Jasper County Democrat, Volume 1, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1898 — JENNINGS COUNTY, INDIANA. [ARTICLE]

JENNINGS COUNTY, INDIANA.

About a year and a half ago, the writer, then conducting the Remington Press, after a visit to that section of the country, began advertising the advantages of Southeastern Indiana, and Jennings county in particular, for people who were looking for cheaper fanning lands with all the advantages of schools, churches and other civilizing influences as a place of habitation and profit. Since that time quite a large number of people from about Remington, Wolcott and Goodlaml have purchased farms in Jennings county and have gone there to reside. In every instance so far as we have learned the people are more than' pleased with their change. Mr. F. R. Curtis of Remington, is among the pumber having Ixmght there, although he still resides at Remington. Mr. Curtis in company with 0. P. Taber and Levi Hawkins of Remington, has also lately secured a contract for building some seven miles of macadam road there and is now engaged in working on same. We are now advertising these lands in The Democrat for our old advertiser, Mr. Alexander Shepherd, of North Vernon, and as many of our readers have become quite deeply interested in that section of the country, we copy the following letter from the Wolcott Enterprise which is written by Al. C. Goodspeed of that place. Air. Goodspeed is not in the real estate business and therefore would have no interest in misrepresenting matters. Following is his letter: “Having recently returned from a bicycle trip to Jennings county and knowing that many are interested in that part of the state I will give a short description of the Trip. I arrived at Vernon, the county-seat, after two days of pleasant riding through a beautiful country. From inquiries made concerning the crops of the section of the state passed through, I learned that while the oats were good here, and very little wheat; that as I went south the wheat grew better in quality and acreage and the oats poorer. The com prospect is good all the way. Around Indianapolis it is a little the best owing to a very favorable season. Before reaching Vernon I stopped at the North Vernon fair. In the agricultural displays both the fruits and farm products were very good, nearly if not quite equal to any of White county

products. The corn ears are large, well filled and large solid kernels. The wheat is better than that raised here, millers being willing to give more for it than raised elsewhere. This year the crop averaged about twenty-five bushels per acre. The country around Vernon is of two varieties, the hill lands and the flats. The hill lands follow the streams, the land being very rolling. “The flats” is the name applied to those lands back from the streams. Here the ground is high, as flat as any here, covered for the most with scrub timber, and only needing that it be cleared and well drained to be the very best of farm land. The soil is of a reddish clay fairly easy to work. Any kind of fruit can be raised here. One man averaged about five bushels per day during the stawberry season of berries marketed. Other fruits grow equally well.' Stock raising can be and is made to pay by those who will work for the best results. Those having native scrub stock have very poor success. It is sefub all over, and can’t be made to look well. Opposed to this are several herds of cattle, sheep and hogs, of the best grades; which are noted throughout the country thus showing what care and work will do. During the fall and early winter those having hogs can turn them into the woods where they will live and fatten on the mast alone. The climate is healthy, there are very few hard storms and the extremes of heat and cold are not as marked as they are here. There is very little snow, that which does fall lasting only a day of so. Game is more plentiful than here. Of the birds there are a few ducks and geese, pheasants, a few wild turkeys and quail without number, very often a covey would spring up from the roadside as I rode along. Of the fur animals there are muskrats, mink, raccoons, oppossum, foxes, and a good many cotton-tails, Anyone going to Jennings county with even a small amount of capital can invest it in a farm and oy a reasonable amount of Work make a good living. The land is cheap, terms are easy, and crops good. x Yours Truly,

M. C. Goodspeed.