Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-07-18
Correspondence HERALD
KANSAS AND NEBRASKA.
Appearance of Country-Climate-Con Condition OF
Crops-Dr. G.. McFadden- Other Grant
County People-some Advice.

1
County People-some Advice.
AS the thoughts of many of on
citizens are now turning toward tn
West, | send you for publication il
the Herald q few notes from th'
Journal of my recent journey thith
er, hoping that they will prove o
some interest to all who may have
the leisure or inclination to reaC
| them.
Left Dunleith on the End of May
and took passage on the cars fol
Quincy, Ills, whence rode to Kan
as city No. on the Hannibal and ST
10. r. R. The country for nearly
one hundred miles west from thi:
point was not so fiourishing as [ ex
pected TO find it, and after leaving
the Mississippi some distance timber
became scarce, the land fiat and cut
up by sloughs, fit only for stock rails.
ing, with occasionally an exception
of lands slightly elevated. Farther
west the country became more roll
ing, and presented many good i'm
provements. Fall wheat and other
crops looked very well fruit trees
not abundant, but those cultivated
quite thrifty comparing the climate
with that Of Wisconsin. Water is
scarce, very few springs and mill
streams being found. In the Mo.
River valley | saw some pits richly
stored with stone coal. The western
part Of the State is much superior to
the eastern. The country around
Topeka, the State capital, is fine,
plenty of stone cropping outin many
places, very little timber, and only q
few small streams draining the coun-
try in wet season. Here is yet
much unimpr owed land owned by
the r. R. companies and by specula.
tors, between Topeka and Emporia.
The lands is truly fine, but so high a
value has already been placed upon
it that is far beyond the reach of
those whose means are limited
Capitalists will find here some excel.
lent locations, coal abounds, and
some fine stone quarries have been
opened. Cattle in great droves
Craze on these lands.
At Oswego, the capital of Labatte
county, found our old friend and
former townsmen, Mr.. e. D. Bevans,
who entertained US kindly for some
days. He is very pleasantly situa-
ted, and has good farm. The
town has population Of $500 in.
habitants. Good churches and
schools have been established, and O
new college building is nearly ready
for occupation. Numerous lumber
and Touring mills are in operation.
Walnut, oak and other varieties of
timber abound, coal is abundant, and
sells at $500 per ton. The climate
is we'll adapted to fruit raising.
Ten miles from the town of new
Chicago, we found the home of our
son-in-law, DR.. G.. Nc Fadden. He
has been here with his family q lit
tie over a year, and has selected as a
place of residence an elevated, gen.
tly rolling spot of ground, from
which you can count a hundred
cabins scattered over all the beauti-
full prairie. In all this region there
is very little living water but it can
be obtained by blasting from 20 to
so feet through lime rock, which un-
deries the whole country, and in
many places comes TO the surface,
rendering the land unfit for cultiva-
ton. Here are also hard pan
patches or alkali lands, but on the
whole there is an abundance of good
soil. What is most needed here at
present is capital. The climate is
delightful, and prospects for fruit
raising are very encouraging DR..
McFadden has the confidence of the
people of his town, and sustains a
good professional and business repu-
tation. Besides attending to the
duties of his profession, he cultivates
little land, and holds the very i'm
portant office of town trustee, which
requires him to form road districts,
assess all real and personal property,
and in short gives him the general
superintendent of the affairs of the
town.
We were also IN Nebraska,
where we met a number of people
from Wisconsin. Among these may
be named Jno. McWilliams and his
sister Maggie, of Ellenboro, Truman
Lowell of Fennimore and our son,
Scott Barstow. Their location is on
the north line of Lancaster county,
joining Saunders county. They
have fine land, and good crops are
growing thereon. Their buildings
are comfortable, and they are much
pleased with their new homes.
In one month from the time of
starting. we again found ourselves at
home. To those of your readers who
desire to know what | think of Kan
sas, | would reply: That part Of
the state which | visited has a great
amount of good farming land, as
well as a great deal that is well nigh
worthless. 1t has along the rivers
some excellent timber, plenty of
coal is found, and fruit can be raised
with success. In quality of soil, the
northern portion of Kansas is super
Tor to the southern. So also of Ne
braska, which excels Kansas in the
richness of its soil, but lacks timber
in many places. Both are sadly de-
ficient in running water. There is
also SO far as known, a lack of coal
in Nebraska.
In conclusion | would say that
young men, and men of families
with limited means, who can make up
their minds to endure hard ships and
privations - live in sod shanties.
waiting for supplies to grow and
other advantages to mature-such,
/ say, bad better go out west; but
if well enough off here in old
Grant, they are respectfully advised
not TO venture away from their
friends and homes, and "old associa-
tons"
rrI.nhnra vi. GAMUFI pApqT0W