Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-08-21

AUGUST IL, 1919.
To tie Editors ofths Independent
As have taken a trip West,
through the Northern part of Kan
sas, and thinking a short description
of the country might be interesting
to many of your readers, / herewith
send you brief account of the same.
/ left Troy, in Doniphan county, on
the I'd inst, in company with three
others, in a covered wagon, passing
through Brown county on the way,
where / noticed the crops to be very
fine. The surface of the country is
nearly level, and the improvements
will compare favorably with many of
the older improved counties. We
pass on to Hiawatha, the county seat
of Brown county. 1t has a popula-
tion of 500. Business seemed brisk,
and the town showed thrift and en-
terprise. 1t has several fine church.
es and business houses, &C., with a
fine farming country around it. The
st. 10 & Denver City r. r. runs by
the town.
We next reach Nemaha county, a
beautiful country. The quality of
the soil, however, not as good as in
Brown county, but is well adapted
to grazing. The Railroad Co. IS own
large bodies of land in this county,
and spectators also, which is curse
to any country. The land here is
mostly unimproved, and emigrants
pass on to Government land, such as
can be pre-empted-consequently the
country here is kept back.
Seneca is next reached, IS miles
distant, and the county seat of Ne
maha. The place seemed dull. 1t
has very fine courthouse, one that
would put to shame many similar
buildings in West Virginia. 1t cost
$40, 900.
We now proceed through a thinly
settled country, with nothing to note
of Importance except some fine herds
of cattle. Twelve miles from Seneca
we struck Marshall county, the great
cattle country of Northern Kansas.
This county is thinly settled, but the
soil looked better than in some,ad-
joining counties. Large herds of
cattle are seen grazing here.
Marysville, the county seat, is sit
uated ON the Blue River, and has a
population of / 200. This place. for
some years, was considered the from
tier town of Northern Kansas. 1t
has witnessed many fights of freight
ers and frontier men, besides several
attacks from Indians but it has
out-lived them all, and as emigration
has passed on and settled the coun-
t,,y NVaof ~ hoe hoonn,a :, r,Yiat lanI
peaceable place to live in. 1t has Sc
veral fine business houses, elegant
private residence, beautiful Church
es, &c. Here we cross the Blue Ri
yer and pass Oh to Washington coun-
ty, which is better adapted to farm
ing purposes. 1t is well watered, and
has sufficient timber.
Our next point is Hanover, IL fast
town" on the st. 10 q Seneca r.. r.
1t seemed to have "some thrift" and
''get up about ii, but whether of the
right sort or not "deponent sayeth
not" A number of buildings are
being erected, some of which are in
tended as Dance Halls.
At this point we left the Railroad,
which passes North into Nebraska,
and proceed to Washington, County
seatof said county, q beautiful lit
tie town, built on the high prairie,
with several coy Churches, stores,
&C., and altogether a pleasant place.
Republic county is next reached
and here it began to show signs of a
newly-settled country, being more
thinly settled than many other sec
lions. The "dug-outs," which are
familiar to Western people, are here
substituted for houses. Nice prairie
chickens are getting plenty, which
afford us fine sport with our guns
Occasionally Il "Jack" Rabbit starts
from his cover, with leap OF several
feet, and canters off like a young
mule with his leg broken; with their
awkward appearance, it takes the
best of greyhounds to catch them
They are three-times larger than the
common Rabbit, and are very nu-
merous in this country
Belleville, the county seat, is quite
a nice town of for-yedr'S growth, so
miles from the Railroad. The coun-
ty polls vote of 2,100. The lald is
all taken up, and seems to be settled
by an enterprising class of people
Only 3 OF years back BuifalOes and
other wild beasts swarmed over this
country in great herds--their foot
prints being still visible ins many
places. Antelopes are occasionally
seen, but the Buffalo grounds are 200
miles further west.
Last week abont 800 Ute Indians
passed through here, going North to
fight the Sioux.
After leaving Doniphan county,
the crops of all kind Except fruits
seemed to look fine along the whole
trip. But, for fear of wearying the
patience Of YOUR readers. / will close