number already in existence. In September, 1889, Jeremiah M. Rusk, United States Secretary of Agriculture, visited Kansas, and published that the manufacture of sugar was a success beyond his anticipations; that at Conway Springs the product of sugar had reached twelve per cent, a profit of ten per cent. The sugar crop of 1889. on which the State bounty was paid amounted to 1,293,274 pounds, and in 1890 to 1,371,930 pounds.

306. Bonds Voted.-Bonds were voted by municipalities in aid of sugar mills and refineries. The aid proposed reaching, in some instances, $100,000 in bonds. In time, however, a plan to bond a large number of southwestern counties, by townships, was denounced as fraudulent, and checked to a considerable extent further bond issues in aid of the sugar manufacture. The manufacture was continued

A

for some years. In 1892 but two sugar mills, those at Medicine Lodge and Fort Scott, received the State subsidy, the product being 998, 100 pounds of sugar. In the course of events the Government and State aid was withdrawn. very large amount of useful information was obtained in regard to the nature and uses of the Chinese cane, and on other points of interest, for which a good price was paid. 307. Salt Industry.-The salt making industry, which had received a considerable impetus in 1887, and, in fact, had been carried on to some extent from the beginning of the settlement of the State, but which produced but 13,000 bushels in 1880, was enormously increased in 1889. Early in the year, Senator Plumb made the statement that "the development of the salt industry in Kansas has had the effect of reducing the price of salt in the Mississippi valley west of Kansas, twenty-five per cent, from the prices pre

vailing twelve months ago.' In January, Wellington organized its eighth salt company. Hutchinson already had

ten salt plants in operation, with more in course of construction. McPherson had made a promising start, and Kingman, Lyons, Anthony, Sterling, Great Bend, and other points were engaged in the manufacture. The salt deposit was reached at depths varying from 420 to 925 feet.

308. Corn.-The year 1889 was the greatest "corn year," so far, in the agricultural annals of the State, the figures being 6,820,693 acres, with a yield of 273,988,321 bushels; valued at $51,649,876.18; an average yield of 40.15 bushels to the acre. This inspired a Kansas writer to write of Kansas corn:

"Corn is the sign and seal of a good American agricultural country. Corn is an American institution; one of the discoveries of the continent. It is of the American West. It reaches its best estate between the Alleghanies and the Rockies. It was known by the Indians, and to cultivate it was one of the few agricultural temptations which overcame their proud and haughty contempt for labor.

"Corn is the test. A good country, in a farming sense, is one that 'brings' good corn. If it will not do that, then it may be a good country for something else, but it is not an American farmer's country. It requires a long season, plenty of rain, a thorough-going sun that attends to business, but knows when to stop; a generous soil, and the best elemental treatment from the warm, soft day on which it is planted, till the 'frost is on the pumpkin and the fodder's in the shock.' Hence, when you say that a given region is a good corn country, you have said it will raise anything that grows in the temperate zone.

"Corn makes the country and the people who live in it. It fattens hogs and cattle, and so fine-haired people, who live on cracked wheat and philosophy, claim that it has a coarseness about it that imparts itself to the people who eat it; but, for all that, it is the food of men who turn wildernesses to fruitful fields, span continents, and fight great battles.

"Kansas has corn, and so is in luck. Scoffers and ribalds talk about the Kansas man burning corn; and it is one of the merits of corn that it makes a good fire, but the Kansas man knows better than that. Everywhere in every farmer's dooryard is to be seen a great pile of red and white corn cobs, clean and bright, which burn like tinder.

corn sheller goes around like the threshing machine, and shells the corn and piles up the cobs. The cob is a commercial fact. At Sedan there is a factory that turns out millions of cob pipes. The Kansas man can burn his cob or he can smoke it.'

309. Harbor Convention. In response to a call by Governor Humphrey, a convention of delegates from many of the Western and Southern States assembled at Topeka, October 1, 1889, to devise means for securing a deep-water harbor on the coast of Texas. 600 delegates responded, including Governor Thayer, of Nebraska, Governor Francis, of Missouri, seven ex-Governors, nine Congressmen, and many other men of prominence. Fifteen States and Territories were represented. United States Senator Plumb presided over the deliberations of the convention.

310. Women Officials.—In 1889 five towns elected women Mayors: Argonia, Oskaloosa, Cottonwood Falls, Rossville and Baldwin.

SUMMARY.

1. Governor Martin condemns the mortgage laws.

2. Preston B. Plumb was unanimously elected United States Senator for a third term. The Legislature passed acts authorizing cities and townships to issue bonds, and subscribe stock for sugar manufactories; appropriated $36,000 for G. A. R. building; reduced rate of interest by contract from ten per cent to six per cent.

3. The manufacture of sorghum sugar was vigorously carried on. 4. The salt industry became greatly augmented.

5. The yield of corn averaged 40.15 per acre; the total crop being valued at $51,649,676.18.

6. Deep-water convention convened at Topeka, October 1, 1889. 7. Five towns elected women Mayors.

CHAPTER XXIX.

KANSAS AND OKLAHOMA.

311. Opening of Oklahoma.-In the early months of 1889 there was an evident increase in the interest felt in the opening of Oklahoma to settlement; the so-called boomers collected in large numbers, at points on the border, more especially Arkansas City and Caldwell. The active members of the boomer element continued to make raids into Oklahoma, and were as often removed by the military.

The progress of the Bill before Congress to open up Oklahoma for settlement, was followed with alternations of hope and fear. At last the suspense was ended by the proclamation of the President announcing the date of the opening of Oklahoma, and the regulations under which the 1,800,000 acres of land were to be taken.

312. Preparation.-The principal points from which the Strip was to be entered from Kansas were Caldwell, Hunnewell and Arkansas City.

The Strip was filled with people, and the night before the eventful day a line of camp fires shone from the Oklahoma boundary to the Kansas line. Everything was planned in advance. The Government functionaries were waiting in the land offices in Oklahoma. The town sites had been selected and named. Guthrie, destined to be the capital, named in honor of a citizen of Kansas, had its thousands of foreordained citizens, as did other town sites. In at least