, 1879-06-10

DODGE ElT7J ha&.. June d.-ln my JA8t
mentioned tint stopped u Graat Bend, tho
county-aest Of barton County. The surface OF
the country Is sweeping bottoms, fthing gently
10 hieh, undulattng uplandst well ratered by
The Arkausas River, mud Little Walnut Blood,
Deception, and Cow Creeks. s,nnlt veins Of
coal arc found, and sandstone In abundance.
Some little native timber Is found along The
streams. OK fhc Town OF Great Bond shall
speak at length at another tiuio. The business
portion ltrs on quite high elevation, abort
distance from tho depot.
Jus. after leaving there We again sweep out
Into The broad yal,sy, the high land recedtnE On
both sides Of the river. Now commences to be
seen farming III more primitive stylo. In Ill
directions arc new farms ppencd up, and In
dtcattons Of others. Sod or "dug-out" houses
arc numerous,-aotnt OF them rude In cofstruc-
tlon, nnd others quite comfortable. A descstp-
tlon Of them may t,o Interesting.
11rre Ia one u new settler who has comc to
the country Without n.csns, aiId is 0pcnlng no o
farm,-DakiuE a start iu lie. NJ It were. 1la
digs square hoie In tile ground, the size OF Ills
house, to the dep,h Of three or four feet lie
then goes On the pruirc, und cuts Dut suuarrs
ot tho tough sod two feet wide by SIX long, n.,d
lays them up around bis hole In Tic grouad-.
the same as a mason lays up stono--to the
hight Of four or Ave feet, leaving
| piacr for windows mud door. Then he mikes
roof Of poles and rough boards, and places q
layer Of sotls closely matched over it; buys
cheap door, windows, and plank for partitions,
| AiJ makes sod chimney. Now hB has a goHl.
Portable t,o1se, II ~ Is not handso.nc. It Ins
the advantage Of being cool III summer mud
| warm In winter, aud these houses certainly
must hs healthy, for = notwithstanding lot Of
| men, women, ulld children ttlan | have seen
living IN them cannot DO found elsewhere.
Hero IL a house Of better description. Tile
aods arc laid up {wlthout digging hole in the
Rre lnd} to the hight Of nino or ten feet. will
doors and wndows. aud q Tight board roof and
foor. After atRiHllng until tho eods yet hard
and dry, tho buildor gets lne, which ia plenty,
makes til!ck plaster or conicnt, md puts two
Or three heavy coats both outside and IN, fin.
shlng With hard white goat, ard marking OF
the outside In blocks. The structure presents
the appearance Of q stouo house, and looks
comfortable as,d cozy.
ttcrl 81 Inc diffctsnt Stages an old farmer hnd
gone through. There, IN an out-of-tle-may
pIuce, MAS tho old "uug g-out he first occupied
j sI,ort distance from II was the litite board
r'sed Is eattIc-shcd; ard On the high ground
stuod the large imo,story house whct, he had
Just completed and mUvel into, aud tn which
| ho WAS happy antl c0ntrtltet!.
We NOW tnss inta Pawnec County, one Of tile
richest agricultural sections Of tic valley
rnwpen R'wk bens the iTst town We cumc to-,
win populatlon o. aeooI ~. twenty new
houses aEe 1ell,T etec'en. ~ u Vef5 p!easaht-
Looking littse VtiinRe. 4te name ID from lie iact
.s sGShl ia"Gu nnv Hes o. ~ ~ h .oa W.. ~
railroad lur over 90o miles. Some very fine
farms a1ltl hntdson'e farm-housos arc to bc Seen
near mere, anu plentJ ol hhe nefos OF cattle.
Thirty miles III hour, aint soon reach Larued
tile scat pf Justice VI tue county, which Ia seven
miles from te fort Of that na'ne: ! Will hare to
leare description q inn neamtNa' Town M na.li
auufiler time. 10 sulTounaed py large
anl well.cu't!ssted farms. the imprsyancnta ol,
during The Inst hundred milca' rug. IL every
otFeeslon prospef'ss ap'taan t,, ~ oa ssanpei
upon eYerYtaing' eksert tile whest-cfop, Which
)ooks pretty taln, .nnd~Nli' ptnban! not reach m
over tll'rd o. esoI, OF LWe'Ya Or ntteen outh.
els to tile sese: ut!.ss eio9s iooh "sl'' aho ue
fartHsrs are not assouIAsga. ~. ,.,,o~,s M.
After Leaving Lata1ed, y H. tne Yaaoy n miagha Out
beyona tAs Vlhon oi W. eye, & ana !ossMet see.
tlnn Of counlry one VS. never permitted y
vieW L'Yn'g stream ttsssI1a ta,s ofauGau.
palm IN I'll a'Foenons. ofnaH as sFo'ss " nat!se 1se
Of u,e streams: i,,. teM ..an maasome :9ns iors
houses ars visible at = dfatance. thousands
sad o. s ne,a as nns III
90 te grassy pa III. ths a;s,ds @ ~ u1ps Edon M "
tl'r present oay, nt,a ~ na'T ~a!ts tne naan 2!
man to complete ihc worK.. AeTe are tnousana'
9f aerss ot r!s aas ownna y ~ KatSn ,i''sa
ION 1s, nj skup 3 n II IS imnossiSe n for Do9
to deaSsbe the banties OF t's 1Mtf5. Ao9n' A',li
ten miles Wost oi Larnea sana.i'!s are ts'ose
OIL the so'tiI sac OF iae I,SeI. puI uiey Only eh
r., We now eo1ns to ~ H. ncw. mt ycrj FL pretty
Town o1 uarsela. lnsso LIT ar1 r utsr tnasy nea s
nDhses'-sohlc cottuteos asA u..c.n ~ ~ X ~ ~
s9eets as eS SaaS. fs srs mostly f aer a III III
cottage style, oCe-aild a-halt stories 10 hight