The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-27
From Hoosierdom.
GOOpIANp, Ind, Aug. o. 1881.


| Messrs Editors: l write, believing that q
communication from this section Of the coun
try would not prove uninteresting to the many
readers Of the FREE TRADER who have friends
and relatives here, who came 10 this country
all the way down from thirteen years ago &c
the present time, from various places in Iii
nos, but mainly from Ottawa and vicinity.
shall begin by saying that our town Good
land) Is u flourishipg village, with n pCpula
hon bordering Oh one thousand inhabitants
II is located in the southeastern corner Of
Newton county, Indiana, and is situated on
high and dry ground. Ii has now four good
church editices, namely: the Methodist Epis
copsl, the Free Will Baptis,s, the Presbyterian
now building an imposing church structure
in this place. We have firstclass graded
school in The village, which is usually laugh,
by the best teachers the country can produce
a. well az are our country schools throughout
the surrounding country, which are quite
numerous.
Goodland Is situated on the p. G. & St. L.
r r. pan Handle Route eleven miles east of
the state line dividing Illinois and Indiana.
1t has three grain elevators, one Touring mill,
several merchandise and grocery stores, very
commodious town hall, and as good mechan.
les as one can find any place, representing all
kinds of mechanical trades and arts. We have
also In the way of public Improvements a
north and south railroad, the Chicago and
Great Southern, leading from Chicago to and
through the Brazil coal fields on the south of
US. This road will have cars running To this
place on or before the first day of December
next. We have also II prospect for third
railroad through Goodland, which will be
branch from the celebrated and long. talked of
Continental Railway, which runs from New
York City TO Omaha, Neb. The surveyors on
the branch (Which deva,es from the main line
Of the Continental road at Reuselear, Jasper
county, Indana,) will be here some time dur
ing the present week, surveying the route from
Reuselear To St. LOUIS, Mo, which latter place
is The objective point
You can readily see that the future prospects
for this place is certainly very flattering in.
deed Our people here depend mainly upon
farming for a livelihood, and those who do so
place their dependence upon filling the soil
are by no means relying upon broken stick /:
for we have as fine farming country as IT
was ever the writer's good fortune to sec The
character of the soll is a black loan, with a
blush clay suhsoil, which IS very rich and
produces IN abundance any and all kinds of
grain and seeds that are planted or sown upon
II. Our oat crop this season was fine, but
some fields were damaged by the army worm
Flax was better crop than was ever known
here before, the average beng about thirteen
bushels per acre. Corn bids tair to make a
fine crop, although 1t has been so extremely
hot and dry so long tina, it will necessarily cut
the crop short to some extent Firstclass
farming lands, within radius of six or eight
miles of this place, can be bought at from $25
to $50 per acre, depending much upon their
proximity TO the market tor the products
grown upon them. Markets, however, are
generally quite convenient, the farmer IN no
case being compelled to haul his gram more
than eight miles. The general character OF
the soil Is pretty much the same rs IN this i'm.
mediate locality, throughout this (Newton)
county, Benton, the southern half of Jasper
and the western part of White counties. And
the principal towns and markets arc for New.
ton county, Kentland Uhe county seat and
Goodland For Jasper county. Reuse car 1.-THE
county senD and Remington. For Berion,
Fowler Cthe county seat, Raub, Earl Park
and Oxford. For White, Monticello County
seat). WalcOt and Brookston. You can see
then that within radius Of about thirty miles
that we have abundance Of market facilities.
which clearly goes to show that our people
certainly must raise an abundance of grain
products, Otherwise thee world not be such a
demand for marketing advantages.
! 1t has been said that Westward the star of
empire takes her way" which in great meas.
ure is true, and whilst il is true, we fail to see
a man with moderate means could
not, with lands as cheap as they are here, do
better by purchasing farm already improved
rather than go farther west and fare worse"
m the border OF civilization, to endure all the
hangers and prlva;lons # pioneer life among
the savages, border ruffians, grasshoppers and
prairie dogs.
Will write yon again at no distant day.
Respectfully yours,
SAMUEL w. DUNGEON.