New-York tribune., 1907-05-09
WEST IS PROSPEROUS"
lIR. FISH DISCUSSES TRIP.
Pleased 5cith Conditions al Along
Gould SDstem,

Stuyvesant Fish, ex-president of the Illinois
Central Railroad Company who recently entered
the board of directors of the Missouri Pacific as
an adviser Of George J. Gould, returned yester-
day from a seven thousand mile trip over the
lines of the Gould system. From observation
and inquiry on his journey Mr. Fish is con-
vinced that the crop outlook in the states
! traversed by the Missouri Pacific and It's af-
! MATED lines is far from being as unfavorable
as dispatchts from the West have recently been
! picturing IT. although he adds that the season
| is undeniably packard one. Everywhere on
! his trip Mr. Fish found the people confident
| and prosperous, and he was especially impressed
| with the development of Southeastern Kansas,
| where natural advantages exist which may he
compared with those of the territory around
Pittsburg around Birmingham Ala Mr..
Fish, In describing the trip. said:
With regard to crops. the season is very late,
ana early fruit has certainly been greatly dam
| aged If not destroyed throughout large areas in
| the West and South. l did not pass in daylight
through any part of the territory where wheat
mas been damaged by green bugs. Such winter
wheat as l saw in large areas of Kansas Mis-
souri,, Illinois, Western Tennessee and Arkan-
sas looks we'll although in some places injured
| ny frost. | did not, however, notice any places
where such injury seemed to be permanent, or
or a character which good weather would not
pull through all right. Although some replant-
ing OF cotton will have to be done the soil is in
done world of good in the semi-arid West.
In Middle and Western Kansas and Colorado
farmers talk as If they feel assured OF their
wheat crop. To the eastward and southwark
of Kansas there IS normally little fear as to
rainfall and this year, of course. none whatever.
I'm Chicago. st. Louis. Memphis. Little Rock,
Fort Smith, Wichita, Kansas City, st. Joseph.
Pueblo. Denver and every other place we visited,
bankers merchants and manufacturers. while
apprecating that some damage has been done
to crops and that tho season is late. expressed
themselves well satisfied with the situation. con-
fident of the present and hopeful TO the
future. To up the whole matter. nothing
which have seen heard and nothing which
has happened in the last fortnight leads TO
change the opinion I entertained before going
West-that the country at large is all right West
and North of Wall Street
'As to the railroads: The backwardness of the
season. scarcity of labor and very general dis
position to economize to offset arbitrary reduc-
tons made by statute in passenger fares. and
the increased cost of labor and material have
resulted In work on track being postponed, and
l doubt II any railroad in the country has its
spring work nearly rs far advanced this year
as is customary. 1t goes without saying that
the railroads will need money IN large volume
and. as I have said before. will have to pay
higher rates for it this year than formerly.
If l may be permitted n word OF suggestion
to our friends in the East. whether they be
capitalists, manufacturers merchants, II
would be to look carefully into the wonderful
development which Is going in so many parts
OF the West and Southwest particularly in
Southeastern Kansas and the northern part of
Oklahoma and the Indian Territory, where In
consequence OF the development OF gas and oil
helds, manufactures of vast Importance are
growing UP in such lines as cement, brick glass
salt. etc. from which shipments now being
made 10 nearly all parts Of the union That field
Will certainly bear watching and, IL mistake
not. VIII give account of itself in the next
few years"
A J. Earling. president of the Chicago. NIL
waukee & ST. Paul Railway Company. who has
also just reached New York from the West, said
yesterday that the season was backward in the
grain producing states. Two weeks or more re-
st. Pauls territory could sow spring wheat, and
unless weather conditions In that period should
be unfavorable there would be practically
decrease IN acreage, much OF the seeding having
been accomplished before the recent cold weather
developed. Asked whether not the report
was we'll founded that work the St Paul's
Pacific Coast extension to be discontinued
Mr.. Earling replied that that subject was still
before the directors There had been no cessa-
ton of the work up TO the present. he added.
NJ f.. ingalls,. chairman of the board of the
Cleveland, Cincinnati. Chicago * St Louis road.
who is in this city TO attend n meeting of the
board said:
"Business conditions In the Middle West are
excellent. The railroads have all they can do
TO keep up with their traffic and so far l have
not seen any signs of a relaxation in trade