The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-18

Only two states in the Union exceed
Kansas in its railroad mileage. It's
railroad mileage is greater than of all
the six New England states. All ex-
cept five of the los counties of the
state are traversed by one or more
railroads.
Kansas is known as an agricultural
state and it deserves its reputation in
this regard. Perhaps the greatest
wheat crop ever harvested in any state
in the world was harvested in Kansas
in 1901 when the yield reached the
enormous amount of SO million bush
els. Last year the yield aggregated
over rs million bushels. It has raised
one-seventh Of all the wheat produced
in the United States in a single year
But while Kansas is a great wheat
state, corn is really king In the de-
cade ending with 1904 Kansas pro-
duced the enormous amount Of I601.-
07ss361 bushels of corn, worth. ex
elusive Of its forage value, S551.sS3,-
SOL Thirteen per ent of the area of
Kansas produced corn enough in the
year 902 TO more than five times ex-
coed the cost of the entire Louisiana
purchase. Uncle Sam is my authority
for saying that for The five years pr*-
vlous to 1900 the value of Kansas corn
and wheat was larger than that of the
same crops of any other state in the
Union Illinois was our chief com
petitor in these two cereals, but fell
short of the Kansas total 10 million
dollars.
But corn and wheat are by no
means our only agricultural product.
AIfalfa is leaping to the front as the
most valuable field crop and Yields in
all seasons a profit equal to the inter
est on 500 an acre land Oats, rye,
barley, buckwheat. clover. timothy
blue grass-all yield good results i'm
the Sunfiower state Where the grains
ana gasses grow so luxuriantIy live
stock of course thrives. Nearly four
mutton cattle. nearly one million
horses, nearly two million sheen and
nearly two million hogs add to the
wealth of the state
The fame of Kansas as an aericul-
tura1 and stock region has somewhat
echpsed the reputation of its mineral
resources The Galena-Joplin district
furnishes three-ffths of the world. 8
supply Of zinc. It's lead and zinc mines
are the largest in the world Kansas
leads all competitors in its salt de-
posts, containing a vein forty miles
VIDE, 200 miles long. with strata Of
rock salt from 200 to 900 feet thick
vast subterranean seas of oil reservoir
Iapulous wealth, while the supply of
natural gas seems inexhaustible
Uncle Sam, who knows a good thing
when he sees it, has located two Of the
greatest military schools in the world
IN Kansas. At one of these he has
spent more than three million dollars
in the last five years I believe If can
be truthfully said that among no
1900. 600 people anywhere on earth is
Intelligence more general sobrfetv
more universal. wealth more evenly
distributed and poverty less known. No
similar territory furnishes more attrac-
ton to the thoughtful seeker for a
place IN which to invest his money, to
establish permanent home and to ac-
cumulate a competency. In 1911 Kan
sas will celebrate the f1ftieth year of its
admission as a state into the Union.
At that time it proposes to celebrate
the event with an exposition at its
beautiful capital-Topeka
To this banquet of history and pos
sibility Kansas viii invite ali the world
Expeditions said the martyred Nc
/ Kinley in his last public address. are
the ttmekeepers of progress and kan
sas at Its seHicentenniaI will open its
( records and challenge comparison with
! its achievements Tt wants the world to
/ know what it has done, but it especial
/ ~ wants the world to know what It is
still capable of doing. As one Of its
representatives. gentlemen. invite
your cooperation in this great enter
prise which we hope to make to the
/ state and to the Southwest what the
! great Worlds exposition in this city
was to this country and to the whole
world, an epitorne of its history and ar
advertisement OF its possibilities