The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-02-21
KANSAS CORRESPONDENCE.
Eetter from o former citizen of
Rcck Island -Life in Kansas.
Scenery Country Weather -
Climate Prices, etc.

We have received the following commu
nication from an cid resident of this city
which contains come interesting informa
tion, about the country, life in Kansas, and
the advantages that state presents to settlers
Read it
Elk FALL, KAN. Feb. 5, 1871.
Ed. ARGUS Dear Sir:-Having just fn-
ished perusing sheet of that ever welcome
visitor to our humble household, the Rock
Island Argus, it made me think OF old home
again,
"Where milk and horey flow,
A gaunt and empty larder you seldom ever know
But that is not exactly the case with US
poor outcasEs, living away down here among
she sunny hills of Southern Kansas, and
what few of Us do live here are like the mil.
Ier's dora 3 lsels lauk for want of grub,
also ia stamps 10 get the grub with, but we
intend to feast on faith and dumplings, hop
ING there is better day coming; it will take
more nan this TO make US retrace our steps
from 81 beautiful country as this is, 10 the
laud Of plenty. There is plenty in Kansas,
but not here, the country being entirely new
here | suppose thAre is not over 200 acres
of land under cultivation in this county,
therefore we have to get our hour, meal and
groceries freighted On wagons from HUM
boldE, a distance of 60 miles, the cost oil
freighting being almost equal to the value
of the goods, thus making US pay o good
round price for what we have to buy, and as
we have nothing to sell in return it is fast
ha
the price of few articles below:
Flour s. 90 per hundred.
Meal 50 90
Corn 81 % bushel.
Oats S5c 81 e
Potatoes 81 90"
Pork from TO Is cents per pound.
Beef TO Is
Salt $40 90 per barrel and other things
in like proportion.
Elk Falls being proclaimed thus far the
County seat of Howard county, is situated
on the west side of beautiful little river
known here as Elk River. The water
through this section of Inc country, far ex-
ceeds anything ever saw 10 Illinois, Iowa,
Missouri or other psrts of Kansas, and as
tor the climate it must b. healthy, as there
is no sickness to be heard of anywhere.
fhis country as an abiding place for man
kind, with all its beautiful scenery, its lofty
hills, where cooling breeze constantly
blo<s, its fertile valleys, aud meanderiuR
streams, is without question one of the most
desirable places for the weary fortune seeker
to locate in, in the TAR West, therefore
respectively invite my old friends in Rock
Island county who live on ~ented farms, or
hire out by the month, to pluck up courage
aud come down, Tor here We neither rem
nor hire as there "a land Tor US all, and
thousands more who feel so disposed TO CONF
share our fate and fortunes US. came
here before this county WAS surveyed took
my claim, built nv shantv with the intea-
too of making this my future home, and tn,
longer stay the better like it
The part OF the county | reside in ha,
been surveyed. This land will come iasC
market in six months sfter it is surveyed a
Sl25 per acre, the settler having two year.
from that date TO pay for il in the settler
cannot enter his land until Ae hiss resideC
on It six months.
The weather has been very nice this fal
and winter with the exception of one yer,
bad snow storm. The snow fell foot dee
where il could not drift, and where it coulC
dri.t ! could not tell how deep il was, for j
showed and bowed for three dsys and nights
without ceasing, and when it got through
the thermometer was ll0o below zero. We
wsre all astcni7hed, and wondered wha
caused the storm: until we read in tn,
ARGrs where the people in Illinois had beef
visited with terrible snow storm The sam,
time, but still We could not solve the mys-
terry, until We read along down the collml
wa'rs it said N trrisi when 10 tie mys-
terv vanished. We read it, took heart,
laugh, hoping there would be no more sucl
storms We prepared for bed as l shal
have to do now, as the Coyotes are raisin!
such = racket ! can't write.
| think ny q little perseverance, and fe'
more applications Of the ARGUS we ca,
stand it a good while on half rations Blu
still saw come down boys and see US.
think we'll have one corn dodger left euy
how. Respectfully yours,
WASH. CRAIG.