The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-05-10

From Kansas.
CRoTTy PLATEAU, Kan, May

CROTTy PLATEAU, Kan, May 3, 1879.
OTTAWA FREE TRADER: As this beautiful
plateau Is the property and residence Of VII
liam Crotty, Esq, who if not born in good old
La Sale county, was raised there brief de
scription will be of interest to your many
readers This farm contains 100 acres of fine
land IN Il body, and extends one mile and a
half from east TO west and Learly three miles
north and south. 1t is upon the south branch
oi Big Creek, in Ncosho township, Cotfcy
county, eight miles south OF Burlington, the
Icouny seat This creek Is about the size of
the Big Ncrmillion in La Sale county, and
furnishes abundance Of nice fish and is skirt.
ed by timber of very superior quality for this
state Indeed it is by far the best timber we
have seen in two weeks travel in this state.
The housc--a two story frame, with gothic
roof nicely painted white, with green colored
blinds, and oak finish inside, with large par.
lors, sitting room, dining room and kitchen
together with buttry and one bedroom below
and several sleeping rooms above, with good
cellar--is by all odds the best farm house we
have seen in Kansas, His barn is equally
good; the first story or stable is built OF stone,
the upper of wood or frame. He has fine
young orchard, and will raise fine crop Of
apples this year, AS the danger is passed and
the fruit formed but he will have no peaches
tins year. HIS grapes are now in blossom and
promise an abundant crop. Mr. Crotty has
abou, 300 acres planted to corn, a large portion
b;cl, to lorn nfrh !, MIR N
his chief business is stock, and it is useless for
me to say that Crotty Plateau is one of the
finest stock farms III Kansas. He stall fed
some 400 head of steers all winter, feeding
about 30 900 bushels of corn He sold 200 of
them few days since at the fam for 1856
per cwt They averaged 1888 lbs, which
would be a good average for Illinois cattle
Ole gives Texas cattle wide BERTH He IS
now cornieeding and grazing 1872 more fat
steers, which he thinks will equal those turned
off last week. Yesterday he delivered at Bur
lington lJ0 very fine fat hogs, which were
bought for the Buffalo On. ~ market. In ad-
dltlon TO these stock he has large number of
stock cattle and hogs for the fall market
Next, perhaps, to Mr.. Martndalc, of Green
wood county, Mr. Croty is the most extensive
stock dealer in the state Of Kansas; and, from
the fact that he has been here but nine years
to Mr. Mar,indales 20 years and more, We
predict that in less than three years time Mr.
CIolty will DC the Cattle King Of Kansas.
Notwithstanding that this Is one of the old
est settled counties IN the state, dor here is
where the Massachusetts Abolition Colony 10
Gated in 1857 yet fine upland prairie can be
purchased for from 50 to - per acre, the price
beng regulated by location as to market, &c
These lands are what are known as Estate
University Lands" Many Of them are very
fine, and need but to be tlckled by the nus
bandman to make them yield their golden
fruits, to make glad the hearts of those who
till them Yet they are peculiarly adapted to
grazing and stock raising. As a general thing
they arc unduating to rolling; some Of them
are hllly, Stone OF almost every kind, from
ST. Peters sandstone up through the various
periods TO the magnetism limestone, arc found
here If | only had Dan Ebcrsol and Colonel
Hit with me we would be compelled to char
ter a car to ship our fossils, for they are scat
tered broadcast all over this truly won hriul
country. Kansas is an enigma to the gcologist
and paradise to the stock-raiser and farmer
r. A. ARMSTRONG.