The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-07-09
rc'foIItfeIictO OF tIit JellefsOnl
LETTER FROM KANSAS.
ERIE, NEosuo Co., KAN,

Iglye you q few Items concerning thu
history and resources of Neosho coun
lty, Kansas. II is in the second tie
of counties west ofthe Missouri line
and the second north of the Indial
Territory has an area of 624 squar
miles, or ss9, $50 acres, and is acknowl
edged by all who have visited it t.
be the garden spot of Kansas. 1t wa
purchased of the Usage Indians b,
the Government, by the treaty O
ISept. 1865, at which time it contained
about $50 inhabitants; organized il
the Winter of '65 surveyed in Aug
and Sept. '66, and the first election
for officers was held the same Autumn
THE major portion of the land is We,
in the hands of the Government
but will probably be in market in tn,
next three or four months. Decided
land can be bought for from five t.
twenty dollars per acre.
| THE CLIMATE
is extremely healthy. There are Nc
swamps or marshes. Cases of cor
sumption never originate here. The
summer heat is tempered by a con
slant breeze. Nights cool. Winters
short and mild-snow rarely falling
beyond two or three inches in depth
and seldom remains over twenty-foul
hours There are days in winter when
our people let their fires go down, and
open their doors. J1aI -as.as
THE SOIL. .a
is of two classes. known as the black
loan and red clay or mulatto lands,
both of which produce we'll in favora-
BILE seasons, and yield abundant returns
of all crops peculiar to this climate
The red soil is peculiarly adapted to
the growing OF small grain, especially
wheat and rye, and retains It's fertility
for fifteen or twenty years of success
i've cultivation, with very little-if
any-decrease in the yield, and with
out any kind of fertilizers In fact the
use of fertilizers, as applied to this
county, is a thing unknown.
The timber comprises black walnut,
white and shellbark hickory, white
and black oak, maple, pawpaw, ash,
blackberry, persimmon, coffee bean,
pecan, sycamore, cottonwood, elm and
mulberry. The timber grows along
the margin of some water course, and
there is an abundance in the county,
and will be for years to come-some.
thing which can be said of but few
counties in the State. is
Rock for all purposes is easily OBJ
tanned, there being extensive quarries
in the bluffs of the prairie. The vari.
eties are lime and sand stone.
is found anywhere by digging from
25 to 80 feet, as pure as ever ran from
a crystal spring. In some localities
springs are found that are failing
in their supply. The county is trav-
ersed diagonally by the Neosho river,
which has also numerous tributaries
within the bounds of the county.
PRODUCTIONS.
Crops are usually good if they are
put in early. Most instances of failure
arise from neglect in this particular
Wheat yields from fifteen to forty
bushels per acre, and should be sowed
before the 10th of September, instead
of six weeks later, as is usually the
case. Rye succeeds admirably, and is
always a sure crop, but rarely cultiva
ed. Oats yield heavily. Grown OIL
,hebottom land, are, in many instances,
too prolific to amount to any
thing but straw. Corn is generally a
sure crop on bottom land, but is very
on high land. Timothy and
clover both succeed well whenever
tried. but, from the fact that the wild
prairies furnish an abundance OF free
little attention has been
paid to these crops as yet. Tobacco
of as fine quality as is produced in
the United States can be grown here.
Most of our farmers merely cultivate
sufficient for their own use, but the
business of cutivating it can be made
very lucrative. The same remarks
will spPly to hemp and flax.
This is peculiarly fruit country
Every variety of fruit grows in great
profasion. The trees live to a great
age, and for many years are thrifty
and prosperous. Wild plums, black
berries, strawberries, pawpaws, per-
simmons. black haws, mulberries and
grapes Of several species are found in
arge quantities.
Coal is found in various parts of the
county, and will yet be produced in
...
RAILROAD PROSPECTS
could not well be more encouraging.
The route of the Leavenworth, Law
ence d. Galveston railroad passes di
ectly through the centre of the county,
md we have every assurance that it
will cross the Neosho river at Erie. Il
irie is also on the route of the Sedalia,
Fort Scott & Santa Fe road, which we
ave reason to believe will be built.
sl -.sj SCHOOLS. ".
Every school district in the county
las a school house, in which schools
re taught at least three months in the
ear. The school system of Kansas
5 SIS good as any in the United States,
nd the school fund is in a healthy
ondition. /
ERIE,
he county seat. has a population of
bout 700. 1t is pleasantly situated
as two. public schools and several
hurch organizations. Town-lots are
ept down to reasonable figures; in
eed any person can obtain a desirable
It in either Wetmore or Dodd's addi-
on to Erie by simply obligating him
IF to build thereon. |;
d. E. K.
DIED AMONG STRANGERS. The I
Iissouri Democrat contains the fol- |
wing communication, from gentle
ian living in Carbondale, Illinois: