The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-03-12
Fer Tie EAGLE.
From Ou: Illinois Correspondent.


10 start tie yellow fever was at its
worst. and finally il became so late il
the season that | decided not 10 90 till
spring. Nothing preventing | shall
star, tLithcr IN April. promised my
mary friends that they should hear
from the through the EAGLE, and they
may take this a the first insialment.
On leaving Sedgwick county | went
to Chicago and enjoycd a long visit
with ny parents and sister, whom
hal not seen for MANY years. Then !
came here to visit where | formerly
lived, and, AN opportunity offering, 1
assumed the pos; OF teacher in my old
school district; so | am at present
combining business and pleasure.
Il was ia 1861 that left here. Since
tia; the changes have been great. Then
il was not as thickly settled as Sedg-
wick county now is, the farms being
mainly along the streams. Between
my farm aud Odell. FIVE miles distant,
on the Chicago and -. Louis railroad,
there was moi house nor an acre Of
plowed land now every foot l. under
cultivation. Then, our roads were
.nrairie shoots" now, lanes. all turn
pihrd. arc the only roads. Then, prai
RE fires were a. frequent as they now
are in Scdgwick county: now, not one
is seen from one wears end Ia another.
Then, there was but one railroad and
five stations in the county; now, there
arc 10 miles OF railroad and seventeen
stations. Where we then went for
coal through the timber TO the river
bank where mining was done through
II horizontal drive, stands Sircador, Il
CITY OF 1000 people, with several steam
coal shafts and scores of smaller ones
adjacent, doing heavy coal exporting
business And finally, where deer and
cayotcs disputed possession with herd
men. the Irish. Norwcgians, Germans,
aud :SU,cacs nave taken possession 50
fully that an some school districts there
j. scarcely Il natlyc-born citizen. Al
though il j. very fine to see an old set
tied country, with its improved, well
Glied farms. with their fine buildings
auG orchards. stocked with bloodcd
horses and cattle. thriving villages all
around, and good school houses AT
every alternate section corner. still
aln too much Ok a fronticrman 10 allow
~! self 60 -ay prefer il with all its
advantages. 10 Scdgwick comfy, even
were ono of ;hc wealthy land owners:
but were ! Il reuter-, giving every third
DAYS work TO another man, toiling on
year after wear. accommodating but lit
tie, Wlta no prospect OF ever becoming
laad owner, nothing short of sickness
would keep me from the rich home
stcad2 Of Kansas and Nebraska: and
when ! have seen. ~ DO almost daily,
people motiu" through the mad only
60 change one rented farm for another.
nav bowels have ycarucd with compass
sion for them. aud ! have felt con-
strained f. say go west. young man.
90 west" And WHEN ! think of the
beautiful winter day, of Kansas. with
their bright sunshine, freedom from
cloud, and storms anI mud. and then
rChcct on thr weather here. can hard
IL help following the advice my self at
once. II has been the mildc>t winter
'uithin the memory Of, etc. Do Won
know what that implies q: Lest some
OF your old lIiuoisanS may have for
gotten, viii Try to refresh their mem
oTy: II mcais "a week OF sunless, moon
les. >iailc>-. cloudy. foggy. misty
dri.zly.>prinkliug, dripping, dropping.
raining. pouring weather and mud.
No seaport. during a blockade. ever
experienced more ctlcctual embargo
than tins same mad lays upon the pco-
pie of this section of country. Why.
on one occasion. which will mention
60 Illustrate. the man with whom |
board. went to Odcll for his mail. etc.
lie had good team. large. strong and
active. aud light buggy. The wheels
would literally fill full of mud from
hub 10 iclloc, and would roll ont blocks
of mud aS large as wash tub. The
man walked the greater part of the
way. and his team. wet with sweat and
painting for breath. were obliged 10 rest
every few minutes. Following such
rs this woald come freeze. and the
condition Of the roads will leave you
10 imagine. People would then get
out with their team, oaly because tins
was better jhan mud uniathonablc.
and in a week. just "A the reads were
becoming cndGrab.c. there would come
another thaw. and The whole was TO bc
re-enacicd and thus il has been ever
since the Isl of November. OF course. !
this is unusually bad, there having |
been more rain fall in each of several !
storms than for the entire wear pre- /
cccding. Is far rs mere temperature /
is concerned. the winter has rcscmbled (
oUe Of your ordinary winters very |
mach. a. the mercury has been below |
zero but two or three times this win /
ter. ami then not 20 exceed four degrees /
below. The long dry spell" prccedin" .
this winter made stock wafer very I
scarce. and. combined with the early /
frGs.. caused Tie corn crop 10 fall short (
ncarl, ope-halfin quantity and TO grade /
projected" When hear people speak !
ing az the trouble ihoy have had in
getting stock wafer. like to tell them
Of oar Arkansas valley and cXhausiles>
suppiy of water. And the people are
fcilovia. DAY advice. or acting on their
own judgement. and going west"
There haze been 80 many sales at auc-
ton IN persons leaving. that horses
that would have brought 1925 in the
fall have sold as low a. &7S, and house
hold furniture. old ;coiS. and machin-
cry, can hardly be given away. Farms
are selling low. when sold at all One
farm. living on the branch of creek.
having plenty of stock water. iirc-wood
etc, comprising POO acres. sold for $50
per acre, to be paid for in ins;allments.
This was all under cultivation and had ,
q pretty good house on il, An eighty
near by sold for $500: and = forty