The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-06-16
An EMPIRE is REDEEMED
A BARREN REGION AS BIG AS
ALL MISSOURI STATE.
Turned Into Garden Spot by Two
Plants, Alfalfa and the
Su0aP Rect

sugar beeC.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-A once bar
rem empire, practically as large as
the state of Missouri, has been re-
claimed by two plants-the sugar
beet and the alfalfa. Within half a
dozen years the western third of Kan
sas, a portion of southwestern Ne
braska and nearly half of eastern
Colorado have increased half a mil
lion in population, raised the value
of their products from almost moth
ing to respectable figure, and dem
onstrated the one-time theory that
the production of sugar is not limited
in America to the south.
The industries of this section are,
to be sure, in the infant stages of
their possibilities. There are no
cities, few railroads and practically
none of the things men choose to
term civilization, but there are acres
and miles verdant nine months in
the year with succuIent grasses and
sweet roots, which in time will make
the whole section into another great
farming commonwealth. Little towns
have grown up in a few years, thou
sands of families have arrived, and,
what is more to the point, have re-
manned and prospered.
Collapse of the First Boom.
There was a boom in western
Kansas and eastern Colorado once.
1t was like all other booms in the
unexplored wild. Men and women
rushed out, settled on the first best
bit of red prairie, and believed them
selves already rich. Wheat was
planted. 1t came out green and
hopeful in the spring, and the word
went home that Eldorado had been
found. Other thousands came out.
Bonds were issued for new towns
founded on air. County seat fights
ensued, cattle ranches were estab-
lished, money was spent lavishly-
the money of gullible eastern invest
ors lent at the behest of more guilt
bic eastern immigrants.
Then great black cloud came up
in the west. A horde of grasshop-
pers had literally covered the coun-
try by night. For hundreds of miles
not a green blade remained
The settlers were disappointed, !
but not disheartened. They tried
once more. The wheat came green
again in the spring. 1t grew aston
ishingly in the virgin soil. Then
came summer. The hot winds blew
up from Texas, dry, cutting, parched. |
The land lay deep in dust The fair
green wheat was red or gray. Not a
drop of rain fell. The rivers ran
dry and the stock succumbed to
thirst Towns failed, mortgages
Iapsed and the eastern investor sold
his securities for a song.
The Second Failure.
Then someone believed he had
found use for the prairies. Texas
cattlemen were driving their herds
across them every spring, fattening
the steers as they marched on to
the shambles in Chicago Why could
not this great region fatten its own
steers? new settlers, though fewer
than before, went to Kansas. The
bitter winters came and crusted the
grass deep in ice and snow. The
Wild northwesters hOwled across the
vast open places, and spring lit it's
way over a new desolation. Two
thirds of the steers had turned tail
before the billiards. and ran until
they fell in their tracks. The hides
were gathered up and shipped to the
market. The few remaining steers
were gathered up in Oklahoma and
Texas, fattened a few months and
sold for money enough to get back
home"
Then the thing settled down to a