Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-01-28
Good Letter from the West.
VIRGINIA, Bates County, Mo-.
fanunry Ath 1879

january 4th, 1873. J
Editor Spectator:
These bleak winter months is a
good time to see the dark side of the South
west Missouri country, It's climate, people, &c
Ii is now that the country puts on its ughest
features. and most likely TO give newcomers
the blues es-some baviog nothing to DO. and
others not much inclined TO do, if they had -
And il this communication does not speak over
f4tterinyy OF Bates county, it nevertheless tells
truthfully Of the writer's experience Of over
three years.
Letters from the West, as general thing,
are made up entirely of the country's good
qualities without auding to its disadvantages.
AS to What i know about going West, the
writer will say nothing further than to advise
those who have comfortable homes in the East
to remain there. Others who believe they can
better their CONDITION by moving West, come
and see first, and then act accordingly.
OF the many thousands who move West,
some do well others there are who, owing 10
Sickness and other causes, make a failure The
man who leaves his naive home, perhaps sur
rounded by good society, schools, churches and
tried friends, and takes his family of boys and
girls far out on the frontier, for the sake OF ac-
quirng large amount of land, commits a
wrong against his family that no amount of
broad acres can ever atone for.
As TO health, this section OF country will c0ul-
pare iavorably with the Valley of Virginia, ex-
cept such diseases as manifest themselves l0
lever and ague, intermittent and bilious levers,
such as Is generally found in the West. Ague
never excltes pleasant emotions, but rarely
proves fatal SO well is this understood that
persons having it endeavor 10 pass it for a joke
and are laughed at by their friends. Occasion
ally We have case of congestiVe chill, which
proves fa-al in few hours unless prompt re-
lief is aft ,rded
We are having dull times, owing to various
causes-One of which is the abundant corn crop
This may seem strange to Eas,ern people, but
you must remember lhree-iourths OF the far
mers depend chl-fiy upon the products OF the
farm, and especially corn, for a living; there
being so much in he couotry it scarcely pays
to gather If. To illustrate this: A farmer liv-
ing in Coffee county, Kansas, offered his entire
crop of corn, nine thousand bushels. Tor tive
cents per bushel, but failed to get u purchaser,
went to Kansas city, with view to having il
shipped 10 ST. Louis, but found 1t would take
Two bushels TO market the third one. He re-
turned home aud is now using his corn for fuel
We are now In the midst OF the Canada horse
dis ase-no place is exempt from It, Mules
that have been three years IN the coal mines,
two hundred feet deep, have the epizooty The
disease Is of mid character and farmers are
| hopeful that it will, ere long, disappear.
Many railroad projects are on foot in this
| SAFE, among the rest narrow-guage from St
Louis to Kansas city. This road will open uE
some of the richest river counties 10 the State
Kansas City Company will extend the roaC
| Westward How about the Washington city
Cinciona, and ST.. L,uis r. R., occasionally al
udsd 10 10 the Spectator?
Thus far the winter has been unusually Sc
vere Snow six inches deep, ice ten inches
thick, and the thermometer indicating l6 de
grees below zero. How is that for to,o2
NEW YEAR.