The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-12-01
Payment Hill Farm.

Accepting an invitation from Captain
Tough, We one day las, week took occasion
TO get a sniff of country air and visited the
above named place, owned by Tough, Steiner
Il Co., and managed by the Captain.
Leaving the city limits at II a. NJ, in COM
pany with friend, we were soon well out
on the Kansas City road, where our attention
was constantly attracted by the substantial
farm buildings, orchards, wide spreading
fields of fall sowed wheat and other evidencs
of thrift and prosperity that would make
Beecher forget his flock, and Greeley wish
he had never learned the trade" But We
are on the way to Tough's and must not
linger About l O'Clock we arrived at
the breaks of La Carny creek twelve
miles from Leavenwor,h. Consulting the
time our companion remarks 1--WE will he too
late for dinner mistake, as the sequel
will show. Crossing the creek, a clear, run
ming stream, with rocky bed, and bluify
banks covered with a fine growth of timber.
the scene is picturesque beyond our power Ia
describe, no small feature of which is ''soii-
tary horseman," standing as if spell bound
the opposite bank, intentiy watch
ing some object I'm the timbers hard by
Once over we discovered the object of our
search, the Captain himself, with hunting
coat and boat, his fowling piece slung across
his arm and waiting the movements
of old Lou, whose white figure is
seen beating the brush for game. Kindly
greeting us, the Cap. whistled in old Lou,
and with the aforesaid horse leads the
way to the place, which We find situated
On slightly eminence, and consisting ot ::
neat cottage house, roomy il not tail, and de-
sidedly cozy-home like-splendid peach
orchard adjoining, and over the way the
stables and stock yards. Calling colored
boy and giving him orders 10 take ont the
horse, water. feed and rub him down-with
his friendly .'come in" the Cap. remarks
''our dinner.is over, but We can set you oft
a lunch that will perhaps stay youi stom-
achs for the present" In an incredibly
short space OF time the smiling hostess and
her assistant had spread the cloth and We sit
down to-a lunch, did yousay? What, with
roast pig, vegetables, the whitest OF bread and
the sweetest Of butter, fruit and savory cof- !
fee, TO say nothing of the huge pitcher o;
rich, sweet milk. we think We can make out |
n dinner fit for Il king.
Dinner over and cigars handed round for
Cap. is equalt to all emergencies We return our
thanks To the hostess, and repair to the stables.
-
thoroughbred race horse, ''Chickamauga,"
which We find prancing proudly about a
small enclosure where he is allowed to exer-
else and stretch his limbs. A description of
this noble animal would require The pen of
he is perfect i'm body and limb. After listen
ing to Toughs graphic description of
Chicks" gamey race, which was 50 inter
f.prf
liSh that We comprehended but partially,
We pass to the stables. The Cap. here re-
marks, ''our buildings are only tempo
rary affairs sir, but 'yOu must
bear in mind that we have been here little
beiier than a year, and the coming spring
intend to build our stables and make things
convenient" We replied that the tempo
rary buildings ought 10 satisfy any reasonable
person, being well arranged, commodious
and fine enough. In the corral We are be-
wildered by the sea of heads with ears erect
with wonder and CURIOSITY, covering an area
Of several acres. ''How many head of hor-
ses have your We ask. Seventy odd," is
the reply. 'Iiow many hogs ''One hun
dred and odd" .'How MANY head of cat
tle?' Zone hundred and odd And
We had sufficient evidence Of the cor
rectness OF the figures. lyon seem to have
so many, Cap, that YOU really do not know
the number ''Yes, sir, | am buying and
selling continually-always prepared to do
either, sir, and can supply you wi til any
thing i'm the stock line, sir, of horse kind,
from thoroughbred miie-and-repeat to a
lead mule-of cattle kind, FAT, work or stock
and of hog kind, Poland and China, Ches-
ter White, Berkshire, and of any size Or age,
sir. Per contra. if you see anyone with
stock to sell, send them TO me; I'm their
man."
Coming upon a warehouse full of agricul-
tural implements, embracing all the modern
improvements, We asked, "Dc YOU do much
in the way of agriculture ''Oh no, sir;
jus, little for amusement. We gathered
the past season, 100 acres of wheat, and 9TH
er grain in about that proportion, just for
amusement, SIR" "WeIl, how much land
have YOU here?' Five hundred and odd
acres, sir" The odd acres, We found upon
close questioning, to amount to about sixty
a respectable farm for an Eastern operation,
especially when stocked with the odds OF
horses, cattle, &c. |
We would gladly have fingered a day or
a week with the entertaining Tough, but our
time Is limited and we must tear ourselves
away from this place of so many attractions
and return to the dusty and noisy city. Our
horse is re-harnessed rs fresh as when we
started from home, and the Cap, mount
ing filly that stands ready saddled as il by
magic, accompanies us a mile on our road,
and with a cordial invitation To repeat our
visit and bring along our friends, (which we
shall certainly do bids us adieu and csnters
hack. We return home both wiser aud bet
ter for our visit to Payment Hill.
0P0Ft1ng ~ Lawrence.
The following account of Il race in Law
renee On Saturday. between Charley Gar