Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1871-07-05
On the PrAirics.

...t' OIL. 'ulOn Inc fFNlrlcs.
Correspondence of the Chrunicle.I i.,hrssu % /
..i ST. LOUIS, June -, 1870. I
! have Just returned from trip to the I
prairies of Polk and Hickory counties, in \
this State. A few days were spent very |
pleasantly among friends in the neighbor-
hood of Rondo. Z"
The community there il made up large |
ly of Tennesseeans all of whom greet one |
with an old fashioned Tennessee welcome.
Ropdo Postoflice is situated on the east
side Of the twenty-five mile prairie, and
on the road leading from Sedalia to Spring
I' field NO.. and though forty miles from q
' railroad, has a regular daily mail Sundays
excepted. The above mentioned prairie Is
--- one Of the richest tracts of land in South
. =, western, Missouri. Wherever improved IL
as covered with the finest crops of corn,
wheat, oats, timothy, fruit &C., that we
II shnve had the privilege Of beholding. 1T Is
gently rolling, and from the slight emf
mences to be found here and there, the
anost beautiful and enchanting view Is
spread out like some vast panorama be-
.,.- fore the eyes of those who are so highly
~ favored as to have an opportunity Of en-
zoos Toying It, The fields of waving grain,
with the orchards of luxuriant fruit and
the ''raw PRAIRIE covered over with grass
OF the richest verdure, upon which thou
sand cattle may be seen grazing; the whole
dotted over with beautiful white mansions
and less pretending cottages, with here
and there u skirt of timber, forms scene
well worthy of the attention of painter.
1t Is no wonder that the residents of this
highly favored locality are proud of their
homes and that land is rapidly reaching
high figures.
a railroad is in process of construction
from Lebanon to Fort Scott passing
through this county, while still others are
spoken of, and will eventually be built,
when land will go up to very high price.
Adjacent hereto is the rich bottom lands
.T of the Pomme de Terre river, which, for
aa fertility of soil, can be surpassed nowhere.
While there is much of the very best
..r farming land in Polk county, there are
also thousands of acres of the most barren
and worthless character, except for graz
ing, and upon which men would not pay
taxes for it, This will remain common for
Il long time, and used only for grazing.
The habit that prevails here of letting all
kinds of stock run mt large, affords u fine
opportunity for horse-thieves, as there are
men who do not see their horses for
months during the summer and fall.
This opportunity was improved after the
close of the war by regularly organized
sa bands, who committed their depredations
with impunity, and detied the authorities
of the State Such state of affairs led to
the organization of companies for home
protection, something after the military
style, and wo be unto the horse-thief who
I'D fell into their hands. Speedy justice was
dealt out in an arbitrary manner, the rope
or rifle ball doing their deadly work. The
victims were allowed little time for pre-
paration, and excuses were no doubt COM
mitted, but some summary mode of pun
ishment had to be resorted to, or the c0un-
try would have been broken up. To show
with how much audacity these gangs of
horse-thieves carried on their business, we
were tod that gentie ad wro stfert 70
recover them, was visited in open daylight
by portion of the gang, who threatened
TO take his life if he did not ceaseto "med'
die with their business" The "compa-
nies'' for protection are still kept-up, and
occasionally interfere where, in their opln-
ion, the civil authorities fail In dealing
out justice to outlaws. But a few days ago
rs we We're informed, there were three
d r-.- men, hung i'm the neighboring county OF
Z ST. Clair. ~ -4...4tf
We conversed with q gentleman day
or two ago, who had seen conyietel
. horse thief returning from the peniten
tary with pardon in his pocket. H'
boosted that a very little money is sufli
cient to get man out of the State prison
tsst % The Lieutenant Governor, elected on the
iA Brown ticket last summer, is a man o
small calibre and smaller morals, and !
is said will use his influence in that behal
ff.. very cheap These organized bands al
ways find plenty of money TO use in get
3 - sing a comrade released from CONTINENT
Whether or not these self-constituted com
L panies for protection are the best thinj
that could be devised we will not say, bu
"a lit is very certain they have had Il whole
.. some influence in restraining crime. 80
ciety has improved very much. Hors
stealing and robbery generally has becom
much less frequent.
ne prospects LOT Soou GGIopo .oiS n. 70 ny ~.
Wheat is all harvested The yield. is i'm
mense. 1t is so in all Southwestern Mis-
souri, Corn looks well. Complaint
made n some localities, of the ravages q
the chinch bug-a great pest here. The
ruin n crop of corn or any other vegetatlo
in q few days-klling it completely. Dat
and grass are highly promising. Cattl
being the great staple product of the cour
try, much complaint and foreboding is in
dulged at the present low prices, being on
hundred per cent below that of the sam
date last year. This causes great scare
ty of money in the cattle growing regions
But 1 must reserve for another lette
what intended to write in this, as this
already longer than / intended it shout
be. w. *.
A HORRIBLE CAsE.-Dr. Bunce, of Gla
tonbury, has in charge horrible case,
the person of a woman who seems destine'
if not soon cured to illustrate in her ow
,nnrsnn the checking fate of King HerOt