visit to that young city, was that it
offers to young men great induce
mentS-inducements to immigrate
farther west Horace Greeley's ad-
vice is good today to the young men Of
even tina central Kansas town go
west, young man, and grow up with
the country" The great majority Of
young men there are employees with
little prospects Of receiving a COM
Portable income, but the prospects Of
greater drudgery are bound to mater
ialize- Values are high, too high, and
the once free-for-all opportunities are
now practically. cOruered by men of
means. IN the fight for life the poor
young man has the same show there
as would a hOttentOt with a pocket
fun Of rocks against a Anglo-SaxOn
with a Winchester and a couple of
siX-shoOters-
Western Kansas-the short grass
country-is a great place for the poor
man to rise. for the young clerk
or wage Garner to get ahead and be
his own proprietor and not anOther's
slave