South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1878-05-24
Letter from Kansas.



TO Kansas. The train on which / trav.
eled consisted Of 10 coaches crowded
with passengers, all bound for Kansas
| and Colorado.
TO look at the immense emigration a
person would be impressed with the idea
That everybody was leaving the Eastern
and middle States fer the West. Be-
sides those on the Railroads, you Oh.
serve large trains OF wagons. You see
persons under all circumstances of life.
from the poorest to the richest, from the
most enlightened and intelligent to the
most superstitious and ignorant. You
see numbers Of people land in Kansas
having spent all Of their money i'm pay
ing their passage through TO the State.
expecting TO make living immediately
on the raw prairies, without any farm.
ing implements or even house to live
in. Many think they can find work to
do for other people, by which they can
improve their claims and support them
selves and families at the same time.
But such il they live at all have rough
time for several years.
During the greater part Of the year.
comparatively speaking, there is but
little employment in Kansas, for every
body does his own work. During har.
vest. however. there is employment ut
fair wages. l am informed.
However rich the soil, or we'll adapted
to farming Kansas may be, it is impos.
sible for people to succeed without any
thing to begin on except the land
Then l would say to all those who de-
sire to come TO kansas.to prepare enough
money ut least to support them during
one year, besides enough to build them
n house and purchase them farming i'm.
| plementS. teams, &c.
Many people live in sol houses in
Kansas. a sod bouse Is built OH the
| same principle that house is built of
brick or stone. The sod is cut in squares
and layed one on the other. A sod
house l6 #. by 81 #. will cost about $40
covered with shingle roof Horses
are about IA cheap here as they are 9th
or places. Mules seem TO be in demand.
as they seem to stand the climate better
and are better adapted to hardshps.
For breaking the prairie, oxen are very
much used. they are worth from SIS
TO : lao per yoke. have travelled i'm
some or 10 counties along the Arkan-
sas River Valley, from Reno county
Westward, and examined the land par
ticular'y. South OF the Arkansas in
those counties contiguous to it, a great
deal of the land is quite sandy, but North
OF 1t the land is not nearly so sandy
The sandy soil is considered better a.
dapted to wheat than any other
The counties referred to are ak new,
some Of them settled principally during
the last year; and good deal of the
land in several Of them is unsettled vet,
but is being taken up very fast. There
is n great deal Of land westward
from Pawnec county to settle yet. In
less than two years all of the Govern
ment land will be entered and the great.
or part settled, without some great ca
camity Details the country in the form
OF a plague or drouth soon.
| The wheat looks very we'll consider
ing that it has been very dry until the
last few days. On last Sunday and
SundaT night il rained, since that time
it has been cloudy and very cool. Stree
the rain farmers are very cheerful. for
they now think they will have a fair crop
of wheat. Well they may be cheerful,
for on their wheat crop they must de-
pend for their living. Kansas probably
will be one OF the greatest wheat grow
ing States in the Union; but, as vet, it
is not so we'll adapted to the raising OF
| corn. Cattle can be raised here almost
withou: any cost, as grass is so abun-
dant.
People generally seem TO he cheerful
and hopeful in Kansas, rs all those who
live 81 or 40 miles from the Railroad
think they are going to have Railroad
built right through their claim and have
Depot built on it. Many think they
| are going 10 have town built on or near
their claim. But, OF course. the half Of
these bright ideas are never realized.
II matters not what county you may 90
| to in this part of the State. every man
will tell you that the land in his locality
| is little better than it is anywhere else.
/ have entered 100 acres about So
miles South OF this pace. near the
Rattlesnake Creek. This part is uoted
| for RrMlesndhes. | am stopping ut Lar.
ned, Pawnee county, the county scat.
| IL is pretty little town of about ! 200
| inhabitants, on the line Of the Atchison.
! Topeka and Santa Fee Railroad. I am
| stopping with your acquaintances. Mr..
Robert Moorehead and family. lie is
carrying on HOurlShlng business IN
the Coal and Cattle trade.
They say they receive the latest news
| from Romney every Tuesday morning
in the highly priced and welcome visitor
/ tile South Branch HicHgeHcer. IL seems
| like talking with our old friends, to be
| permitted 70 read it. or the many emf
grants to Kansas you rarely ever meet
with Nirginian. As rule. ! am proud
OF Nirginians, and wherever may roam
I shall always be glad TO own am a
/ Nirgiuian hy birth.
This is noted place for Presbyte-
| rianism. The Church seems 20 be pros
| pering moro here ttan any other place
along the line OF this Railroad. The
Methodists have a prosperous Church
| here too.
From what can observe or The differ.
Z -