The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-02-15
BENNINGTON, OTTAWA Co., KANs.
February 4th, 1878.

Eultors COLUMBIAN
Dear Sirs Thinking it might be somewhat
interesting to the readers of the COLUMBIAN to
hear from one of the readers Of the same now
residing in Kan. My brother and left
Bloomsburg Pa, March II, 1877, arrived at
Minneapolis, our county seat hero on March
oath. We hired out by the month, on May
2Sth, we bought $40 acres of land (prarie) i'm.
medately had 100 acres of it broke up and now
have 80 acres of it in winter wheat, and expect
to SOW the other 20 in spring wheat this month,
all in one field too without any fence around it
No fence is required here. Wheat looks fine bet
ter than | ever saw il this time Of year in Pa.
Very good prospect for a good harvest this
year. Now some of our old Eastern farmers
say to their sons, if you cannot live here you
cannot live West either My opinion is differ.
ent. endorse Horace Greely's advise "young
men go west" as am sure it is good one.
However man cannot expect to get rich even
here without work. He must work and man.
age right in order to succeed. A young man
with little money can very soon have home
Of his own here, though he cannot in the East.
Ten chances here for mo1ey making to o:e in
Pa. The trouble is East, too many want TO live
in town and do not wish TO exert themselves
They think farming is too hard work. So it is
in the eastern part of Pa, agree, but here in
Kansas farming is not near so hard as we use
riding plows as well as riding cultivators, har-
rows, corn planters &c.
! have travelled in the last two years about
III .,,,l \ 4,
not yet any place fsncied so well as the
Solomon Valley. The Mirror sent you will
give you full history Of the valley describing
soil, climate &c. ! endorse the same as ! find
this place Just a. described in the Mirror by the
editors. We have just any kind of land lying
in the county man wants. Messrs Olnev Bros.
at Minneapolis, Kan, have for sale any kind,
hence can almost ifnot quite suit any man. In
fact man must be very particular if they can
not suit him in land. any person wishes to
emigrate West, he will do we'll by sending for
a copy of the Solomon Valley Mirror which
tells them all about this country. Now is the
time to emigrate to this place The new rail
road is to be finished TO Minneapolis and the
cars to run by April 2nd 1873, Land is 'pcreas.
| ing in valuation very fast, hence the sooner a
| man buys the cheaper he can get the land. En-
| igrants who have already located in the south
| ern part of the state, came up the valley last
| fall. The consequence was, they sold their
property down there and bought here. This
county is very healthy. | am healthier this
| Summer than | ever was as far as ] have
| known. One team and man can here
raise from IL to 1900 bushels wheat besides
corn, barley, &c, A man who came here
two years ago and bought 800 acres of land
| railroad land had this last year over 230C
bushels Of wheat and before harvest wheat was
up to l.S0 per bushel, and still i don't pay
still hear some say. Now where is farmer
that raised 2300 bushels of wheat in one year in
Columbia county?
Young men, why don't you come out and try
to make yourselves a nice home This is tn,
place for you. Too many in the East. We have
room for thousands Of you here; for my part l
would say no Pennsylvania for me as far as
farming goes, as this is too fine a country Il
be lying idle. Come out here and the soone
you come the better as the longer you delay tn
more you will have to pay for land. l Away
said never would farm, until ] saw the Sol
opon Valley and now am satisfied that Their
is fortune to be made here 10 to in the East
shall send you copy Of the Mirror which
please insert SOME of ii in your paper SO as T.
give your readers some idea OF the place wher
We reside. shall write again, ere long.
Yours respectfully,
| + NJ MuIpR