The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-20
President Ripley of Santa Fe
Praises the Southwest.
Fertility of New Areas Hold
Great Promise for All.
HISTORY OF KANSAS.
Time When Present Rich Farms
Part OF Despised Country.
Other Items OF General Inter-
est to Traffic World.

Never before has the prosperity OF
the west and southwest been on as
solid a footing as it is today, accord
ing to E. P. Ripley, president OF the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
road, says F. H. Griswold.
''The change that is going on is
absolutely wonderful. Already the
country beyond the Mississippi has
been transformed, and still 1t seems as
If the work is only fairly begun IWen-
ty-five years ago the farmers or east
ern Kansas were objects of sympathy;
the man with sufficient means to move
would not think of remaining IN Kan
sas- Today Kansas IS prosperous. Inc
crops are good and have been for
several years, and there is in sharp
contrast with former conditions.
Each year as 1 travel over our
lines in Kansas 1 am more surprised
at the permanent Improvements
and the general prosperity of the small
towns and villages The industrial
development in southern Kansas IS
particularly noticeable, on account OF
the discovery of cheap fuel and an
abundance of raw material for manu-
featuring. Central Kansas is another
prosperous section and its prosperity
is based almost entirely upon agrlcul-
ture.
MENNONITE FAMILIES PROSPER.
"In passing through Marion, Harvey
and Mcpherson counties 1t IS dlttlcuIt
to realize that thirty-five years ago
the Santa Fe company was called
MANY hard names for bringing from
Russia trainloads of Mennonite fam
lilies and locating them on this land
in order that it might be developed
These people came with no capltal,
b1t with large families and great faith.
They had a hard time for the first
few years, am told, but there is no
trace of their hardships today. Their
fields are highly cultivated, and they
are we'll to do The Mennonite pion-
GERS and their children have become
the prominent men of the communi-
ties They own their farms and are
the bankers, the professional men and
the educators of their communities.
western Kansas is coming into its
own. Along the Arkansas river from
Dodge City to Canyon City, Colo, If
rigation has changed the appearance
of the country to such an extent that
the old timer would not recognize 1t.
Alfalfa and sugar beets are the fav-
orite crops, and the farmers are max
ing big money from their fields.
"There is no place in the west, not
excepting California, where the value
of irrigation is better demonstrated
than in the Arkansas Valley. In the
early DAYS this valley was a dreary
waste. with only a thin growth of
trees in the immediate vicinity of the
river But the entire face of the coun-
try has been changed as the result OF
building several thousand miles OF
main and distributing canals and the
fields now have a rich, prosperous
look.
Gas and Oil Towns Thrive.
''In the short space e. of seventeen
years Oklahoma has been transformed
from a huge cattle range to a state
of highly developed farms. Her pros
perity dates from the great rush OF
1893 and the boom that followed has
never let up. Today Oklahoma has
caught up with the boom and the pros
Derity is based on solid values. The
agricultural statistics show an enorm-
Gus increase over previous years.
1.-The gas and oil fields in the north
eastern part of Oklahoma have de-
veloped a number of good towns that
will continue to grow as the natural
resources of the country are brought
under control.
''The breaking up of the tribal hold
ings in the old Indian Territory has
given an impetus to the southern half
of the state that soon will bring it
rp to the level of the older settled
portions. The natural resources of
much of Oklahoma have not been
touched and no man can predict to
what heights the state may climb,
when the possibilities are developed.
Texas is showing marvellous growth
and development. For years cotton
and cattle were the staples south of
the Red river, but with the advent of
so many farmers from the north and
east corn has taken a leading place,
and the vast plants to the west are
being developed into a wheat produc-
ing country. Large manufacturing
centers are being developed at Dallas,
Fort Worth, and Houston, while Gal
weston as a port is second only to
New York in the value of its exports"