Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-05-25
Life on the Frontier.
IN CAMP, NEAR Troy, KAN, !
Nav 9Th. 1871.

| E0IG0f i(UttI1ld HerGld {. - Thinking
that perhaps you would like to hear from
an old citizen, and also that your readers
would like to know something about wes-
tern life, I take this opportunity to give
you a short history of frontier experience.
1 left your county five years ago last
April, and settled in Harrison county,
Missouri, where tried improving farm
of eighty acres for two years, when l sold
my land for less than it had cost me, and
went to work as a carpenter and mason,
which pays in Missouri better than farm
ing. l have made up my mind that farm
ing will not pay in northern Missouri, I'M
less a man has stock enough to consume
his farm produce; and 1 believe that all
the small farmers in the country are of
the same miud, as every one is anxious to
SELL The great trouble in northern Mis-
souri, is the want of men with capital.
Poor men have come there intending to
raise enough TO live on and little more,
but as a general rule they have failed to
get living by farming. Crops have been
very uncertain for the last five years, and
az we are forty-fve miles from the rilroad
we have no market except we 60 to the
railroad for it. Land is twenty-five per
cent lower in Harrison county now than
it was three years ago. You can form
some idea of our market when tell you
that it costs US from forty to fifty cents
per bushel to haul our grain to market, so
you will at once perceive that if we raise
more wheat than is consumed in the coun-
try it costs all it is worth to get it to mar
ket. Our principal crop is corn. One
man can plant and cultivate from thirty
to forty acres of corn. We never use a
hoe in the corn field we plant by ma
chinery and pillow three or four times du-
ring the season. Corn is hardly ever cut
when ripe, but left to stand in the field
until wanted for use, and then snapped
from the stalks and thrown into the
wagon and hauled to the feed yard.
But when commenced, my intentions
were to tell you something of my travels,
"a I ana now on prospecting tour to
Northwestern Kansas. started on Thurs
day, May 4, 1871, from s. Fl. Harrison's
residence, seven miles northeast of Beth
any, Harrison county, Mo, and travelling
southwest towards st. Joseph, passed
Bethany at II o'clock, q. m, and camped
in the woods for dinner. But here, before
7 90 any farther, must tell you who my
companions are, as two of them are from
Rutland county, Vt, namely, Joseph and
Samuel Harrison. We have also two
Illinois men in the company by the name
of Rolofsou.
We are travelling with two covered
wagons drawn by horses. We are to
camp out and do our own cooking, having
left our families, and are going to see
how we like the far West. Well, we
took a cold dinner the first day, rather
than to build fire, passed through Big
Creek about 2 o'clock, p. m, the road
being very rough and muddy we are
obliged to move slowly. The country
was very rough for twelve miles South
west of Bethany, consisting of small hills
or bluffs mostly covered with oak timber
farms, small houses mostly built of logs
but now and then we came to good farm
with frame house, but seldom see
barn. We camped for the night in the
timber near a small stream. Joe had shot
quail during the day, which helped tc
make our supper. Our wagons were
driven up side by side, our tent pitched
at one side beneath the branches of 6
large oak, and the boys all agreed that
must act as cook while they attended tt
the horses an! searched for game. W.
started with supply of feed and pro
visions sufficient to last as a week. Oul
bread was baked at home, so that all
had to do.to get supper was to dress my
quail and fry it with some pork, Dol
some potatoes and make my coffee, wher
we all seated ourselves on the ground al
best we could, and each one took his til
plate and cup and proceeded to help him
self, and as good appetite makes thu
best sauce, we all enjoyed our first suppe'
very we'll.
But must proceed, or shall make my
letter lengthy. We broke camp the SECOND
morning at Z o'clock, arrived at Gentry
Vile, Gentry county, at 10. Gentryvill
is located on the east side of West Crane
river, forty-five miles northeast from ST
Joseph. It is composed of about sixt,
dwelling houses, four dry goods and thre
drug stores, one church, two hotels, tw
blacksmith-shops, and one -four and wool
en- mill After leaving Gentryville W
soon struck high prairie road which
the dividing ridge between the Grand an
Platte rivers. Stopping on the prairie TO
dinner, we passed a little town calle
King City at 6 o'clock p. m. King Git
is composed of ten dwelling-houses, tw
dry goods and two drug stores, two black
smit bishops, and a fine looking school
bonse. It is located about fifteen mile
soutbw est from Gentryville, on the hig
nrairie. with no timber in sight of tn
town. Passing on toward st. Joseph, W
camped on the prairie near mud hole,
we could find no other water to cam
near. We got no game to-day, havin
travelled about forty-fve miles in tT
DAYS. About one-tenth of the prairie "
have passed to day has been improves
nine .tenths of ,the land being wild an
mostly owned by spectators.
{ The third morning we left camp at 81
o'clock, passing along the prairie ridg
: or divide, as we call it, through the co
, ner of DeCalb county, we passed Roche
. ter, in Andrew county, at 10 o'clock a.
Rochester is pleasant looking town, !