The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1875-05-15
LETTER FROM MINNESOTA.
HARTLAND. MINNESOTA, |
Nav lst. 1875.

| May LIST. 1875.
EDITOR REoIsTkR: Perhaps some of
your readers who are farmers would like
to hear q word from one of their fraternI-
ty who has strayed up here into Mime
sofa. We left Geneva Kan. April 4,
expecting if reports were true, to find
winter still lingering in the lap Of spring
here with snow and ice in abundance.
We were somewhat disappointed in this
though there was occasionally the rem
nants of . huge snow drift in the timber
protected from the sqn by a steep bank
which inclined TO the north and which
could be seen from the car window. We
left Kansas Wednesday morning but did
not reach our destination till Monday
night. We started at Neosho Falls and
went by the way of Sedalia, Hannibal,
Quincy, Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Aus
tin &c. We ought to have gone through
in two days but it took Us five. They
had taken off one train on account of bad
roads and we were travelling less than
half of the time. This delay would be
as much as human nature could stand
under ordinary circumstances, but for a
fellow like your humble servant not very
richly endowed with the quality called
patience, and with q family on his hands
it was-well if I should write all the ad-
jectives that naturally suggest them
selves, expect, Mr.. Editor, you would
throw my letter into the waste basket.
After all kind Providence brought us
safely through without sickness, suffering
or accident and l ought to be ashamed
to grumble.
/ am just now staying with the people |
in Freedom county. This is near the
southern border Of Minnesota and is a
good farming country. 1t is the high |
table land between the sources of the |
Red Cedar River which flows off south.
east through Iowa, and the Blue Earth
and Cannon rivers which flow off to the
north and empty into the Mississippi at
Minneapolis and Red Wing. The land
is more rolling and uneven than in Allen
county or most parts of Kansas. It is a
succession of hill and dale. The sloughs
are wide and fat covered more or less
with waterloo wet at any time to be
cultivated-and are fit only for grass
which attains a luxuriant growth in
them. These sloughs, or fats. or
meadows, or valleys, or whatever
one is pleased to call them, constitute
Oh an average, I should Judge one.
third of the ground. The tilling is all
lone on high land. Although this is in
The Southern part of the State they say
it is colder here than 70 or 100 miles
further north because it is higher. 1t is
probably as good place to grow wheat
IS anywhere in the State. Bat the sto.
RES they tell of winter storms is almost
Incredible. !,
I find the farmers here are not all of
hem disposed to think their lot is cast
N an earthly paradise. They have their
difficulties to contend with. Perhaps the
thief natural difficulty is the long cold I
winters, but many of them have bought {
arms at high figure and ran in debt
or nearly the whole amount expecting :
o raise wheat and pay it off, The inter- {
st eats up the profits of the farm and I
hey struggle along with burden of
|ebt too heavy for them to carry until !
hey are discouraged. sometimes they .
ucceed in lifting the debt and sometimes a
he debt sinks them. Tired of their loads :
hey read with longing hearts accounts
f the sources of wealth in California, or G
ired Of the winters they read of the e
mild weather in Oregon or the gentle q
Innate in the sunny south. Oftentimes !;
ust as they are getting rooted in their .
lew homes in Minnesota. they pull up n
takes and wander off to some locality p
hey deem more congenial. So it is the Q
'orld over, men get discontinued with !,
that they have and make a move for
better. They are pretty like
y to get wisdom if not riches by the +
hange-perhaps both.
I am stopping now with staunch old
.rmer who has been here thirteen years.
lis name is w. J. McClelland. He has s
I'D me some of his experience in farm 8 9:
,g but whether it is fair specimen of o
he average of farmers here or whether e.
!; is better or worse l havn't yet had b
to find out sufficiently to n
lake statement. He is putting in this =
Jason 125 acres of wheat, Is acres of T.
ats and 25 acres of corn. Two men do W
I the work or nearly all. His sowing IL
round was all prepared last fall. One :,
oy and team did the whole of the plow- a,
g. They say they are seldom hindered a
ON blowing in the fall by either dry
wet weather. Mr.. McClelland COM W
ences blowing his land as soon as the =.
rain is taken off and keeps it up till fr
ost comes or until he gets it all plowed.
1heat ground, they say, is much better III
plowed in the fall and the most of the 10
rmers have their ground all ready for Fl
he seeder" as soon as spring opens. til
r. McClelland says his yield Of wheat re
nee he has been on this place would al