Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1882 — LETTER FROM KANSAS. [ARTICLE]

LETTER FROM KANSAS.

Beoss, Kansas, May 25,1881. Editor Sentinel: Thinking a brief description of this part of the world might be of interest to the readers of your paper, and especially to those contemplating emigration, I concluded to write you a short letter. Kingman county is situated in the south ern part of Kansas. It is a new county, and as yet no screaming ironhorse has ever plowed its way thro’ this beautiful carpet of green grass and wild flowers, startling the antelope as it quietly feeds, or driving the jack rabbit from its bed in the vain belief that a chase is at hand. The country is watered by the Wenescah and Chicaskia and numerous creeks formed by gprings whose waters are almost as clear as crystal and abounding in numerous fish of different varieties. These streams, together with an abundance of good grass makes Kingman county one of the best, for stock raising, there is in the State.— The grass consists mostly of bluestem, broom and buffalo. When there is but little rain-fall the buffalo grass dries up, retaining all its nutritious qualities and makes as good feed as hay, and stock will get fat on it. But if there is much rain the dry grass is useless. The richness of the soil also makes this a desirable place for farming as almost every variety of cereals will grow well here after the land is in cultivation for some time The soifin this part of the county is black, with either a gravel or gypsum subsoil. The soil is exceedingly fine and I think might properly be termed a drift soil. The sub soil in some places is several feet below the surface while in others it is but a few inches,— Sometimes the gypsum is sn the sur face forming banks which, when seen at a distance, have tht appearance of snow-banks. This gypsum finds its way back east under the name of “scouring-dust,” and is readily sold to the tidy housekeeper who prides herself in keeping her tinware bright. It is used here as a substitute for lime, whole houses being plastered with it. It does very well if it does not get wet; but let it get wet and it all falls off. It is also put through some kind of a hardening process, made into hollow bricks, and used to build houses, being cemented together the same as the common building stone. I have never seen one of these houses but am told they are very nice and look somewhat like marble. The numerous rains and the late spring will prevent the wheat from ripening as early as Usual, but the prospect for an abundant crop is as good as it has been for several years. A great debl of corn has been planted, and preparations are being made to sow a great deal of millet. Farmers are very hopeful, and the future pros pects for Kingman county are any thing else than discouraging.

Kansas has long been talked of as a land of drouths and grasshoppers but the time is fast approaching when some of her older sister states will be obliged to stand aside, so rapidly is she gaining on them. There never was a State more basely misrepre seated than Kansas is, by people who come here expecting to get rich in ofie year. Money can be, and is, made here, but it cannot be made without labor any more than it can in any other country. Those who are willing to work and wait will b j successful. and that is the class of people we need In a new country. Here we have ne aristocracy, but all are on a “common level.” Every one is ready to oblige his neighbor, and a man is not judged by the number of cattle he has, but by his actions. Here let me say, that Hoosiers, after they have become acclimated, make the best Jayhawkers imaginable. Health is very good, and x really believe that doctors have a worse time of it here than any place I have ever seen.— The air is so pure that one can almost feel that at every breath it ims parts new life and strength—so different is it from many other places. There are no ponds and marshes here to hold stagnant waters, therefore we have no ague. As the surface of the country is rolling thejwaters do not

not stand upon the ground long enough to become impure. We have had a great deal of rain this spring, Out there has not been a time that farmers could not either plow did ground or sod, and the roads have been but little muddy. Teams could travel with heavy loads arfy time. This is a perfect paradise for sportsmen. In early spring geese flock in by the countless thousands, ami still later large droves of antelope can be seen grazing around over the prairie, while the drumming of the prairie chicken and the cackling or the grouse, together with the songs of innumerable little birds, is the first thing that strikes the ear on a bright morning. Since I have been here I have seen what I have always wished to see, and what has lured many a weary traveler on to death, in the vain hope that what he most wished for was at band I ha\ e seen a mirage. Tey usually have the appearance of a great lake of water, and sometimes of livers. When I saw the fiist one the day was very still and clear, and the waters ,of it scarcely seemed to ripp e. But on a day when the wind blows, the hi ge waves can plainly 1 • seen rising and falling and lasting the shore. They looked very beautiful to me, and I suppose they do to every one unaccustomed to seeing them. No doubt these mirages will not be such a common occurrence when the land once gets under culti vation, and groves and orchards take the place of glass. How long this will be one cannot tell Although the country is settling very rapidly, tnere are thousands of acres of unoccupied land, only waiting to be taken as claims. These may be taken in tracts from 40 to 160 acres. And why do young men work, all their lives, by the month, or lent farms, paying dearly so? th«m, when here they can get a quarter of a section ol good land for s2oo* and krowthat all the hard wuik they put upon it is for themsalves. If persons who are d<» sirous of having a home of their own would but do this they could soon realize the difference between working for some one eke and working for themselves, and Horace Greeley’s “Go west, young man!” would be fully realized and appreciated Respectfully, Yours, M. J. B.

Gleanings from Kingman County, Kansas. Health very good, Fine prospect for crops. Plenty of fine showers. Corn 80 cents per bushel. Good cows from $35 to S4O. Kingman county has a good prospect for a railroad., Charles McCurtain Is recovering from a spell of sickness. All the other Hoosiers are well and prosperous. Bart. Boroughs’ house was struck by lightning, during a thunder-storm, a shoit time ago. No one hurt. Land hunters are on the wing, Kingman county is settling rapidly, but let them come, there is stili room for more. Kingman, the capital of Kingman county, is building ud rapidly this spring. It has quite an umber of dry goods, grocery and hardware stores, supports two newspapers, has as good a mill as there is in the State, and a good school. This is the place in which to live, laugh and grow far. Mr. Will Parker, his brother, and Mr, and Mrs. Manning, of Reno county, relatives of Mr. and Mrs. Levi F. Clouse, were visiting that pleasant couple last week. They are well pleased with this part of the county and talk of locating here. Query: What has become of the Sentinel reporters? We would like to see each township represented every week. Though we are iar from there, still we have an interest ih the Sentinel.—ln fact we couldn’t do without it. Jayhawler Jennie. June 1,1882.