The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-06-22
For the Eagle.
A Pleasant Day.
June nth 1874


but twenty rods carried us into Sedg
wick county. The air was fresh ant
bracing, and just breezy enough to b,
pleasant.
The place we had started for wa
ten miles away, and in new place Il
US. When about six miles on our wa,
we saw a double wagon start on
ahead of us loaded with people, ant
surmised that they were bound for th,
same place, so we took after that team
and found an acquaintance aboard an(
quickly got acquainted with the rest
for some hailed from the same Stat,
that we did, and that is sufficient t.
make one feel well acquainted in thu,
new country.
The next four miles | noticed We
had great many sloughs to go through
such as we used to have in Illinois.
had never seen any here before, and
had thought there were none, but we
passed nice thrifty farms, surrounded
with full grown hedges and the houses
hid away behiad groves of large trees
plainly showing that the owners would
be classed with the older settlers OIL
Kansas. AS we neared the place oil
meeting, we saw loaded teams coming
from every direction, and when VIC
came in sight of the little brown school,
house, we understood very well that
part OF the congregation would have
to be accommodated out of doors. Bui
according to my notion it is better
than large house sparsely filled, and
although the house was crowded full
inside, and as many standing at the
windows and doors as could well dc
so, still there was perfect order and
decorum. We listened to a sermon
delivered by the Rev. Mr.. Hobbs, OF
Wichita. He was assisted in the exer-
cises by Rev MI. Estelle. After the ex-
ercises at the house were concluded
the congregation repaired to the water
and the ordinance of baptism was adj
mlnlstered, young man being the
candidate. On our way to the water
| counted thirty-three teams all double
ones and well loaded, and three bug
gies. Perfect decorum was observed
at the water. After all was concluded
then came invitations to dinner more
than we could accept. Another miles
drive brought us to the place of enter
tainment. We talked of the past present
and future of this State, and in the
course of the conversation we learned
that near where we were, the people
were going to meet soon to break prai-
RE aud lay out o town and park.
cannot possibly remember the name OF
the place, district or school house, but
this | do know, the people are a goa
head people and mean business, so
Wichita had better look out for her
laurels. As we were preparing to
start for home, our new friends pro-
posed that we go by Mr.. McCraeens,
who has over hundred acres in fruit
and forest trees, and they would go
with US. Arrived at this forest on the
prairie, the gentlemanly owner invited
us to alight and go over his premises,
which invitation we accepted We
soon found the incest of rare plants
and flowers such as | had never
dreamed of seeing on this "Great
Desert" Over thirty differ
ent kinds of roses, some far-fetched
and costly, pinks of all kinds and
sweetness, all kinds of peonys, then
old-fashioned things such as cold
Man" or Southernwood, Glove Mint"
or Rosemary" Sweet Glover, House
Leeks or Line Fuchsias, Annis and
How fast my thoughts flew back to
an old homestead the other side of the
Green Mountains where these now old
fashioned things used to be cherished
in my small flower garden. Four
years ago it was my privilege, in COM
rany with some friends, to go over
James Nicks' vast flower fields where
a man was blowing them out with a
horse and shovel plow, and everything
was just splendid there, but it did not
give me one half the pleasure that this
visit to Kansas flower garden did,
and when little later, We bid our
friends good night, and went home,
and l carried huge boquet of pinks
and roses, hymn of thanksgiving
went up from my heart, that had
been banished to as pleasant country
Is Kansas, in order to win back lost
health and strength, both of which l
I'm happy to say | enjoy. And this
ended one pleasant day.
A short time ago we received visit
rom an old, valued friend from Wood
ord county, Illinois, Mr.. Jesse Ham,
ners. lie is past his "three score
rears and ten," but his mind is vigor-
Jus rs ever. He liked our country so
we'll, that he says if he was ten years
he would move here. An
'ther friend, Rev. G.. G.. Manly, seven
ears resident of Bazaar, Kansas but
ormerly of Michigan, made us visit,
lie expressed his surprise to see our
lp-lands as productive as the bottom
ands.
Crops of all kinds look well in this |
ection. Corn went in late on account |
# the wet weather, but is coming on
icely. Everybody hereabouts are
reaking up their farms and there will
&c an immense acreage put into wheat
nd rye next fall.
Everything and everybody that is
cal old receives some notice this year,
T ought to. y neighbor of ours has
n old-fashioned bake skillet that her
once fried meat in for
George Washington's dinner. On
heir journey to Kansas the skillet got
roke; still. by by tipping 1t one side
title, meat could be fried in it yet.
AUNT THANKFUL.
Nat;onol Panuhl;csr plofform