The daily gazette., 1880-07-29
The GJOries of Kansas.
AS DEPICTED BY A YOUNG JERsEYMAN
WHO HAS SEEN FOR HIMSELF.

AS DEPICTED BY A YOUNG JERSEYMAN
WHO HAS SEEN FOR HIMSELF.
A, young Trentonian writes to the
Gazette from Thompson Colony, near
Salina, Kansas, as follows:-
Having received just now some Tren-
ton papers, l was led to contrast my
home here with home in Trenton, as
enjoyed by tie average mechanic, and
concluded that few lines ON the sub
.ject might be useful to some who are
thinking of the West as did, as desir-
able location for home l came here
in March last with others, to work CO.
operatively on a section of good land ,one
Of the best in this vicinity, and up to
this date have not had any new potatoes,
cabbage, or other vegetables except a
few string beans and very few peas.
We put in % acres of potatoes on very
desirable piece of land, and the proba-
blity is that we shall not obtain the
quantity it to ok for seed. This county
(Saline) is considered one of the best in
the State, aud yet fully two-thirds of the
settlers, who are principally Eastern
people, would gladly sell out and return
If they had the opportunity-the writer
included. 1t rained the morning after
my arrival sufficient to make puddles,
and was assured that it was the heaviest
rain for over six months. We have had
occasional rains since, but none to soak
the ground over two or three inches
deep. The result is, that the plants
came up vigorously have remained
stunted and worthless, or have died off.
The problem is, how to subsist through
the winter and take the risk of another
season like it or how to get back to
former scenes and privileges and thrift,
with pleasant surroundings of social and
domestic comforts. The land we occupy
is, to my thinking as good as anybody
Guild desire, and holds moisture to a
wonderful degree, otherwise formers
could not sabsist al all. But think of be-
Ing without fruit almost altogether and
next to no vegetables through the heated
term, ,and that means thermometer in
the nineties in the shade through June,
and about 100 through July. 1t was 104
when we went Jo,Sunday-school,on ,one and
half miles distant; it shows 100 this
afternoon in the house. saw in one of
the issues of your paper that one of our
winds had reached you and caused some
commotion. Residents here smile at such
reports for that is so common here peo-
pie nave 10 go SOme llLleS u nuHI
wagons and movable property of a
similar nature that the wind has trans
ferred to other farms. Insect life is
abundant, and in variety wonderful.
Snakes are plenty too, and in variety. l
killed one near the door of the house a
few weeks ago and yesterday our
youngest girl told us that she saw one in
the bedroom. found the striped creeper
behind trunk, to be about feet long
and soon despatched it, as l have good
many others since coming here. The
absence of trees is a great drawback,
lumber being very high, $25 per 1000
feet and upwards; no shade, no shelter,
and no fence until grown, for the aver
age settler cannot afford to pay for it. All
the difficulties incident to new country
would in a comparatively few years be
overcome here, if we could depend upon
more frequent rains; but as it is the dry
ness facilitates the increase of the end
less variety of bugs and other insects;
and grasshoppers; why, if were to tell
the size of some l have seen my word
would be doubted they are so very
| large.