Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1869-02-10

now being surveyed, and will bc OtlereU
at prices ranging from four to ten dol
lars per acre to actual settlers. 1t Is
expected that the road will lie COM
pleted to Springfield the heart of
/ Southwest Mis>ouril during the
/ coming season, and Will ut once open
I the unoccupied ares of this fertile
region to the competition of the world.
Other railroads through this section
are projected, and some are under
way. | have no doubt that in a few
wears Missouri will be as completely
checkered with railroad lines rs IS
J Ohio or Illinois. An old railroad
charter, passed in 1860, providing for
| the construction of Il railroad from 4
point on the South Pacific Railroad,
east of Springfield, and running one
west to Fort Scott, Kansas, in.ersect-
ing this Polk among other counties.
has been revived, and * exciting con-
siderable interest along the proposed
line.
Already a gOodly sprinkling of
Ohioans are settled in and around
Bolivar, and in various parts OF Polk
county. The Methodist minister here
REV. Il. e. Chapmanl is from Con-
neaut, Ashtabula county. Alr. {. l..
Bushnell. formerly Of Warren, but
more recently of Memphis, is located
in Bolivar, and is doing a flouTishing
business in the drug line. \ thriving
merchant in a neighbOring village Is
from Mahoning county, and others
still frC m Trumbull and MahOning
counties, l understand are coming.
In regard TO Polk county, OF which
Bolivar is the cOunty-seat, / vii. say
that it is the third in population of
the counties properly belonging to
Southwest Missouri. 1t is about
twenty-five miles square, and is COM
posed of finely diversified prairie and
timber land. The streams are clear
and rapid, and malarial diseases are
comparatively unknown. 1t isa lime
stone country. The soil is rich, black
and mulattO alluvial, well adapted 10
the growing of corn, wheat, oats, rye
and other cereals, Us we'll as for stock
growing and dairy purposes. The lat
ter business would pay well here, es-
pecially the manufacture OF cheese. l
Il not know of Il single cheese factory
in Southwest Missouri. What cheese
is consumed here comes from st. Louis,
and Tetails readily ut thirty TO forty
cents. There will be a hOmc-markeU,
at remunerative prices, for all the
cheese that can be manufactured in
this section for years to come. From
a lack of railroad facilities, butter is
cheap as Yet, but year hence st.
Louis will be attainable, aiiording one
of the finest markets in the world for
dairy products.
Il !
here without expense, on the prairies,
eight months out of the twelve, anu
have good picking almost the entire
winter. Vast herbs OF sheep are an
nually driven from Illinois and Iowa
to this vicinity to he pastured on the
prairies. Last season, as L am in-
formed by practical sheep-grOwer of
this country, many cattle and sheep
were entirely subsisted on prairie
grass from the 18th of March to the
18th of November, and did well.
Furthermore, they are wintered on
prairie-hay Ito be had for the cuitin@)
and a limited amount of corn or oats.
Dairy men, as you will see, need own
but little land, and may pasture with
out limit on the unoccupied prairies.
a large proportion of Polk county is
still uncultivated-say twO-tiirds OF
the whole amount; consequently this
free pastuTage for cattle and sheep will
remain to a greater or less extent for
years to come.
In regard to fruits and vegetables,
all the orchard and garden products of
the Middle States flourish here, n well
as many varieties peculiar only to the
Southern States. Apples and peaches
rarely fail, while cherries, plums,
pears and the smaller fruits thrive
luXuriantly. 1t is i-countTy peculiar
ly adapted to grape culture. Sorghum
is successfully grown, and enters into
the annual product of almost every
farm.
Timber is to lie had in great variety
along the streams, as well rs on the
uplands. The leading varieties are
the different species of oak, hickory,
walnut, maple, elm, wild cherry, ash,
mulberry, sycamore, etc. Stone for
buildingpurpOses exists in abundance.
Good improved farms may be had
from ten TO fifteen dollars per acre
timber land and unbrOken prairie at
from four to six dollars.
The nearest point of railroad COM
municatiOn to Bolivar, at the present
time, is Sedalia, on the line of the
Central Pacific Railroad distance
ninety miles; but with the compile
ton of the Southern Pacific to Spring
field, this season, the distance will he
reduced to thirty miles The pOpula-
ton of Polk county. according to
recent census, is little over eight
thousand; that of Bolivar isahout six
hundred. The people as a class are
loyal, industrious and law-abiding,
and gladly welcome newcomers of
character and respectability to their
midst. To persons seeking homes i'm
this State, no better county than Polk
exists in Southwest Missouri.
l intended to say something about
the coal and lead depOsites of this
section, but will defer it until another
time. Yours truly,
JAMES DUdARS.