Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1874-09-25
From Kansas.

Newton, HARVEY COUNTY, KANSAS,
Sept. 14th, 1874.
EDITOR CHRoNICLE:-At my leaving
Wisconsin last April, Fansas being my
destination, my numerous friends. readers
of the CHRONICLE, requested me to write to
them through the columns of the CHRoNl-
Gle and give the true particulars concern
ing this desirable country. / therefore
submit the following:
FRIENDs.AND READERS OF TIE CHRONICLE:
| will now relate the true particulars and
present situation of Kansas, which Is a
very bad one. This don't say with hats
tired or animosity to the country. | like
the country and the climate very well, but
it has its share of misfortune this season,
as well as other places. just look at Mon
tana, Dakota. Minnesota, Nebraska, North
western Iowa, and many other places cry
ing out with the same misfortune. When
first came to Kansas every thing had a
blooming aspect Fall wheat wal two
feet high the 10Th day of May, and there
was good crop Of it harvested the third
week in June. whilst the chinch bugs took
the spring wheat in most Of places and
what they left was not worth much, and in
many places the spring wheat was burned
up rather than to cut it, we bad occa-
sional showers up to the middle of June,
enough TO justify any country, and the
crops looked like it, From that t,mo We
had drouth of seven weeks and during
that time the potato crop dried out, which
renders them very poor article, and they
are selling at one dollar per bushrl. The
oats harvested pretty good crop; and in
spite Of dry weather the strength and fer
til,ty Of Kansas black soil kept the corn
growing so that it reached height of from
to feet
At the end of seven weeks of drouth
there came splendid rain which made ev-
cry heart rejoice at the appearance of an
ABUNDANT crop of corn; and in few days
later every heart that had rejoced was
then turned to sadness at the gloomy ap-
pearance of clouds of Internal grasshoppers
that spread over the lard und fairly demol-
ished every field of corn, and which left
poverty and misfortune staring people of
limited means right in the face, and also
is the cause Of fearful panic amongst
those oflimited means, and causes hundreds
of poor people to leave Kansas every day
as they cannot stand it for another year;
whilst hundreds of intelligent, smart men
are coming into the country every day,
saying, Now is the time to get cheap
homes already made for trife," end say.
ing, kansas won't always be like this"
T al
they never saw so much dry weather that
early in the season before. AS general
thing the crops would be all out of danger
| before the dry weather would set in, and
| reliable men also say they never before saw
Kansas troubled with such pestilence as
that of chinch bugs or grasshoppers
say such misfortune as the above is
not the fault of the country The soil of
Kansas is rich and the, CLIMATE heathful.
Kansas is like all other places, there sre
some places mixed with the ague. but take
| it in general it is as healthful climate rs
ever saw have not heard of any case
of ague or any other sickness since l came
| here. Homestead land is sif taken up
here, except in the sand hills or in some re-
mote place far from market and civilization.
/ 40 L S"o OS'eiCs luOoT ouu
faint hearted people will sell their right of
homestead IN acivilized part of the country
with good improvements on it for triffe,
in order to get out of the country. Such
land can be be demonstrated, and any
amount OF railroad land can be bought on
eleven years credit, at from 4 to dollars
per acre. will say this is poor place
for poor men to come to, as there are too
many poor people here and no earning to
be hot here. Whilst man With means
can make things turn so as to rapidly
increase his resources. There are many
enterprlsing towns along the railroad here,
whilst there are many other towns not so
enterprising
MARKET RATES: Fall wheat from is
cents to 81 25 per bushel, corn 81 90 per
bushel, Oats rs cents per bushel, flour
from $3.50 to 3.75 per cwt; potatoes 81 90
per bushel, beef from the butchers from
8 to III cents per pound, ham Is cents
per pound, butter so cents per pound, coal
$500 per ton
| If any ofyour readers desire any further
information concerning this country they
can obtain all particulars by writing in
private to your humble friend,
THOMAS DURNEN,
Nauton Harya, oo,,..s-