Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 8.djvu/677

 KANSAS

599

KANSAS

A great number of European immigrants settled, largely in colonies, in the state in the decade following 1870. In 18S0 the state constitution was amended by the adoption of the law prohibiting in Kansas the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors, except for medical, scientific, and mechanical purposes. Ac- cording to the official opinion of the attorney-general in 1881, the use of wine for the "sacrament" is not prohibited. Almost every legislature has passed some law in reference to the enforcement of '' proliilji- tion" which in the larger cities has never been strictly enforced for any length of time. In 1877, the munici- pal suffrage bill conferred on women in Kansas the right to vote at school, bond, and municipal elections. About 26,000 women voted in the spring election of 1878. In 1894 the constitutional amendment con- ferring on women the full exercise of suffrage was defeated by 35,000 votes.

EcoNOJUCS. — Agriculture and Trade. — The soil is very productive. It consists in the eastern part of heavy black loam of greatest depth along the streams; and in the western part, of a sandy formation.

Kansas is essentially an agricultural state. Wheat and corn are the two most important grain products. In 1908, Kansas raised 150,6-10,516 bushels of corn, with a value of $82,642,461; 76,808,922 bushels of wheat, with a value of $63,855,146. The value of sorg- hums was $10,258,998; of tame hay $9,5:34,290; oats $7,118,847; of barley $1,314,343"; Irish potatoes 84,431,864. The field products from 32,216,702 acres under cultivation had a value of $189,059,626.28. Alfalfa increases annually in acreage and value of crop. The value of animals slaughtered or sold for slaughter was .$67,705,158. Poultry and eggs sold 89,306,651. Butter sold $9,413,:h7. Milk sold $1,145,922. Garden and horticultural products mar- keted $786,879. The total value of all farm products in 1908 reached the sum of .$277,733,925, without con- sidering the live-stock retained by the farmers and returned by assessors to the value of $197,510,878. In 1909 the value of farm products and live-stock ag- gregated $5:32,685,245, which was $57,404,414 in excess of 1908.

Bituminous coal is found in most of the coimties of the eastern part of the state. It is mined profitably in Crawford, Cherokee, Lea venworth , and Osage Counties. The value of the annual output exceeds $5,000,000. Natural gas and petroleum are found in large quan- tities. The former is piped and used in the principal cities for fuel and Ughting purposes. Salt is mined at Hutchinson, KanopoUs, Lyons, Kingman, Anthony, Wellington, and Sterling. The veins are about 1000 feet below the surface and in places are 300 feet thick. The salt area of Kansas is estimated at one million acres. The annual production is about 2,000,000 pounds. The lead and zinc mines are a source of profit and give employment to many in the south- eastern part of the state. In the production of these ores Kansas is second only to Missouri. There are quarries of superior limestone, sandstone, and rock gypsum. The limestone, especially in the more cen- tral counties, is excellent building material. Cement, lime, clays for brick, tiles, and pottery are among the products that contribute to the industries and wealth of the state. According to the United States census of 1900 the manufactured products of the state at- tained a value of $172,129,298. In 1903 the mineral production of the state had a value of $27,154,007.85; natural gas a value of $1,115,375.

Kansas City is the seat of the second largest pack- ing industry in the world. Here also is one of the most important live-stock markets. Car-shops, wool- len- and paper-mills, iron foundries, furniture fac- tories, soap factories, printing and publishing estab- lishments are fouml in nearly all the centres of population. Even before the first railway was laid in these parts, there was a commercial route extending

from the eastern to the western border of Kansas. The Santa F6 trail, the great overland route of the pioneer days, was established in 1824, and extended from Independence, Missouri, to Santa F^, New Mex- ico. Kansas has 11,000 miles of railroads connecting all the principal cities with one another and affording excellent shipping facilities. Four of the great trans- continental systems cross the state from east to west. A two-cent fare rate obtains. There are also inter- urban electric railways. The Board of Railroad Com- missioners has supervision over all common carriers.

Sociology. — Popul.\tion. — The following compila- tion contains the results of the fifth decennial census taken in 1905. Total population of the 105 counties of the state 1,544,498. Males 802,704; females 741,- 219; sex not given 1045. Native 1,400,441; foreign 118,378; birth-place not given 26,149. White 1,487,- 256; coloured 51,073; colour not given, 6518. The number of famihes was given as 345,056, and the average number of persons in family 4-47. Of the foreign population there were born in Germany 43, 124 ; Sweden, Norway, and Denmark 17,929; Great Britain 16,815; Russia 11,535; Ireland S958; British-.\merica 7444; Southern Europe including Austria, France, Italy, and Spain about 12,000. There are 532,635 persons of school age; i. e. between the ages of 5 and 20 years. There are 410,289 men 21 years old and over. Engaged in agriculture 251,956; engaged in professional and personal services 1 1 5,207 ; engaged in trade and transportation 66,923; engaged in manu- facturing and mechanical industries 54,991 engaged in mining 10,991. There are 120 towns that have over one thousand inhabitants each; 13 of those have over ten thousand people. Atchison has 20,000, Leaven- worth 25,000, Wichita 50,000, Kansas City 90,000, Topeka, the capital of the state, has 45,000. In 1909 the aggregate in cities of above 10,000 was 340,370, or 19.9% of the total population.

Education. — Parents, guardians or others having control of children between the ages of eight and fourteen years are required by law to send such chil- dren to a public or private school taught by a com- petent instructor.

Ample provision is made for graded schools in towns and districts. At the discretion of the county commissioners or on petition of one-third of the elec- tors of a county, a high-school may be established in any county if the majority of the electors of the county favour it. In the high-schools provision is made for three courses of instruction, each requiring three years' study for completion; namely, a general course, a normal course and a collegiate course. Tuition is free to all pupils residing in the county where the high school is located. The state constitution provided for the establishment by law of a state university for the promotion of literature and the arts and sciences, in- cluding a normal and an agricultural department. " All funds arising from the sale or rent of lands granted by the United States to the state for the sup- port of a state university and other grants, donations or bequests either by the state or by individuals, for such purpose, shall remain a perpetual fund to be called the university fund; the interest of which shall be appropriated to the support of the state university." Kansas ranks third, in the United States, in the mini- mum percentage of ilhteracy. Of the 392,009 pupils enrolled in the public schools of the state in 1907-1908, 178,893 were in the rural schools taught by 12,908 teachers. The text-books to be used in the public schools are determined by a text-book commission appointed bv the governor. The total cost of these public schools in 1908 was $7,335,443.

The state educational institutions are the follow- ing: University of Kansas at LawTence, with 2250 students; Kansas State -\gricultural College at Man- hattan, with 2166 students; State Normal School at Emporia, and the State Manual Training School, at