, 1879-08-09
"A Trip from Grinnell to Oberlin--The
Outat-Cooking q Meal on
the Prairie.
Kenneth, Sheridan City, sltfhbolctif, and
Oberlln-Suhjects of Interest 10
Prospective Settlers.
Hnw q God House Is Built-.Oorn-Oultnro
q Hucoess--Fiolds Promising Sixty
Bushels to tho Aore.
Eoftfat CotrtFpnndfnea Of Tht Tribune

RnWlfns, md ThuMa6; but Until now have NOT
been able to redeem ttnt promise. The last
week hnyInE been devoted TO such trip IN
order to keep mr. promise good, HiIl nov Lake
tto rcajcr over tic ground travcrscd, niM ena-
bic him to see It Us saw 1t, 10 far as II Is psae'
tscablc to do 60.
A Understandable wero expected 10
bo found raro or entirely lncKtt'e, VIC 'aiu III
a full can,p-ont1t, composed OF tent, bcadltiE.
cooking u,cnslls, md provisions, consisting Of
hams, bread. uotatocs, onions, coffee, sugar,
enlt, etc.; also shotgun md f!shlng-taelslo
RHh ,y9dcl, to replcuisli supplies hpd ndd va
ric.y to cur blI.oi-farc from thu prairie and
s,reaue. With Our supplies loaded tn stont
two-ho,so vngop, wo left Grinnell at n. IN.
IN Tucsday, the Goth utt., crossing tho Salnc
4vo miles north Of town, aud thence proceed
Inn northeast across tho prairto,-our MIN be-
,n, IN str,ko. tho road running north from
Gratufeld {clrht miles east Of GrinnclD to
Obcrltp, IN Decatur County, which wns our
1rat objective point.
Our tIrst camp WIS matle for dinner, about
midway Of the tl!vsdn between tho Saline Rnd
tho South Fork Of tile Solomon water for tho
horses bclng found IN holes In The draws. whtlo
biz luz flied before leaving Hrlnnoll furnish
Cd supply for drinking nnd cooking.
Right hero l may rs woiI give the process OF
COOKING 4 MsAL uroN THE PRAIRIE.
which Will bo novelty TO mnny who hayo never
seen cooking dono except In d vcll-stockcl
kitchen, A trench about Elk tnchcs wide n,tt
1cop, anl about two fcut long, Is dug, It's length
being with tie dl{ccttono tic Wind. to insurc
good dralt. In this tho fire Is built, which etvcs
room enough to set over the tsro q coffee
boiler, frying-pan, and kettle for coohtnE reTc-
tables. Tin plates at1 cups scrve lit pfaco OF
hrvna fhr SyrTtJ1f1H In f11npn rf
tablo and chairs. md In nn hours time a meal
can bo cooked and eaten, and everything packed
ready for start
Our camp hero was delayed py placing nils.
taken trust IL one OF our horses, mud letting
him e1nze unpickctcd. thinking lle would not
lcayo the otter. But, when tho httchtng.timo
cnme, hc mailc up his mind that he would rather
20 bneh TO Qrinncil than OH to Ubcr1in, and so
took tho buck track; md on hours ttne was
consumed In ovortakLng, capturing, a,ld bring
ing him bnck.
The divide between the Saiine mud the Solo
mon fs about ton miles wido, OF gentty-urdulat-
Ing prairie. Being within the railroad limits,
only onc-half Of the lands nre subject to scttlc
mcnt under tho Homestead law. OF t.,eso,
probably ono-llnlf are n'readY taken Or fled
upon, aud but low rs yet have any inprove-
mcus,-ta,a homcsteadcr having come ont in
the spring, selectc1 nnll nadD mis- fling upon
h!s land, mud tflcn ayntled himself OF tho pro-
Vision Of the Law which allows si1 months IN
which to mako his settlement, to return Eaat
and mako d crop OF close up his business pre-
paratory to settlement upnn the !Hnd.
Our northeast course took us diagonallv across
the divide, giving about twenty 1Ditoa' travel
before striking the Solomon. Tie valley llaa
bcoD, and still Is to great extent, occupied by
.anch-1neu. But this will be
THEIR LAST FEAR.
tY-l. - A..
will compel them TO move their herds to other
localities another spring.
Pushing on north fiyo miles, VIC made our
camp for the u9ht Oh saNt Creek, living
mon, mid, like II, occupied by eattio-mcn,-but
with settlers coming tn 10 crowd them out.
From Sand Greek to the North Fork Of The
Solomon the divide Is abuut ten. miles wide.
Sheridan County. atown has bocnatartcd. named
Kcnneth, a. 4 future co,lnty-soat. 1t 1l9s soma
i've or stx now buildings; but, as IL lay 8 milo
TO thu right OF our road. we tltt. not vslt It. but
the North Fork Of tho Solomon. which wo found
drr, though sktrtcd Witt timber. Wa we're told
that II had running water Il portion Of tho year.
Gooa VOLS, however. arc obtained In tho bot
toms, at depths OF ten to twonty feet
SHERIDAN CITY
consists OF my a.nount OF land on whtcl, to
build city, With store and black4mttl.shop
built, In tho former Of which is tlta post-ofllca
a farmhouse Of lorR. occupied by tho owner Of
the land, aud Ills graa-h!n, covered with straw,
ma!nIhs buildings. But the future possibilities
arc vast and II nnT yot do honor to thu llua-
tEiaus General alter whom 4 takcs ifs nnme. /
um atrald, however, that, 1t ho were to sec 1t
now, he might .ontortnlu tho Same opinion OF
1t he Ia aalt to hold OF Texas. lie IL rrcditui
With saying that, " II be owned Texas and Hell.
10 would, ns matter OF cl'olce, sell out tss
former nttl rcsoFvo tlc Inter for a residonce.n
Eight miles farther ncross tile divide between
the North Fork Of tlse Solomon And tie praIric.
nog BROUGHT us To-, to the Town of s1'ibbulctii, at
about the samo lcyclopu.rnt as Sheridan Clty:
but the stream, unlike tic So!omnn, wns r,lp.
nns almost banka full. from ilcayy rans nl,nye,
It IL friuced with timber, with ut tin,ea quite a
bunch Of It IN d body.
A,lotllcr drive Ut twolve miles across tba ILL.,
vtds brought " to thc sappa; null here, ncstled
III the valley, With fringe Of timber along ihe
stream on ono side, AMI a range Of sloplng
blulfR on tic other, Is the little yilinga Of
ongRLIN,
consisting Of about forty houses and stores.
all Of 1leat respectable appearance, untl SONG
OF them, especially tl,t hotel a,lsl some Of tlu
stores, presenting quito prctenttous appear.
After travelling for s!xty miles away from tho
railroad, stcng only thu cabins mud dl,guutS Of
tic ncwscitler, md TIM feobie nttompts of In
Fecun!ous pruprletors Of em4ryotfc towns, It
was pleasant aurprise TO drup Enio e,.rh cosy
people, mud tlnd aIl kinds III business mt merely
projected, but being successfully carried on,
uut one could not hulp wondering what tley
wore doing 81 fnr away from railroad, aud telo-
graph, mud direct communication With tllo out
e!oa world.
Dusincss mud professional lie Ia reprosontcl
by eight general stores, tTo hardware, two
drug ono furniture, ono ead,llo ana iarnesa
ehopt one harber-sh0p. two saloons, onu llar-
kat, four seal.cstn1o alnl law otl!ces twill. Right
aele bodied lawYera 10 run them), two l,otels,
three restaurants, tilTco luruber.yar.lt, with
methauics' shona Of nearly all kluis, PUBLIC
eGbooe, asitl two church organizations with res
!daht MIniatesa Their freight and euolIs arc ul
hauled overland from Buffalo ut,d Grainfleld on
the kansas pnclr Railroad, sixty mIles away,
costing from 10 10 % ce1ts per hundred pounds,
which must be added TO tho Gust ut the railroad
before It reaches the cousutner,
THE INDIAN RAID
OF last season upot tho Bappa VIA about ak
Mtloa Up thu etEuAln from Obctln, aud tbe ro-
mains at ecvanteen Of the vlctins sicep in tlle
little cemetery adjo!niilg tho town.
As ! do not intonl to take tl1p reader anv for
tier upon thls trip In tho present letter viii
now 10 back to sotuo ot t!,u ground alfeafly
pa.sed oveF. aud bring up some oG the. points
lett bchlnd.
j Until The paas sprlnR, homcstcads o, only