Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-08-25
For the MONITOR.
A TOUR THROUGH KANSAS AND
COLORADO.

M COLORADO.
On the 18th of June started with
several others for Kansas and Colorado
for the purpose of seeing the country. I
went via P. & O. R. R. to st. Albans,
Swanton and Montreal. Thence to Chi
cago and Kansas City via. Burlington &
Quincy r. r. Then to Pueblo via.
Atchison, Topeka & Sante Fe R. R. The
first stop ! made of any Importance was
at Emporia, Kan. This is smart bus
mess city, which has grown up very
quickly. There are two or three other
railroads that pass through this city,
which gives it good prospect Of increas-
yBGdtHs yBSG ia PIG aHa jnpSgtsnee: The farming
kinds of grain, potatoes, fruit and stock
raising. From this city I went to
Neosho Rapids, which is about twelve
miles from Emporia. This is the resi-
dence of Elisha White, man well known
/
in Orleans county as business man.
and one who has many friends. I found
him we'll and hearty for a man of his
age. He and a nephew of his from
Whiteheld. N. H.. were keeping "bach-
elor's hall" The young man is about
twenty-one years of age, and went to
Kansas to try to make his fortune rails
ing sheep. Mrs. White is spending the
summer in Vermont with her friends,
where Mr.. w. will join her in a few
weeks. Mr.. W. will not starye if be is
alone, for he knows how to make good
biscuit and coffee-a fact can testify
to, as | shared his hospitable board for
several days. While there I met several
Vermont people. Among them, Mr.. L.
Robbins and family, who went from
Bloomington about ten years ago. He
has about 20 acres of corn, part of
which land has been planted nine years
without any dressing. This corn was
eleven feet high on the average. He
had nice potatoes. and no potato bugs in
the vicinity. Has nice orchard of fruit
trees, consisting of apples, pears and
peaches. that bore we'll last year but not
much this. Right here will say that l
saw but very little fruit on my journey
out and return, but saw several fine
orchards. The corn in and about the
Rapids. and in fact all the way back to
Missouri and Michigan, is excellent; the
hay crop. and all kinds of grain except
corn, are good in Upper Canada Very
little corn planted. There is one advan-
tage at Neosho Rapids, that many other
towns are deprived of aud that is good
water-privilege. 1t has grist-mill and
saw-mill, and there is water enough to
carry FIVE times as much more. Some
day there will be large amount of bus
mess done there. The farming country
all about there is very good, and one can
usually raise anything with fair trial.
1t is one of the best sections for stock.
raising. From Neosho Rapids / went to
Great Bend ON the Arkansas River.
There found Harry Cheney, who went
from Westmore last year. Found him
and his daughter Martha well. His son
Charles and wife had returned to Ver-
mont the Monday before reached there.
Mr.. Cheney said his health was much
improved. The phthisic and the bloat
which troubled him so much in Vermont,
had entirely left him, and be is as we'll
and sprightly as can be. | must say,
when l reached the Great Bend, found
myself in a dry country. Mr. Cheney
lives about eight miles from the city.
All the way from the Bend to Cheney's,
and farther still, there is no wheat, no
small grain at all. except in very few
places where the wheat was sown very
early. There they gathered about half
crop. Not as much corn planted along
here as in the eastern part of Kansas,
for usually wheat does the best. They
will get some corn where they have
planted it, for it will stand the drouth
the best The western corn roots very
deep. Most of the farmers, as soon as
they saw they were not going to get any
wheat. sowed the land with oats, but
still no rain, and consequently no oats.
Last year they had very good crop of
wheat in this section. In this part Of
Kansas the soil is of sandy nature.
Roads are good all the year. No fences
or trees for miles. except few small
trees two or three years old. The little
hay cut is low bottom land hay, which
grows close by the river. They raise
very little stock in this section. Horses
and cows are tethered in the fields. With
sufficient amount of rain this part oi
Kansas would be as good, if not better
than the northeastern part. It is more
easily broken and cultivated. This
drought extended to Kinsley, Dodge City
and into Colorado. / saw thousands o
acres of land that were sown to wheat
last fall that proved perfect failure. NJ
wheat at all. Many men planted oil
sowed nothing else. and manysof thes,
who just commenced last year are poo
people who depended upon good crol
for their sustenance through the winter
THAR nroanoots ara r,ot very hriohf anC