The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1879-07-17

Well, everything has beginning. We left the
Widows where boarded for twenty-six years, and,
as you know left crops good. prospectvely, at home.
And they seemed to improve for forty or fifty miles
after that they gradually grew poorer, until reach
ing the Great Bend of the Arkansas, where wheat
would not make slapjack to the acre. Corn seemed
to stand the drouth better than wheat, though it
grows very slowly. After reaching Kinsley, there is
no corn or any kind Of crops Twenty-Five miles be-
fore reaching Hutchinson, we struck the grasshop-
pers They were not thick-yet thick enough to trim
the blades OF the sesnty wheat crops. We found
some all along the route until reaching Colorado,
where it is too dry even for the hopper.
We passed many beautiful towns along the A., I.
& S. +. r. r. Newton seems rather to be the most
lively. Hutchinson is the sandiest town ever saw.
Il is pnre sand bar-not bit Of electromagnetic
ly no vegetation; not any gardens. 1t is q lively
place, though very fine stores, which seem to do
thriving business. The population must have consid
cradle sand in their crawA
We crossed the Arkansas ut the latter place. and
struck west for Stafford County. Not many miles
out we struck the land of the Sodomtes tthey were
not from ancient Sodom) The first sod house that
came to our view, the boys struck up the familiar
song, "Hold the Fort, for am Coming" 1 must
say the sod house, to my SURPRISE is the best house
in Kansas to Withstand the storms. Many plaster
them inside and ont. Some of them shingied; /;
others shected, and covered with sod. One lady
told me that there was but one slight freeze in her
house last Winter, and she had nothing but corn
stalks for fuel If they want barn, chicken house,
or any other kind Of building, they just go out
the sod with their breaking piows and few fur
rows, then take square, measure of say two feet
lengths if for barn, which will give you two foot
WALL then with sharp spade cut up in lengths, and
you can commence to build. Build true and square;
leave little space door frame, the walls set
tie considerably. I saw chicken houses and little
chicken coope, some Of them handsome, out Of the
same material. saw old Doniphan County farm
er, who said what pity, that when he was in Doni
phan County, he let his stock suffer so much from
cold, when he had the material on the farm to make
such warm and lasting shelter and great deal bet
ter sod, too, than in Southern Kansas.
What beautiful country this South western Kan
sas is but is too dry this season Many emigrants
do not stay long; others have faith enough to stay
and give il fair trial. There great many cattle
and sheep ON this route. Some days, estimate
and that Of others along is that pass twenty five
thousand cattle. great deal of apd could be very
easily irrigated, but it seems grazing stock is the
profitable business here This seems have been
q very heavily tmbered country, at time, for you
find chips anywhere you 70. They call them buffalo
chips here. could not tell you what kind of timber
grew here. II may have been . kind spoken of in
the Bible called shittim wood The chips great
article of consumption here l trains of wagons
pass loaded with them. They are used in the towns
as we'll - country Our Legislature should establish
the legal weight contained i'm busbel 90 as to avoid
odoriferous litigation.
Our Ben. has kept diary Of the weather, for the
first twenty-five days out First twenty-one days
windy; twenty ty-second calm, but at night windy as
the.
Iwas surprised that there 80 many Wild horses
in Kansas One man told me that he and his com
rades had caught fifty, this season. They make q
business Of hunting and catching Wild horses.
We expect to 60 to digging. in few days, for
greenback lode
We are up in the clouds now, just where We can
kick them around. Our Ben. says he would bottle .
small up and send il to his duleinea, but he is
afraid he viii get some lightning mixed and blow her
to the deuce.
JOHN u. TRACY
PUEnLo, CoLlkADo, July 9, 1879.