The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-11-01
Letter From Mcpherson County,
Kansas.
KING Cry, Oct. 18th, 1879.

KING Cry, Oct. 18th, 1879.
Editors NeW Thinking
that few lines from this State might
prove of interest to your many readers
l have oncluced to write few facts
about this county, and want to say
in the start that / shall keep as near
the truth as possible, but the reader
must bear in mind the fact that if
there is any one thing more than an
other that western man will stretch
little about, 1t is his county. But
/ don't intend to do even that.
This county is thirty miles square
and is just west of the sixth merid-
ian and very near the center of the
State, and is as pretty body of land
as there is in the United States or
any other country. Almost every foot
Of land being tillable and the soil
from three to eight feet deep, com
posed of fine sand, clay and gypsum
is unsurpassed in fertility and is in
exhaustable for wheat.
This county was organized in 1870
with population of 1873 and it now
has not less than $4,000. Our towns
are Mcpherson, the county-s seat, and
very thrifty town it is to. We have
three newspapers, two banks and four
Hotels with all other branches of bust
ness equally represented. Lyndsbourg,
Roxburg, Marquett, Empire and
King City all being towns of more or
less Importance. We have two Rail
roads within the county. One a
branch Of the A.. L. d. Sa Fec com
pleted to Mcpherson, ard the other
branch of the X. p, is to be COM
pleted to the same place by Jan. 1st.,
1880
We have about SO organized School
districts with good schools and good
houses. Teachers wages are 1920 to
$35 per month.
The Religious Denominations are
about all represented. The Baptist
having about nine organizations
with good Church in Mcpherson as
have also the Congre9ationalists, the
Methodists are building a fine house
of brick worth $4,000.
We have not now nor have we ever
had a licensed Saloon within the
county.
The productions are wheat, broom
corn, corn, oats, rye, patatoes and all
manner of garden produce. Wheat
being the chief crop. Last season
we had 81 thousand acres of wheat,
over one and one half million bushels
and probably about the same this
year, the average being about Is to
20 bushels per acre, or ranging from
10 to SO bushels. The prospects
for next year exceeds anything we
have ever had.
There is two great objections made
to this country 10y almost every one,
the first is the lack of timber for fuel
and the second is the wind. But we
do get along here with very little
of the first and a great deal of the
latter. Wood is only three dollars
per cord, and coal about five dollars
per ton. Stone is in abundance in
come parts of the county.
We have plenty Of game here such
as geese, ducks, sand hill crane and
prairie chickens. Geese being so
plenty, Spring and Fall, that we have
to erect scare-crows in the wheat
fields to keep them from destroying
the wheat.
Now Mr.. Editor | have not written
to induce any one to come to Kansas,
but Sir, want to say that if there
is any one who thinks of coming and
has the means to start with (the
time is past when person can start
as i did, on nothing,) that there is
nothing here to hinder them from
getting along. There is room for
many. AIPH STEELE.