Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-30

vast fields of corn fill up the intervenin.
space. One elevation is fac simsle O
CamePs Hump, although not on so larg,
scale. Around the farm houses are nu
merous fruit trees-another New England
feature.
Usage is thriving little village O
twenty-five or thirty buildings, conspicu
Gus amorg which is the church and schoo
house. The Usage river is crossed abou
three-fourths of a mile north of the vii
| lage. Between Usage and Pleasanton
thirteen miles, the scenery is magnificent
Fine farm-houses dot the landscape, fruit
trees are plenty, while every now and
then you catch glimpses of the broad
prairie, stretching out into space, with
the mountains in the far distance.
Crow Center-nine houses-receives 6
mail and gives one in return, as we slack
up hut do not stop, showing that these
few inhabitants have intercourse with the
outside world. What would these people
do, on the verge of civilization, as it were
without their daily mail, which connects
them by letters and papers with their
friends and relatives in the North, South
and East ? Just before reaching Usage
we pass coal deposit, with men at work,
and side track for their accommodation
Fit. Scott is the largest city on the line
of the road. 1t lays, chiefly, on the west
side of the track, although on the east
side there are many fine residences and
quite a number of stores. We noticed
many buildings under way. The activity
and enterprise of the citizens of this
burg is manifested in the general appear
ance and management which meets you
at every turn. We were disappointed in
not being allie to make more extended
trip about the town; but hope to do so at
some future period. The country sur
rounding Fort Scott offers superior in
ducements to farmers the soil averages
in depth about four feet, while at Fort
Scott they End ready market for all
their productions. South of Fort Scott,
about one mile and a half, the town has
completed large and spacious Fair
grounds, with appropriate stalls for
horses and cattle, buildings for the exhi-
bition of fruit, agricultural implements,
ETC., etc.
The country grows little wild as we
leave Fort Scott. Huge cornfelds of many
acres in extent, are visible between Fort
Scott and Pawnee. Large herds of cattle
take possession of the track, or seem to
do so, just about the time the train is
laundering along; and, as the engine
nears them, they endeavor to run to the
opposite side of the track. Engineers,
we notice, like these animals - when
cooked. Emigrants, with their covered
wagons, which contain all their house.
hold goods and gods, are seen vending
their way westward-for, remember, we
are now only 10 the centre of Uncle Sans
vast domains, and the West lays one or
how it impresses one as he looks out on
this vast sea of grass As far as the eve
can see, nothing breaks the line of vision,
with perhaps the exception of herd of
cattle here and there, and few scattered
trees. Presto; as we pass some half
dozen boys, all of the same size !; and the
query comes up,-where did they come
from, for there is not house in sight?
After Fort Scott come Pawnee, with it's
six or eight dwellings,. Water Tank, the
next station has a post Office and two
Buildings, with others scattered around
at distances varying from one to two
miles. Girard comes next, with popula-
ton of some 500. Two newspapers are
published here-the VIndicat0r and the
Girard Press. Prairie chickens and
quail are ever springing up on either
side of the track, startled by our engine
and cars as they onward sped.
Cherokee, few miles from Girard, has
about fifteen houses. A short distance
south of Cherokee we heard the whistle
sounding for " down brakes" - cattle
broken rail ?-no, Limest Cant say
station). Three passengers jumped down
and two trunks were thrown off. Where
were they bound? No house Was in
sight, but all seemed vast solitude. We
learned, later, that some four miles from
the road were some barracks containing
y. s. soldiers, and that while the road
" rs being built they Were stationed at
different points to protect the workmen
from the squatters, who imagined that
railroad was going to ruin them. Now
their land is doubled in value This
shows how men will sometimes blindly
go against their own interest.
Columbus is very small village, lying
west of the road, and composed of wooden
buildings; the lumber for which is
brought from Chicago or Hannibal. A
large number of cattle yards are located
here, from which Texas cattle are shipped
to Kansas City, Chicago and New York.
From Columbus to Baxter Springs one
gets good idea of the vastness of the
prairies, as you look on either side, and
see no sign of life; nothing to remind
you of mankind nothing but open space
the land seeming to roll away like the
waves of the waves of the ocean, and
melting in the horizon in q field of en-
chanting blue. What few settlers houses
we pass, are of the most rude materials
few boards and poles, and the rest sods.
Barns are constructed of rude poles and
covered with prairie grass. Trees are
seldom seen, except in some ravine where
there is running water For fuel the
settlers use coal, chiefly, which crops out
more or less on every section OF land.
Once in while we notice moving ma
chine, horse rake, or some other agricul-
tural implement for the saving of manual
labor which would seem to indicate that
the owners were from Yankee land.