Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1874-01-22

abundant clays suitable for brick. or
stoneware, the valuable building stone.
the gypsum or coal or salt profusely scat.
tered In extensive beds a. moderate depths
below the surface, and thus not only mako
wealth Tor himself, but enrich the locali-
ty In. which he casts his lot. The she,
or stock farmer may here find extensive,
pastures available the year round, with
abundant water at hand always and every
where, with no need to feed his stock ex-
cept during the few weeks in which the
usually short winter prevails; in fact, no
here finds the abundant grasses of the
North with the genial climate of the
South conjoined for his advantage. This
country is Sleeps paradise A short.
sweet, nutrlcious heroaga, dry soil. alb
sence of cold rains and intolcrable heats,
a rolling upland, pure water. pure air, an
entire absence of overfiowed lands or
bottoms. altogether make up precisely
the conditions needed for the welfare of
the H,cS. AT the g. esent time no more
favorable opening could be imagined than
here exists for em5arking protitably In
sheep or stock-raising. A homestead of
six hundred and forty acres, suita DIE for
winter keeping and feeding, aud the own.
er's dwelling place, can be purchased with.
in five miles of towns, five dollars Der
acre, subject to discounts tor improve
ments. Unlimited range may be had for
some years to come at distance of ten
To twenty miles from the railroads, on
which stock may be herded comfortably
for ten months in year.
Stock NAV be purchased in quantities
at fabulously low prices to eastern men.
A trustworthy person engaged in the
business assures me that he has purchas.
ed sheep at sixty cents per head But at
one hitg to two dollars per head picked
hocks OF native ewes may be procured.
Two year old Texan heifers can be pick
cd out of herds at from six to eight dol.
lars per head, and cows at ten dollars.
With nucleus for flock or a herd at
such prices, improved by thoroughbred
blood, and with such unexampled facili-
ties'fOr inexpensive care and feeding. a
most satisfactory result Is absolutely Ger.
tain to be secured by the exercise Of the.
necessary knowledge, skill and energy
and of course capital. Beef cattle havo
been sold at Wichita, in Kansas. the pres
ent spring, for five cents per pound on
foot, while freights to Chicago amount
w out viz SOhs pei POuuu, ilNe Weight.
All these facts, with the certainty that
beef VIII always retain its price as an ar
ticle OF increasing cost Of fproduction else
where, and increasing demand every.
where, show the extreme protiiableness
of this business in this valley.
Timber is scarce in the west, although
abu1dant in the east; but the abundance
of coal for fuel, the cheapness of lumber
for building, the abundance Of fine stone
aud biick Gays, and the hardness of the
Usage orange as hedge plant, together
with its rapid growth as well as that of
all kinds of forest and fruit trees, render
the comparative absence of timber rather
an advantage than otherwise; certainly
its absence is not want to be greatly
deplored, while its wide prevalence would,
to certainty, be an insupcrable objection
To the settlement Of this section of coun-
try. But space fails to enlarge upon the
prominent advantages which this broad
valley forces upon the notice of the en-
terprising farmer. To all such seeking a
western home, or to those who seek to
retire from other pursuits to enjoy the
pleasures of a healthtul and romantic
country life, with all It's incidental advan-
tages. I acould here say that in the course
Of naaEy gears, and through srtensice tratd
Ihacs not seen @ more inriting country,
nor one that offers greater inducements,
,oith fssoer objections to settlement, than tits
orttey Of the Arkansas, andin saying this
the solsoIe story is told.
In conclusion, if we're asked at what
points the most favorable localities for
settlement offer themselves, I should re-.
ply that that depends upon individual
preferences. East of Ft. Dodge perceive
no material difference in any respect that
would weigh greatly with me in choosing
a location, unless it be the conveniences
afforded by the established towns already
OF considerable size, and the closer or
sparser settlement of certain districts. If
desired to engage III grain-growing, and
fancied rolling ground with abundant
timbers, | should choose the eastern parts
OF the valley-for instance, near the Cot
tonwoOd river. or the towns of Florence.
Peabody and Newton, where schools.
churches and social advantages are to be
enjoyed. If desired broad, level bottoms.
should go further west. If sought, as
many will, well-settled country with
thrifty towns in which the purity of the
social and religious atmosphere is an OBJ
jcc: of solicitude, and in which whisky
drinking and other vices are tabooed by
public sentiment as we'll as by the co ex-
istent law, | should find home in or
about Hutchinson or Pearce. Were to
engage in stock-raiSing, should search
out my location all the way from Hutch
inson to Petersburg, stretch of magnii-
cent bottoms and rolling uplands twenty
miles wide by one hundred miles in
lengths covered with o luxuriant carpet
of rich grasses, and of which the town of
Great Bend, center of growing cattle
trade, is the natural focus, and must be
for years to come. But 1t should be re-
membered, if one is tempted to go still
further west, that although there Is am.
pie room yet, settlement progresses most
conveniently for ali concerned when it
does SO with an unbroken front, and no
scattered skirmish line, as it were. Is
thrown out to meet and solve and van
quish all the questions and problems that
arise in all newly settled districts. and
that the cheapest lands on the whole are
those which, while they bear higher
price, yet have as valuable compensa-
tion the advantages of neighpors, schools.
churches, towns, markets, communica-
tons and other accessories of civilized
life. There Is ample scope and verge
enough east Of Forts Larned ard Dodge
for thousands and thousands of home
staadf, and hundreds of thrifty towns