The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-03
KANSAS.
Its advantages and dIsadvantages-A bad
place for poor people and not very good
place for rich ones-What prominent
West yirginian says about IL.

place for rich ones What a prominent
West yirginian says about 1t.
Hon. A. w. Campbell, Of the Wheel
ing Mteuigeacer has been travelling
in the West for some time and sends
some interesting letters to his paper
descriptive of the country and his
travels. From a letter wEitten in
Miami county, Kansas last week we
take the following extracts:
"Here in Eastern Kansas, and in
this banner corn county Of the State
you can hear just now on every hand
loud complaints about the drought of
the last two months. They tell me
that for seven months prior to the
18th of this month they had no rain,
save mere shower, and in conse-
quence the corn crop will not be more
than three -filths of a crop. Through
out this whole country the corn looks
as it does in the Ohio river country
after frost-sere and yellow. This
appearance results from drought and
scorching winds. The late corn is
ruined, and will not be the third Of q
crop. The wheat is practically q to-
tai failure-winter killed. The oats
were only Il fair crop and flax is com
paratively light. The fate of the hay
crop is yet to be determined. At
present it needs rain badly. So you
see that Kansas is behind this year in
common with several other States. |
am not astonished that all the cereals
have advanced SO decidedly especially
wheat and corn. They are now offer
ing 60 cents for the latter in this
county as against 25 and 30 cents
this time last year, and talk about 70
cents before winter sets in. Farmers
are selling off their stock at present
high prices in order to escape winter
ing them.
There is quite a diversity of opin-
ion out here as to whether Kansas is
really good State. ] note more or
less of a discouraged tone among
those with whom / converse. East
ern Kansas is certainly fair coun-
try TO look upon. This part of 1t is
really very beautiful, bordering on
the picturesque. And yet water is
in scant supply and the patches OF
woods are largely scattered. | see
people hauling water from the creeks,
and note that the water stands in
pools in the creeks with dry ground
between. A man that follows thresh
ing told me that he was obliged to
drive his horses two miles and half
to water three times a day at place
where he was working. There are
no gardens worthy of the name so far
as have observed. There is an alb
sence of the beans, cucumbcrs, and
squashes, and other vegetable that
are so abundant in the Wheeling
market at this season of the year. On
the whole / am inclined to believe
from AL that | can learn that the far
mers of this country do not live as
well as those of the Ohio river valley.
And l will say here that | have yet
to see region equal to the Ohio riv-
er valley. They tell me that the soil
out here is deceptive-that in the
spring it brings forth with great pro
mise and beauty, but as the season
advances this promise gradually falls
away and frequently fails altogether
turns to asher rs it were like the
apples of Sodom There is sup
posed lack of humus in the soil
/ can learn of no inducements out
here for a poor family, nor paradox
ical as it may seem, can | hear of
any inducements for man in the
East who has good farm, to sell
out and come here. A family with
out means must labor at a great dis
advantage here. Wages are not high
er here than in the Ohio valley, while
other expenses are considerable more.
A year Of drouth sets everybody on
their beam ends, the poor families es-
pecially. l do not believe that far
mers here make as much money as
they do in the Ohio valley take one
year with another The charm for
immigrants has been the cheap lands
out here. In the really desirable
parts of Kansas good lands are no
longer cheap. For instance, in this
county, one Of the best in the State
raw prairie has lately sold at $40 per
acre. In year or two more there
will not be an uninclosed piece of
prairie in the county. Germans are
coming in just now more than any
body else and buying small farms.
They are the most thrifty people opt
here because the most industrious
and economical"