Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-07-19
For the Essex County Herald.
Letter From the West.
NUMBER FIVE

ed In the Northwestern part OF the
State, on one branch of the DesMOines
River, two hundred miles west Of the
Mississippi River and about one hum
dred from the Missouri. There are
three counties west, and one north, in
this State. 1t is "a miles square,
containing 16 townships, six miles
square. 1t is very new place and
is at present without railroad; two
are expected to intersect here very
soon, one running from. Algona to
Spencer west of this place, and one
from Fort Dodge north into Minneso-
ia. The Algona road is under con.
tract and will be built very soon.
There are about one thousand in
habitants in the county, and fourhun-
bred in this township. Three relig-
ious organizations worship here 'on
the Sabbath, Congregationalsts, Meth
odists and Catholics. The Catholics
have the largest congregation and
have the best church at present.
There was a division mere on the
4th, and two celebrations. Governor
Carpenter, of Iowa, spoke here on the
occasion and made some excellent re-
marks on the disafection of persons
that talk of leaving the place on ac-
count of the grasshoppers. He re-
ferred to the fact that in some local
tiles farther west the grasshoppers
come so frequently that no talk is
made about them. $50 where you
will and you will find something to
annoy you. Ifyou sell out here it
will take one half of what you have
to get you to Kansas, and. mark my
words, you will spend the balance in
looking about, and never will be as
well off as you now are" We had a
very good band from Algona and
another from Springvale here on the
Fourth. The Governor spoke to
about $50, and the catholics and old
settlers had about 600.
This place has grown fast. In
1850 there were only about one hun.
bred inhabitants in the township; it
will take new start when the rail.
roads arc built. 1t is q fine country
for farming. The farmers break in
June from thirty to sixty acres for
corn and wheat for the next year, and
are about as sure of a crop as they
are to put it into the ground. Farms
are not fenced here as at the East
some farmers fence their crops, but
cattle run where they please. They
have herd law, as it is called, which
cempels them to guard their cattle
nights, and the farmers wacth thei
crops in the daytime. Hay is cut where
one pleases, on the prairie, unless ;
man is living near that owns it; the
prairies yield abundance Of feed which
fattens cattle very readily, but the.
are not properly taken care of in win
ter. There are but few barns here
except small shanties for horses, anC
sheds for cattle TO run under in
storm in winter; these sheds are GOV
cred with poles and straw put OF
them. | know of several farmers
here that winter one hundred head O
cattle in that way. Their houses ar,
but little better; not a first clas
farm house in town. A few Eastern
farmers have come in here that viii
build good buildings when the rail
road is built. They now have t.
draw their lumber from Algona, q
miles, for all building purposes al
well as for fence. Nothing but hare
wood grows on the banks of the Des
, Moines River, or the Lake, a body o
water situated one mile from the vii
lage, about five miles in length anC
IA mile wide. The farmers seem t.
have mania for seeing which viii
have the most land under cultivation
' instead of which will farm the best
, Forty acres ofcorn and sixty of whea
is not called heavy farming here.
e am of the opinion that there is NOR
wheat and corn wasted in the Statt
9 of Iowa than is raised in Vermont o
{ New Hampshire. The soil is blacl
h loan or deposit, which is very pro
ductive. 1t is no uncommon thing t
u. raise wheat on the same field five O
six years without any dressing an
get good crops from twenty to thirt
, busheles to the acre is called a goo
f crop, but as | said before q grea
Y deal is wasted in harvesting. Nc
having barns the wheat is threshed 6
| the time of harvest or stacked in lib