Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-06-12

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suppose, as they can't help them
selves; but they are the cause of the
girls being very independent. So
great is the competition that the
young ladies generally hold them
selves at a premium of about two
hundred per cent.
This part of Kansas has never been
open for homesteads-Cowley, But
Ter, Sumner, Harper and perhaps
some other counties west were bought
of the Indians on stick" by the U. S.
Government, and the land is sold to
actual settlers at 81, % per acre for the
benefit of said Indians. Good claims
can be bought at from three hundred
to thousand dollars.
Last winter this county voted
bonds to the amount of $4,000 in
aid of Railroad. Since the bonds
were voted land has taken quite
raise, and claim jumping is becom-
ing lively.
On the first day of Dec. last I star
ted on Buffalo hunt in company
with Sam. Horsman, p. III. Owings
and three of Mr.. Owings' sons, all
formerly of Marion Co. We passed
through Sumner and Harper coun-
ties and established our camp on Salt
Fork in the Indian Territory. We
were very successful in killing Buffa-
10, loaded three wagons with meat
in three days. should like to give
you description of a Buffalo hunt
OF the way those wild cattle of the
plains are being eXterminated, their
habits &c, but my letter is already
too long. / shall therefor confine
myself to sketch of the country we
saw on the trip: Sumner Co. has
some as nice looking farming lands
as ever saw. The prairies are gen.
orally level or moderately rolling
no rocks in the country. Very good
water can be obtained almost any
place by digging, but stock water is
not so plenty as in Cowley Co., and
timber is very scarce. Harper Co. is
not sOg0Od as Sumner-hast too much
alkali and sand, and the soil is al
most as red as brick dust. Emil
grants are fiocking into those coun-
ties, and before the lapse of many
years the land will be all taken
wherever man can make a living.
Vow l have shown you the smooth
side of Southern Kansas as 1 see it
bnt it is said that there are two sides
to everything. ] am certain that
Kansas has rough side, and that
rough side is the climate. "By the
leather devils" excuse me for using
Uncle Andy Storts' slang phrase) l
never before experienced such dis.
agreeable, changeable, stormy, chilly
weather as we have here during the
fall, winter and part Of the spring
just passed. At one time in January
the mercury went down to 90 below
zero. Some Ofthe creeks froze to the
bottom; chickens froze to death; and
quite numper of buffalo hunters
froZe to death on the plains west of
here. l wore more clothing during
the winter than L ever wore before,
and suffered more with cold. But
suppose last winter was unusually
cold all over the west. l am told by
the coolest inhabitant" that it was
not a fair sample of Kansas winters
Since the first Of May the weather
has been very pleasant and favorable.
Wheat and corn look well, and the
prospect is good for fair crop of
everything in the farming line.
All things considered / think that
Marion Co., Iowa is better farming
country than any part of Southern
Kansas. A man with limited means
may get a comfortable home here;
but for man without means it is a
hard place. Money is scarce, wages
low and taxes high. My advice to
my friends in old Marion, who own
good farms and wish to follow farm
ing fora livelihood, is "stay on your
farms, and suffer no loss for the roll
ing stOne," etc.
w. II. SUMNER.