The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-01-10
KANSAS LETTER.
How Kansas Looks to an Ohio Farmer.

The following letter we clip from the
Miami, Ohio, Union:
EMPORIA, Kans., Dec 81, 1873.
DEAR UNION: Although time and space
are almost annihilated by railroads and
telegraphs, vet the eight hundred and
some odd miles now between me and the
old Miami Valley seems something pal
pable, and although here in this little
city, but few years ago the very border
of civilization, | meet on its streets faces
but lately familiar with all your readers
thereabout, yet certain feeling will
steal over one, that he is stranger in a
strange land.''
Southern Kansas, the future home for
the homeless of the older states, How
often have tOiling, aching limbs lain
themselves ON rude beds in our fertile
valley, and the wearied brain, despairing
of ever being able to substantially there
provide for growing bodies and multi
plying mouths, has in dreams, wandered
far away, and sought out On these fertile
and seemingly interminable prairies, a
home where, in prospect at least, peace
and prosperity should surround him and
his, in the sweet "by and by
Our advent here was on a cloudy, damp
evening, and in few hours the binding
snow came, first softly as incense, then
gradually stronger and more cutting
and in few hours in bowling, fiend-
ish fury. as if the Snow King of the Rock
les had determined to say back back no
further westward now.
For ten days it has showed almost in
cessantly, though for day or two the
feathery shower ceased long enough to
allow that cratic little fellow, Jack
Frost, with his Archimedean lever to
squeeze down the thermometer to 10 de-
grees below zero,
And what novel devices are forthwith
formed by the natives for ENJOYING, TO
them an uncommon sport, a genuine
sleigh-ride. / saw the wife of the astute
L. 5. Senator of this growing state, ca
rOming around the corners of the bust
ness blocks in little primitive board
sled, which any halfgrown boy could
have constructed in an hour, the rig
drawn by mustang pony, and driven
/ by her ten year old SON, and it was hard
to tell which enjoyed it the most, the
pony, the boy, or his mother. Verify we
are all "but children of a larger growth"
OF course most of the lands near the
| stream and much upon the broad prairies
are in state of cultivation, and as the town
| draws its customers for from twenty-five
To forty miles distant, it is not surprising
that the streets are crowded even in this,
to them, uncommon wintry season.
The chief agricultural products are corn,
wheat and other grains, and the grazing
is so fine here that thousands of cattle
and sheep run the prairies, and hogs are
raised in large numbers. This is a
splendid fruitgrowing country Ap-
pies, peaches, pears, cherries and berries
grow TO large size, and in abundance
and bring almost fabulous prIces-one
farmer near here sold this year LOO
bushels of apples at 81 per bushel, and
another 1900 bushels of peaches al
$1.75 per bushel.
/ The winters here are usually mild and
pleasant-excepting some, this being
the coolest weather here since 1844-the
roads are generally good, and fifty
seventy five, and even a hundred miles
a day with two ponies and a buggy is
not considered extraordinary driving
The roads seem spongy and springing tC
horses feet, and ring bones and spavins
are unknown. The horses are much
lighter generally than in the Miami
valley, as no need for heavy draft horses
/. exists here. The inhabitants are largely
from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with
considerable sprinkling of Scotch
Welsh and Germans. Very few fences
are found here on farms, and what ar,
| mere are mostly heQge anu Darbed wire
| Land ranges all the way from So Il
$50 per acre, according to improve
ments and location. Railroad lands
for settlers, without any Improvement
range from So to $40 on long time.
, The great mistake that many make
is IN coming here without money. A
couple of hundred dollars even will
do to start on if economically expend
f ed, but the moneyless man had bette
f stay back in the older States until
small nucleus is accumulated
Shipping stock here is much Xix,
: carrying Goals to New Castle" as gooC
small horses can be bought here fol
from $50 to $50 each. Much the same
rule will apply TO household goods, a,
all such articles can be got here nearly
as cheap as in the older States.
As to game, prairie chickens, com
mon rabbits, jack rabbits and quails, ar,
plentiful, and this cold weather ha.
driven into the timber and near the set
Elements quite a number of deer anC
coyotes, or prairie wolves, and the MIN
rods of the neighborhood are supremell
happy.
L am patiently waiting lull in THU
long continued storm and a decided
rise in the thermometer; when hope Il
take hand at some of the afore sale
vermin myself So, for the present
good bye. N. II. ALBAUGH.