The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-10-08
Our Western Correspondence.
TOPEKA, Kansas,


September Goth, 1879.
Dear TrMEs-This being our first dreary
fall looking day, with mist but not cold yet
fire is pleasant, seat me to send you some
Kansas news Last week we held our
State Fair here but none of youi readers
come out to see our fine products of stock
fruits, and grain. Cotton is being grown
here as fine as ever saw in Georgia. Sea-
sons not boing so long, the yield Rwill.no
be so good, unless the difference in the soil
will make it. Kansas took the premium
in fruit over Missouri, and they got it last
year. In my last letter, left your readers
at Hutchinson, on the Arkansas river, a
town laid out in last January, then beyond
all settlement, they now have over 600 in
habitants. 1t is strictly temperate and
has no saloons in the place. The bridge
across the Arkansas river, 1860 feet long.is
being rapidly pushed forward. But /
promising TO tell you of the towns farther
up the valley. Peace is the next town up
the river, 30 miles distance and is quaker
settlement, as the name indicates. This
is a quiet town and in all their dealings
there does not appear to be disposition so
common in this western country to get
money, "honestly If you can, but get it
any way" This also is a temperance
town. AS Peace is good town, and set
ling very fast, there is good openings for
good business men, shoe shops, blacksmith
shops, &C., &c. There are many good
homesteads here to be had yet. The next
town above this is Raymond, pleasantly
situated on rise or bluff and.commanding
a fine view Of the country as we'll as the
river half mile distant. This river has no
banks, as do all the other streams west of
the Mississippi, l have ever seen. That
makes it very pretty with its sandy shores,
and directly opposite is a large grove, the
first timber above Hutchinson. Here is an
abundance of fine building rock. The r.
r. was finished to this point 3d of July
1872. Daily trains are now running to fort
Dobbs 1870 miles farther west. On the 4th
of July Raymond had buildings, now it
has over 40 besides large Hotel, which is
now building. All along this road from
Hutchinson west is now open for settle
ment. No land in this valley can be bought
by spectators except the r. r. land. 1t
is only open to pre-emption and homestead.
Each man is entitled to both pre-empt
once, and homestead once. Here the wa
ter is pure and generally soft, and is found
in eight to fifteen feet from the surface.
The soil is a sandy loan, four to five feet
deep. The Arkansas is swift running
stream and is always full during July and
August as the snow melts most rapidly
then in the mountains. Although the
country might be called level there are no
sloughs or marshes and no ague, the land
having an altitude of 1900 above the Gulf
of Mexico, and gentle breeze generally,
tanning the prairie. The summers are
long. This has been very plentiful sea-
son having had an abundance of rain.
will just say there is plenty Of induce
ments to satisfy any person wanting a
home, to settle in this lovely and fertile val
ley. A man to homestead must have mon
ey enough to buy team and Wagon, build
small house and to keep his family until
the first crop grows, and with energy and
perseverance, success is certain. March
is the best time to move on to a homestead
though May the 1st will do, as a good crop
Of corn can be grown, planted in June.
P. B. THOMPSON.