Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-05-31
"HOmesteading,, in Kansas.

"HOmesteading' In Kansas.
.WATERvILLE, MARSHALL Co., KANSAS,
MAY 14th, 1871.
EDITOR CHRONICLE: = Thinking
that perhaps many of your readers
may be longing for a Homestead in
Kansas, (soIdiers or citizens,) and
knowing that a majority of those that
have such desires and whose pockets
are not "full to OVERLOOKING" with
the zone thing needful, which
all will find THAT GOMEZ is a very good
thing to have, to make homestesding
a success, and as many Of said readers
are my friends to a greater or less de-
gree, I have presumed so far upon
your generosity as to suppose you will
grant me space enough las 1 suppose
the Burg Hill war must be nearly
over)in your valuable paper, to take
as far as possible some Of the romance
out of all poor men that may have
"soft side1 towards a Kansas home
stead. Now 1 do not wish to discour-
age any one, neither do propose to
argue with those that may have plen-
ty of STAMPS" or those that may be
so fortunate as to know all about it;
but / would like to talk to the man or
woman that has read and heard a
great deal about Kansas, and whose
head is full Of romance and who really
knows nothing about it. My friend,
/ shall not endeavor to describe Kan
sas to you. I have seen but a small
portion of the State, but judge from
what / hear that I have seen more
than an average portion, as regards
soil, lay of land and healthy climate;
and will simply say, I like it. You
must do as 1 have done tsee for your
self to know whether you like il or
not. But I want you to come, (if at
al1 understandingly. No romance,
my friend, you viii find that home
steading is real practical life. A farm
in Kansas prairie homel I agree
with you, it sounds romantic. So
does "a life on the ocean wave otis
sweet, oh, tits sweet, for ones country
to die, - &c. But, my friend, I mistrust
that the men and women who get Off
remarks of that kind never tasted of
the sweets therein promulgated. If,
however, they were blessed with
plenty of illegal tenders" perhaps
they were able to take little of the
wave and die in theirsn and still
so have sung. But we are after the
homestead. You'll take homestead in
yours. you think? You and Betsey
Ann have talked it all over Tor think
you have.l You know that you can
come to Kansas and get your one
hundred and sixty (l60) acres mot
mineral) 'for nothing a'most;" twice
as much land as your neighbor over
across theroad has got, and he thinks
he is pretty well off; you and Betsey
Ann think with double the amount
you got your mind made up to have a
homestead, you sent and got various
papers that told ~all about" the eOun-
try, its climate, soil, &c. The general
superintendent, y. Y. y. r.. R., was
kind enough to help you in the line
Of papers, various other .'shOrt hand
gentlemen supplied the rest. You
had some misgivings before you re-
eeived said papers; but you discover
that the clouds are "silver linedn
both sides. You have finally got ev-
cry thing fixed so that you can leave
Betsey Ann and the children COM
Portable; you think it best that they
should remain on the Reserve until
you can pick out your farm, get
house built, and, in short, get well
started. For fear that your expeeta-
tiOns may be a little too high you
have concluded that if you can get
such land as you want, viz: good
soil, good timber, and good water,
even If you do have to 60 back five or
ten miles from q railroad, that you
will take it. Betsey Ann mildly re-
marks that she would like to live
where she can "see the cars go by,n
but you cruelty blight her hopes by
remarking in no very good humor,
that we can't all live right siden of a
railroad. It's too romantic youknow!
You both finally agree that you can !
live away from a railroad, everything
else being nice. Betsey Ann agrees |
with YOU that your farm shall be /
high rolling prairie shall run down I
to the creek and take in, say, forty |
acres of timber, shall have at least
one good spring, with a nice little \
grove adjacent, and there you will |
build your house. If you cannot /
homestead Just such a claim you are
sure you can buy one Hcheapn of |
some fellow ''you known that is dis |
satisfied Z. OF course YOU can, says
your "better half" and even though |
Augustus, who is "dnld-
zin smart" for his years, says, ''you /
bet !n methinks I hear echo say lover |
against yOn bluff across the Blue, "in |
a horn How grateful you have felt |
towards your "unele SamueP' those |
years of army life look romantic now 1
for letting you have such a chance to I
get a farm "Within railroad limits.n
If he had not inserted tsnOt mineral -
you would feel better. But you have |
wisely concluded, and have so re-
marked to Betsey Ann, that if you do /
find a gold mine ''On yours" ''bet 1 |
don't say anything until 1 get my |
patent and then its mine Of course. ~
You finally start, have taken leave.of |
friends and loved ones, have also |
taken leayen to take about all the 1
spare change that you and Betsey /
had; you have assured Betsey Ann /
that you would look out for the /
''pesky Mr.. and Mrs. Los" and that
when you shot a buffalo you'd "fix
him. that you'd write; she said
ditto. You got reduced rates. and |
by and by you find that nothing but |
the Missouri river stops your fond an
Of being in Kansas. AS /
you strike the Kansas shore your
feet feel tired, that'sperhaps all; may
be you feel little home (stead) sick. |
In vain you strain your dust-be-
eyes for Mr.. and Mrs. Cen
era1 Superintendent Y. Y. z. r. R.,
their friends and relations, who were,
as you supposed, "going to welcome /
YOU to Kansas Your well-formed 4
not to let Everybody and |
their wives" embrace you just because
YOU had come to Kansas, you discov- i