Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-21
FROM KANSAS.
An unfayorable Opinion Of the
Country.
prApony. KAN. Mar. -. 1877.


IN unfayorable Opinion Of the
Country.
PEABODY, KAN, Mar. Il, 1877.
EDs. COURIER TO the readers of
your paper that know nothing oil
this locality short description of it
may be interesting to them.
The near future of Kansas no one
seems to prophecy to certainty.
All seem to be reconciled to take it
as il comes. 1t will not be my pur-
pose to discourage or encourage any
one in regard to staying away or
of coming to Kansas, but to put be-
fore the reader just as it is as near as
can and let them Judge for them
selves whether they can better their
condition or not by moving here.
MARION COUNTY
lies east and south some of the center
of the State. Marion Centre is the
county scat situated on the Cotton
wood river, has population of about
GOO inhabitants, fire large stone
school house, churches, Masonic and
Odd Fellows hall, about three stores
that keep a general assortment of
goods, drug and hardware stores.
it is situated in the Cottonwood val
ley which has very rich, black soil.
the county seat has no railroad,
Florence being the nearest point on
the A. T. & S. +. road. Plans are be-
ing laid to run narrow gauge road
from Leavcnworth west through Ma
rion Centre to Great Bend, o point on
the Atchison and Topeka. If such a
road will be put through to compete
with this road and bring down
freight and passenger rates it will be
q blessing to this section of Kansas.
FLORENCE
is situated on the Atchison, Topeka &
Santa Fe railroad. Has about 500 in
habitants, several stores, a church,
school house and two grain elevators.
1t has one Of the finest stone quarries
in the West from which is shipped
large quantities of fine building
stone it is quite soft when taken out
Of the ground and can be cut into
any shape and hardens when exposed
to the atmosphere. A railroad is to
be built from this place to Eldorado,
to be called the Florence, Eldorado
and Walnut Valley railway. It will
be q branch of the A. T. & s. +. A
company has been formed, charter
granted and everything ready to com.
mence work on it.
PEABODY
is on the railroad, IL miles west Of
Florence and l6 miles from the county
seat. Has population of about 600
with three churches, a school house
quite a number of stores and a pub
lie library donated by Mr.. Peabody
an eastern man, in honor of the nam,
given to the town. A narrow gauge
has been surveyed from Chanute, {
point at the junction of the L L. & G
& M. X. Il I. roads, running on lin,
northwest through Peabody to som,
point on the X. P. road. The situa
ton of the land around here is com
paratively level. There are no land
in this county subject to homestead
only as man watches his chance ant
jumps some poor fellows claim tina
he has been careless and negligent Of
Plenty of railroad land from IS to 81
, per acre. Improved land is wort
from SIS to $50 per acre.
THE GRAssHoPpERs
are source of great annoyance t
the people here; the ground is full 9
, eggs which if they hatch out, an
, there is no doubt but every one Q
J. them will, they will destroy every
! thing that the farmers may SOW. w
may possibly raise good corn cro]
because the hoppers may leave b
e fore it gets up for them to destroy.
Farmers will not hire help becaus
of the uncertainty of the crops thi
2 season. This is no place for a poe
e man, at present anyway.
The immigration through here
great. If people succeed in raising
n good crop this season all will be wei
S If not thousands Of families will hav
\ to suffer unless helped. Good horse
: are worth from $75 to 1925 Oxe
s from $50 to one hundred per yoke
s cows from 1876 to $35 apiece; hogs o
q foot $3.50 to $500; butter l5c fo
good quality; eggs &c per doz
: coal 81 80 to $3.50 per ton hay, prai
: RE, from 81 to S. per ton. Times ar
dull and close here, money hard {
get. Many have mortgaged thei
homesteads and even teams already
! SO as to get along. 1t is hoped
l brighter prospect will soon appear
a There is q vast amount of territor
to be settled up yet in this count.
1t will take number of years to Sc
l. tic up as thickly as it is now in oil
0 Wapello county. My opinion is, if
= man has a good farm in Souther
Iowa, even if it is small, he will b
!. doing justice to himself by keepin
, it. F. N. w.