New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-08
THE FRONTIER FAMINE.
SCENE OF THE SUFFERING IN KANSAS.


ING BY SOME PERSONS AND THEIR MOTIVE.
fFRoN 4 SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBrNf-l
kERwIN, PHILLIPS Co., Kansas April Isl
came into Kansas from the West, stopping at Russell on
the Kansas Pacific, 262 miles west Of Kansas CITY for
the purpose Of ascerarg the real condition OF the peo
pie by passing the country 70 the Union Pacific
distance Of about 200 miles The route selected lies along
the Tooth meridian. the line that marks the division be-
tween the two climates Of North America that IL, Of the
moist and the arid Here lie the frontier counties sup
posed 10 be the present limit OF Western immigration and
settlements conveyance was readily found TO
| Osborne, the county seat Of Osborne County, a
town which contains nearly 200 inhabitants while the
county has 1000 Near by runs the South Fork OF the
Solomon and it's valley is nearly four miles broad pre-
senting beautiful scene. Thence northwest kerwin
was reached, lying in the southeast part OF Phillips
County. and containing few hundred inhabitants Here
the Land Office for Northwestern Kansas is situated
The North Fork Of the Solomon close by the town.
and the valley is broad and very fertile while 1t settled
for considerable distance farther west and well settled
all the way to the Kansas Pacific at Solomon City, 40
miles Where the two forks unite, 80 miles southeast
of Rerwin. r. the town OF Cawker which seems Ia be
leading one in this part OF Kansas The population OF
Phillips County about $500 and this may be cOnsid
cred 10 be e less than the average OF these frontier
counties, though Norton, western part OF Phillips, has
only about zoo people. These counties organized
only two three years ago. showing rapid increase OF
population During Summer and Spring the roads were
crowded with incoming immigrants.
The face OF the country IL rolling prairie, composed
OF valleys and divides The valleys level and beau
tful the divides swell into high plateaux, capable OF
being cultivated Perhaps half Of the streams contain
running water; the remainder have water in holes or
after floods. and in dry seasons water Is obtained by
digging in the beds OF the from four to twelve
feet In the valley itself water is obtained at an
average depth OF 80 feet the divides 60 So 100
and even 200 feet. At well "a hi n divide the
tho Cltp raisc nv "A
mill and the price charged FOR watering team was ten
eHnta. in6her well, ten miles distant advertised
along the road free, and s depth was 9J feet, but
the water had to be drawn by hand This was on high
divide between the North Fork Of the Solomon and the
! Republican.
GROWTH OF TREES.
All the streams in this part Of Kansas have trees along
their borders but they are found only between their
immediate banks in the lee OF high banks Conceive
canal excavation 20 to 40 feet deep and from 100
300 feet wide here the timber grows, consisting Of
burr oak with its limbs starting ont from eight to
twelve feet from the ground ash elm. black walnut,
| cottonwood and willow. Besides, there are plum
thickets and grape vines, and in some places rasp
berries Seen from little distance only the tops or
uQpcrparts Of the trees visible and the remainder are
| hidden and sheltered in the guches. III these warm
trenches it would il the most tender trees and
vegetation ought 20 flourish. / saw a statement in
local paper that few miles below Marion Centre, on the
Cottonwood, is to be found in deep guch grove OF
palm trees Of them Is feet high. It is supposed
that long spanish camp was placed here II this is
true We have fact OF the most remarkable character
Thus the people have plenty fuel for the present and
wood is at g 50 a cord Nearer the Kansas Pacific
and south of wood scarce and most OF the fuel used
| last Winter was coal.
Along the borders OF all the bluffs magnetism limestone
crops out il is quickly found by digging, and II Is
worked into building with great IA IL Is so
soft when first exposed to the air that can be sawed or
L .,trFaa audaf
posure it becomes hard and durable The state House
at Topeka built this stone and il is found over the
greater part and in the older sections s
extensively used for fencing The timber mentioned
does not furnish much fencing, except for posts there
fore no fencing is DONE least in Western Kansas and
a. a herd law Is force compelling owners Of cattle to
take care OF there is need OF enclosures
except for ones own This makes the keeping OF
cattle extremely difficult but farmers combine and en-
pioy helders who paid about 20 herd during the
growing season other times all kinds OF stock run at
large The scarcity and cost OF fencing made it neces
sary for the legislature 10 choose whether the leading
interest should be stock grain raising, and the latter
was selected This Is wise for the eastern half Of the
state whether it is so FOR the western half or quarter
may be questioned but it probable that the Western
border will in time he wholly surrendered to cattle
the grazing lasts the year round ana stan teedns can 3e
part OF the state. where corn usually
is abundant noted that most of the r trees sci last
year were dead whether TINS was que 10 tne extreme
cold to the high winds, or to the uniayoraDe climate
Is unknown
THE DEVASTATED REGION.
When one leaves the Missouri River travel west he
begins Immediately to ascend and he rises AT the rate OF
about feet 10 the mile. These frontier counties, being
200 miles west Of the Missouri have an elevation
added to that OF Kansas City, OF about 1000 feet
Whether elevation produces OF itself aTdity, may per
haps be doubted but il s certainly true, herr that the
rainfall decreases the elevation Increases Ia the At
anc states the amount Of annual rainfall in the neigh
bOrhOOd NJ % inches here Oh the lOOh MERIDIAN II IL
30 inches; at the base o. the mountains directly west
where the elevation feet. is about Is inches
This that should De understood and in consider
ing the suherings ~ these people from The grasshoI
insects. II is confessed by many that before the
nearly ruined by the drouth. Others deny this
Now the grasshoppers came the first OF august and yet
say not 10 bushels IN county, aitnongh many acres
should have matured by the last Of July II is not likely
there would have been another potato II there had been
the crop The people here do not like To consider this
subject Of deficient rainfall; they VIII not even tax
about it, will business men and Others who ought to
be Informed give word Of warning to mgrants and
land ana supplies are sod, 10 mem ,mt .tey y , go
Tooth MERIDIAN where would seem imoss bic for them
to maintain their ground unless they adopt al entirely
This wide subject, and it IL subject Of national
Western immigrants whether they can 20 farther and
premp homestead land here and there and expect
be said they going to push on whether or no; they
Will plant and and by their endeayors and at the
stre how far they and at what point the proud
OF immigration must he stayed. Some have been
fully OF The ardty Of this region AMI have TO
Texas, but. presently. the same barrier will be met
there, and then reaction Will begin along the whole
OF the line
All these counties in a terrible ferment arising ont
OF the distribution aid received from various quarters
and bad feeling and general decentralization everywhere
prevail That which first attracts the attention OF me
visitor and stranger is the charge that men who able
10 take of themselves asking and receiving hep
and is repeatedly asserted that these
who have at two per cent month. The case
Ia be this Every who can make anything like
decent claim asks for help hereupOn those who disdan