Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-07-19
"A Boys View OF Kansas.

plains of Southern Kansas. Oul
ideas were very much confused as
to what manner of country Kansas
was, ere we came here. We had
read various contradictory reports
published in half a dozen different
papers, all purporting to come from
reliable gentlemen, who were not
given to exaggeration, either way
We were never prepared to believe
all the fine stories written by rail.
road land agents, nor, on the other
hand, the melancholy tale of some
tritiing fellow, who, having idled
away his time, and lost his health
by a disregard of natures laws, and
perhaps his money in the gambling
bells Of some of the pioneer, bowling
wilderness villages, returns to his
old home, and vents his dissatisfac-
ton by thrusting with his stupid
pen at Kansas, "lhc innocent cause
of his miseries." We were going
to believe what we saw and knew to
be true, for we wished to receive
one of Uncle Sans gifts of ga tract
of one hundred and sixty acres of
land" if it suited us.
A large district, comprising sew
cral counties, is suitable for nothing
but grazing, and rock quarries; for
we saw on either side of the road,
magnetism limestone cropping out
from every prairie swell, until, in
the far off horizon, the glistening
rocks rcsembled fiocks of sheep
The soil was light and thin, and
subject to drouth; the grass was
short, and yet we should consider
this vast area as being we'll adapted
to sheep raising. The limestone
region is all the Kansas that many
persons write about. If emigrants
were induced to come to such Il
place to secure them cheap homes,
we should not blame them if they
returned to the East, denouncing
the whole West, and Kansas in par
ticular. But there is part Of the
State, as yet almost unknown, than
which, more beautiful prairie land
has never been seen; and here we
are, well satisfied, in Harvey coun-
ty. We are in the great valley be-
tween the Little and Big Arkansas
rivers; can see tall cottonwood
growing on either stream, yet SO far
distant that they look like brush
By straining ones eyes, the con-
struction trains can be seen in the
dim distance, ten miles away
When they approach within two
miles, the cars can be counted, all
loaded with ties and railroad iron;
soon they are lost to sight in the
tall grass, far away in the west.
The landscape is somewhat monoto-
nous, there being within sight no
land elevated more than ten feet
above the general level.
The soil is exceedingly fertile,
composed of dark vegetable loan,
mixed with sand, and occasionally
light bed Of gravel; there are no
AOSho W w oSCu3 AOA ak why IOuAN
at a depth of twenty feet. AS proof
of the fertility Of the soil we have
seen all the grain and vegetables
usually raised in Illinois, growing,
and have eaten Early Rose potatoes,
beans, peas, ETC., raised on the in
verted prairie sod, broken this
Spring. A gentleman near by has
a large variety of small fruits grow
ing. His peaches, apricots, necta-
rines, pears and plums all look well.
We believe the country is well
adapted to general fruit culture
The oldest inhabitant says the
Winters are short, but terribly
windy; the winds DO dloac here, and
we cannot see why they should not,
"if they wish to" for there is moth
ing to break the force of the wind,
"but grass" and that don't general
ly do it.
There are several things very
plentiful hcre-snakes for instance,
and buffalo skeletons, mosquitoes,
and all kinds of bugs; "big bugs at
that" and there are a few things
very scarce; such as people, and
especially good looking turner's
daughters, houses, timber, etc. Tex
rs cattle are sometimes seen in
herds Of five hundred to ten thous-
and; they are tough customers, but
are said to be perfectly harmless
except when irritated. | visited a
prairie dog town the other day
We do not admire their manner of
constructing their houses, nor lay
ing off their villages. The dogs
keep very bad rattle
snakes and a small owl"
-Four hundred Indians of the Kaw
tribe campcd near us last Friday
night. They were going West on
a grand buffalo hunt. We have
sometimes read about "bcautiful In
dian maidens,'' "the daughters of a
chief" Our imagination had pic
tured out fascinating female,
somewhat like the famous Poca-
hontas." Wishing to behold one
ofnature's loveliest children, l look
ed among the ''noble red mans"
families, but, in .tact, she wasn't
there. We fear the world will ncv-
er behold the equal Of Pocahontas
again; an ordinary squaw isn't very
pretty. The young gentlemen were
rather dandifed, and / fear they
pay too much attention to the adorn-
ing of their persons. The chiefs
son had flaming red blanket, was
bareheaded, and had been painting
his face more than any white girl
ever dared to. His hair was cut
close, the top of his head was paint
ed yellow, his forehead was dark
blue, and his checks were a deep
red. All the young people treated
him with great consideration.
AS for the houses we live in, they
arc not large nor elegant; ten by
twelve feet is the usual size. Some
are made of turf, and are built in a
way shocking to lover of the beau
tiful in architecture. We are going
to hunt buffalo in a few weeks, and
I will till you how many we kill. l
almost forgot to say that picking