Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1875-01-13
had enough dogs at the homestead
without him.

had enough dogs at the homestead
without him.
pLucKY LITTLE woMAN's NARRATIVE
ave crossed the Missouri river at
Lcavcnworth city," said Mrs, Wyker,
"and then set out across the State OF
Missouri. After leaving the bottom
lands of Missouri, we went through
the hilliest country ! ever saw, right
straight up and right straight down
all the time. We crossed twenty one
hills in five hours. In Missouri We
found the fields for fifty miles as bare
Us the road, not a green thing to be
seen. grasshoppers had been there.
And they will be there next year |
believe, for just under the surface Of
the ground everywhere one could find
millions of grasshopper' eggs. We
could turn them up in vast quantities
with the blade Of a penknife. After
travelling the fifty miles we came to
green grass and grusshoppcrs, and rode
for fifteen nliies Through grasshoppcrs
and over grasshoppers. We were glad
enough when we saw the last of them,
| can tell you. In Western Missouri
we met man going West who said he
had met over hundred teams going
East. Another man said ours was
the fifty-second team that bad passed
that day. And the week we started
there were 150 wagons encamped on
the Platte county fair ground. All
these people, like ourselves, were driv-
en- ont ofthe country by the grasshop-
pers and drought.
ave crossed the Mississippiat Quincy
by ferry, going thence to Springfield,
III. The finest country | ever saw is
Illinois. Indiana is too level, and the
people were very inhospitable and re-
served
ain Ohio the people were very genial
and kind, and all refused to take pay
for the hay for our horses; but they
didn't any OF them seem to know the
distance from one place to another
Yet they would pretend to know, and
would say it was twenty miles when
perhaps It was only five. We camped
one night on the top of the Alleghanies,
and had to go without breakfast for
want of water. Pennsylvania is by
far the toughest State we came through,
but the people are just the reverse
The Dutch farmers are the very souls
of kindness.
THE DISTANCES.
"We reached here the 2lst of No
vember, being out sixty-one days and
sixty nights. The actual number of
days that we travelled was forty-nine,
for we spent week at friends in
Ohio, and only travelled two Sundays,
and then only because we could get no
feed for our horses. The whole dis
tance travelled was little more than
1,500miles. Our smallest days journey
was eighteen miles, our largest forty
three, and that in rough Pennsylvania.
We crossed six States and thirteen
rivers. We had only one rainy day /;
but il showed the last two days out.
We camped in our wagon forty-six
nights, though some Of the time John
slept under the wagon. No, we had
no adventures. Nothing romantic nor
exciting. We were often taken for
gypsies in Pennsylvania, and the chill
dren used TO hoot after us, that was all.
IL got to be very tiresome riding, |
assure you. We didn't even have a
spring seat; but the trip agreed with
us, for John gained nine pounds and ]
fourteen Ourexpenses wcrejust s96."
ayes, | drove the same horses all
the way" said Mr.. Wyker. n had a
third which followed, but never drove
it. ] got one shod once, the other
wears the same shoes with which he
started. The horses were poor when
they started, and they haven't changed
much one way or the other"
THE CONDITION OF KANSAS.
"What have you done with your
farm ?" asked the visitor.
al rented it to q man on shares, but
have had a letter saying he must have
aid. And there are thousands like
him, It's all wrong for the Kansas
papers to say that Kansas can take
care of her own people. | say she
can't There are three classes in
Kansas. One class who have friends
to whom they can go, like myself
The second class cannot get out Of the
State, and will starvc unless helped,
like my tenant. The third class are
the moneyed men, the capitalists who
are getting rich through other peoples
misfortunes who are buying land and
stock for almost nothing. These are
the men who say through the press
and who write East that Kansas is
prospcring and can take care of her
own unfortunate. She cant do it, |
repeat, and unless aid goes to those
farmers there will be untold misery
throughout the country. There is
now an incredible amount Of suffering.
All that has been written has not, nor
cannot, put the condition of things in
too strong light"