Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-20

it for cash at the smelter. The consequence
IS that the territory is occupied by many
small producers. Perhaps one-half of the
leases have been bought and consolidated
but nowhere else are there so many in
dividual operators.
Origin of oronogo.
One of the best paying districts. called
"Oronogo,' has a good story attached to
its origin and its name. Late in the seven
ties farmer came out on the porch of his
house one morning before breakfast and
provoked to see a family of strangers
with a prairie schooner and pair of ema-
ciated mules camped in his front yard. He
went down to order them to move on, but
the stranger begged the privilege of staying
IA little while until his team were rested be-
cause he had driven about 200 miles all the
way from his home in Arkansas, to crafty
MS wife and children, who were crazy to
see circus that was advertised to appear
III Joplin. The farmer told him that the
circus would not be along for a month yet
The ArkanSan was very much downcaSt at
this discouraging information. He said he
mad driven 30 miles that his wife and
children could see the show. but he hadn't
money enough to keep them there for a
month, and ii was too far to go home and
come back again. He reckoned that he bet
ter stay In the neighborhood and look for
work to support his family until the circus
came.
why don't you go to prospecting for zinc
like everybody else in this country" asked
the farmer
The stranger reckoned that he might as
well do that as anything, and the farmer
offered to loan him the tools.
Where shall / proSpect?" he asked
You may well begin here as any
where" said the farmer
The stranger explained to his wife that it
was necessary for him TO strike ore or there
would be no going to the circus A few
nprfa
Gated wahoo found one of the richest pock-
cts of zinc in all the world and crowds of
miners and prospectors rushed to the place
The farmer became a millionaire the Ar
Kansas traveller IS now one of the wealthy
business men of the community, and his
wife and children saw the circus. The
farm Is occupied by town of 1,J0O in
habitantS now, and they named Ii "Ore or
NO Go to the circus.
Joplin is city of near.y 10000 inhabitants
and does an enormous business, wholesale
and retail 1t is not particularly attractive
but resembles the anthracite cities of Penn
sylvania. Everybody is prosperous There
Is great demand for labor. ANY one who
is willing to work can make at least So a
day, but there are no long pay rolls, and
no big gangs. The miners work individually
or il small groups. There has never been
a strike or any other labor trouble in the
district, for everybody expects to be a mine
owner himself some day.
Kansas Bank Deposits.
But Missouri is not the only prosperous
state out in this part of the country The
official report of the bank commissioner of
Kansas shows that on the 31st of January
last the combined deposits in the national
state and private banks OF that commons
wealth amounted to Si23 DOS, 2s5.J0 or an
average of $S5.i5 for every man. woman and
child in Kansas. The previous report on
the 31st OF October, 1895, showed deposits
ot 50 Stti 22S less. and we may fhus in fa,
that the difference represents the surplus
cash received for the wheat crop. The
wonderful growth of wealth in Kansas NAV
be appreciated by comparing the banking
deposits for the last ten years, as the fol-
lowing table will show: