Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-08-07
Che freeman.
MONTPELIER.VT
WEDNESDAY. AUG. Z, 1873.
A Letter from SuckerdOm.
KEwANEE, ILL.,, July 10, l

stop would tell you where, and having
few moments leisure, | will use it in
trying 10 redeem my reputation for truth,
and t. Il you some hing of the location and
business and social qualities of the place
from which this letter is dated. Fourth OF
July orators generally look for the success
of their Grafton in saying something very
eloquent or interes in. in the first SEN
tence; so to begin with, l will make Il
statement which | know will be interest
inc to you,-lhat this communication will
be short.
Kewanee is situated about one hundred
and thirty miles southwest of Chicago, on
the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy rail
road. and has population Of about foul
thousand five hundred; it also has the rep
u,a,ion of being the busiest place of its
size along this rich and prosperous road.
Il Ms fourteen churches, six public
school buildings Situated so as to be con-
renient for the children in every part OF
the city and one a high school building
for alD, and numerous manufacturing es-
Establishments, all thriving and prosperous
Although times are hard, and business
comparatively dull on account of the
scarcity Of money and the low prices re-
ceved by the fa mers for their last years
crops, if traveller from n village in the
east of about the same size as this should
step off here some Saturday afternoon, and
elbow his way up fremont rect. he would
probably be, as others have been, struck
with the idea that the country people had
all turned out to see or to celebrate. But
they are only doing what they do every
day in the week-buying and selling. /,
is but common occurrence to see II hun.
dred to hundred and fifty teams hitched
along the streets on Saturday afternoons
The farmers are now hu,ily engaged in
harvesting their hay and small grains
These crops are remarkably good, and
there is Il promise of fine crop of hay
and all he fall products. There will bl
an abundance of all kinds of fruit, thougl
in this section the apples were much in
jnred by severe hail storm which swept
through here when the trees were in bios
som.
The weather for some time has been eX-
tremely hot-outrageously uncomfortable
but it is just what is nee,lel by the
farmers. Spring opened up late, after Il
winter of mud mud! mud! All winter
the weather w;ls warm, with Il semi occa.
sNNal rains slight freeze and II heavy
thaw-til the roads became almost i'm
PiSsable. Then, after the land had been
prepared for planting, there were heavy
rains and hail storms, and continuation
of cold, wet weather, till the farmers haC
about given their corn crop over to tn,
fntes; but this weather has c)me to he'll
them out, and now the price of hogs mex
fall is the length and breadth of all thei
troubles. The prices will probably b.
low, and then the producers will or
"hard times but when we consider thI
the farmers are about the only class tha
c,n hold their own in these times, thong
We hear their cries, our lie IRIS do not quit
refuse TO be comforted, if they be never S
tender
There is no chance here for youn
man to make his fortune by farming.
he owns farm, or has the money to bu
and pay for one, we might say that hi
fortune is already made, or that he is we
"fxed;' but if lie buys IL farm on credit
it will be doubtful if he lives long cnoug
to pay for it. Land is from seventy-liV
to one hundred dollars per acre, and corr
twenty-five cents per bushel-not II yer
ftttering prospect. But in the west-i
KInsls aud Nebra1ka-anl is che Up, an'
the crops in these states this season com
pare favorably with those in Illinois
some say they are better. But this is tn
difference between this state and lhos
farther west-in the latter there may be
failure in crops next year, but there is II
Eays an abundance here. In any event
believe the man who buys II small ftrn
IN either of these western states, and zoe
AMI lives upon i, has secured Il life in
nTance not possessed by the mln with N
home
miss the rivers. Have not seen on
since came here. There are none OF An
| consequence within number OF miles
nthin5 bat little ho!lows between tn
ridges Of land to carry off the surf,c
| water. This reminds me of an incileI
concerning one OF these little gutter
Wnhin sight of the window by which
am now sitting" Spoon River" by name
Ibis river" has lis soul ce all along th
banks when it rains, ard keeps runnin
I'LL 1t soak5 off into the ground.
1 Thirty five years ago land was sellin
Tor one dollar twenty live cents per acre o
tile banks Of this river, only it didn't Sc
last enough to suit TIE speculatorsi S
they bad Il map drawn of this section I
lie country, and the artists imaginatlo
made Of The few cabins huddled togetht
mere beautiful city, and of this mudd
Iltlle water-course mighty river. Lare
ships were sailing upon its surface and Al
chored at its docks o, what a desirab
/ oHllon! On the strength of this repr'
en'aIion people in the east purchase
and number Of miles back from til
Place, paying more than was asked by PEI
Pie owning land here. But if they held
uey lost nothing, for the same land
now worth seventy five dollars per acr
VI politics and politicians | will say bv
mule, but always try to dclude myself in
lh4 belief that There be "a few even
I'ihcel who have not deliled their ga
nents," yet must confess that find m
Sell very skeptical on that point.
The republican party controls this Sc
'oh of the state, though the nation
s'eehback, labor-saving, back action, iJi
lQhdtlc partv co,p,s tn bn ,r,.E ipor ,nn