The surface is generally undulating, rising gradually from the valley of the Missouri 700 feet above sea level to 4,000 feet on the western border. Nearly the entire area is a rich prairie covered with grass, and almost devoid of timber, the little timber that is found is along the streams, and is principally cotton wood, a very poor class of timber, having very little if any commercial value. The interior of the state has no navigable streams; there are a large number of small rivers abounding in fish, and affording sufficient water for stock raising, etc.

The Missouri River on the eastern border furnishes navigation for about 50 miles along the state. The early settlement of Kansas was much aided by the possibilities of navigation that this river afforded, several towns being started before the "iron horse" made his appearance in Kansas. Coal of an inferior quality is found throughout the entire eastern portion of the state, comprising an area nearly 17,000 square miles in extent. A fair quantity of building stone is obtainable in almost all portions of the state. None of the precious metals are found, however, some of the baser metals are found in limited quantities. Immense deposits of salt are found in the central portion of the state, notably at Hutchison, Kansas, where at a depth of 300 feet a salt deposit has been discovered which appears unlimited, the vein being more than 300 feet in thickness, and covers quite a large area; quite extensive works have been established here, and salt forms one of the important industries of the state. Negotiations are pending whereby it is believed a strong English company will take hold of this property and develop it upon such a scale as to mal:e Hutchinson the greatest salt producing city in America.

The climate of Kansas is very pleasant, in winter the temperature rarely falls below zero, and in summer ranges from 80 to 100 degrees, even in the warmest weather the nights are unusually cool, which makes the heat of the day tolerable. Occasionally severe wind storms sweep over the prairies, rarely, however, doing serious harm.

Wild game was formerly very plentiful, such as deer, elk and buffalo, all of which are practically extinct, as far as Kansas is concerned. Small game, such as ducks, geese, prairie chicken and quail, may be found in their season, and are quite abundant.

The soil is very rich and yields abundantly of all agricultural products, where drouth does not interfere, that, however, does not occur very frequently, and the state rates one of the best of the Union in agricultural products.

In 1886 the state produced from 5,812,615 acres, 106,129,000 bushels of corn, valued at $34,212,240; 1,272,300 acres, 14,556,000 bushels of wheat, valued at $8,442,480 from 964,930 acres, 25,516,000 bushels of oats, valued at $8,201,030; from 99,031 acres, 5,744,000 bushels of potatoes, valued at $3,733,600; from 1,320,000 acres, 1,884,000 tons of hay, valued at $8,131,200; other field crops, 221,512

acres, product valued at $1,152,720; a total field product valued at $62,051,240.

January 1st, 1888, Kangas contained 724,997 head of horses and mules, valued at $49,928,929; 640,081 head of milch cows, valued at $14,344,215; 1,583,915 head of oxen and other cattle, valued at $32,271,946; 830,139 head of sheep, valued at $1,457,558; 2,377,561 head of hogs, valued at $13,457,469; a total of 6,156,693 head of live stock, valued at $111,460,117, which added to the field products makes a total valuation of all farm products aggregating $173,511,357. The principal commercial cities of the state are Leavenworth, Atchison, Lawrence, Topeka and Wichita.

Kansas, as much as any other state west of the Mississippi River, is deeply interested in the deep harbors on the Texas Gulf coast, and in all movements looking to that grand consummation has figured conspicuously, and is ably represented on the permanent Deep Harbor Committee by Hon. Howel Jones, of Topeka; Senator A. Caldwell, of Leavenworth; Judge J. E. Emery, of Lawrence; Hon. W. E. Hutchinson, and Hon. Marsh M. Murdock, of Wichita.

The following statistics are compiled from the official reports of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture for the State of Kansas, for ten years, showing the number of bushels of grain grown, and value of the crop:

Totl 1,382,313,497 $340,423,259 231,472,206 $149,049,147 276,579,591 $55,293,702

I hereby certify that the above is correct as taken from the official reports of this office.

Dated, Topeka, Kansas,

October 30th, 1888.

M. MOHLER,

Secretary.

The following statistics are compiled from the official reports of the Secretary of the State Board of Agriculture for the state of Kansas, for the year 1888:

Population, 1,518,552.

I hereby certify that the above is correct as taken from the official

reports of this office.

Dated, Topeka, Kansas,

October 29th, 1888.

M. MOHLER,

Secretary.

PRIOR

CHAPTER XI.

NEVADA-1848 TO 1889,

RIOR to 1848 Nevada had no white settlements, the only inhabitants being aborigines; not even a mission had been established within the borders of the state.

In 1848 the United States acquired by treaty with Mexico the territory embraced within the limits of the state, together with California, New Mexico and Utah. The Territory of Nevada was not established until 1861, up to that time it was included within the Territory of Utah. At that date Nevada contained 17,000 inhabitants, attracted thither by the discovery of rich silver mines. The Comstock lode, in Storey County, was discovered in 1859, its annual output of silver for several years averaged $15,000,000. It made and lost fortunes within a short space of time by stock jobbing operations, and finally, having practically exhausted the rich ore, the mine was abandoned. At times since, it has been operated on low grade ore, but has yielded only insignificant returns. The other principal mines are the Consolidated Virginia, California and Sierra Nevada, two of which have been worked to a depth of 2,870 feet, men being able to work at that depth not more than an hour or two at a shift.

The State of Nevada was admitted into the Union in October, 1864. It is bounded by California on the west, Oregon and Idaho on the north, east by Utah, and south by Arizona, contained 110,700 square miles. The surface is an elevated valley or basin, which stretches from the Rocky Mountains to the Sierra Nevada range, interspersed with mountains of minor importance, and varies in altitude from 2,000 to 7,000 feet, average being about 4,000 feet above the sea level. Extensive forests are encountered in the mountains, affording an abundance of the best pine lumber; several varieties of pine, spruce and fir are the principal growth. No hard wood timber in the state, none being found on this slope of the Sierra. A few mountains reach the height of 10,000 feet, none above timber line, the very summit being covered with a heavy growth of timber. The lumber interest is destined to become one of the state's principal industries. The precious metal output is still quite large, though insignificant as compared with the palmy days early in the '60s. The decrease in that industry has caused the agricultural and stock raising interests to receive more attention, and while inconsiderable as compared with some of our more advanced states, yet its increase and development is an evidence of progress, and adds hope to the already substantial worth of the state.

In 1886 there were 192,013 acres in crop, value of product amounting to $1,955,280.

January 1st, 1888, the state contained 47,701 head of horses and mules, valued at $2,505,098; 18,037 head of milch cows, valued at $631,295; 323,400 head of oxen and other cattle, valued at $5,819,648; 660,996 head of sheep, valued at $1,259,660; and 21,087 head of hogs, valued at $111,846; a total of 1,071,221 head of live stock, valued at $10,327,547, which, with the field crops, aggregates $12,282,827, the value of farm products January 1st, 1888.

There are no considerable cities in the state, Virginia City and Carson City (the Capital), are the principal ones. The climate is not as severe in winter as would be supposed at such an altitude; the summers are delightful, and on the whole the climate is regarded as very healthy. The educational advantages are very good, comparing with equally populous sections in the East. Society averages well, but can not be said to compare with adjoining states.

Nevada should join in the progressive movement for deep harbors on the Gulf coast, and ultimately the firm establishment of a "Western Commercial Congress." The Great West must have inter-state reciprocity, a partial success at that has just been accomplished by the Grand Inter-state Deep Harbor Convention, which brought together in Denver, in August last, over 700 delegates from thirteen of the twentytwo states and territories west of the Mississippi River.