Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-07

is known here, and we trust that his letter Will
have proper attention =
LAWRENCE, X. T., Nov. 25 1860.
DEAR SIR You have doubtless learned
from the public papers something of the UNI
precedented drouth here in Kansas and OF
the restitution and suffering consequent upon
it. AT meeting of the inhabitants Of this
township (No. r. Range 1917, held at my
house few days since, it was proposed that
each person should write to the locality from
which he came, and state the real facts of our
condition, to such of their friends who might
have more confidence in their statements than
in reports which appear in the newspapers
There are several families from Worcester in
the township, aud numbers from Worcester
county and other parts of the state of Massa-
chusetts. l think you can form but a FAINT
conception OF the real condition Of things here
at present.
We have raised absolutely nothing. sowed
two acres of wheat last tail. This spring il
came up and grew few inches and then dried
up. planted ten acres of corn, but did not
get single ear Part Of the stalks grew from
two to four feet high and | cut from the whole
piece from one to two tuns Of fodder; about
half enough to keep my cattle alive through
the winter. Iplanted an acre of potatoes and
realized about one barrel, a large part Of them
about the size of a musket bail. Later in the
season l sowed buckwheat and turnips, but
only lost my seed and labor. | have not
raised any garden vegetables of any kind.
And my farm is a fair sample of all around
me.
In part of the few counties bordering on
the Missouri river, the settlers raised about
halt crop Of corn. But from all other parts
OF the territory hear the same story of the
total failure Of crops of every kind. The
prairies from which we can usually cut from
one to three tons of wild hay to the acre, have
this season hardly afforded grass enough to
keep the cattle through the summer, and now
theJ are dry. Had the season been tavora
bic, | should have raised crops on my place
probably to the value of $500; as it is l get
nothing at all. But very few have saved any.
thing from their last years crop. The first
settlers in new country are usually poor, and
are Obliged to sell their crops as soon as they
are harvested to meet pressing wants. Win
ter is now upon us and there are already cases
of suffering among us, and those of us who
still have a little have been obliged to spare
portion OF that to those who have nothing at
all. l Go not know as the people Of Kansas
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