The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-07-28
Fo- the Farmer and Mechanic
Notes Of Travel From, Raleigh
to Topeka.
{ oat6atcd Jre0s last ,cech

At 40 a. m on the 2lst | very re
uctantiy part with my travelling com
panlon Mr.. Lowry. as he ls stopping
over here for few days, and leave for
t. Louis on the fast mail over the O.
i VI. road For some distance "a we
follow the course Of the Ono we have
a magnificent view Of the towering hills
4 of Kentucky, clothed IN living green.
For sc eral miles alonc the river after
leaving Cincinnati are To be seen some
OF the most beautiful residences have
ever seen Quilt OF cobble stone or shale,
finished in handsome style. but rustic IN
appearance the surroundings altogeth
er are calculated to remind one more OF
"A highly cultured stercscoplc view than
of natural scenery. Here we are at
Aurora and Indiana, puts Us with it
towering hills. Sitting just in front OF
myself is Jolly German with wife and
several children. Entering into conyer
satou with HIM | earL that he has
been bar keeper IN Cincinnati for the
last tnCpty years, beglnnlng when boy,
but has now quit the business and
bought farm over IN prohibition
Kansas at $3.50 per acre. His farm il
located near Kansas City, and he expect
to engage in the trucking business. He
says he could not afford to bring up his
children under the inf of a grog
sfop, says they learn too fast and ge,
grown too quick.
The country through which we are
passing is billy, badly washed IN places,
and altogether seems to be adopted to
peas, but very poor for other crops.
The streams are nearly dry, and the
/ land seem To be solid unbroken rock
few Seet below the surface From Gin
cinrMi to North Vernon a distance of
- miles, quite billy and poor with val
lies alternating, the soil apparently
what we term pipe clay or crawhsh.
\ Passing North Ncrnon for - or 30 miles
the landssre very fine. being an exten-
/ sive plain with very rich soil. AGAIN
we are in the hills and such hills never
saw before running for several miles
4 along the bank o. small river these
4 hills rise almost perpendicuarIy from the
1 road bed at least ,, 900 feet high. Surely
we would call these Mountains down
/ in Low Johnston. Now we plunge
head foremost into tunnel half mile
! long occasionally see basin Of Shiny
I water along TIE TUdu Sluc WHICH lOOhS
as if it might be part of last years sup
ply left over. Reach Vincenes for din
der. get splendid dinner for 30 cents,
walters all young girls, very brisk and
polite.
This is right on the line and a, we
enter Illinois, the praries, in all of their
loveliness, greet US. Lands are very fine,
arge crops Of wheat, which Is the first
| have seen that looks like making any
thing. After few miles travel We
emerge from the prarics AID enter
forest lands heavily tinpcred, level and
very rich. Sure this must be the land
of rail srltters' for never saw 50
much tenciug, and nearly all the old
worm fence style. The whole Of the
lands are fenced, cross fenced and cross
cross fenced.
Last years crop Of wheat is now being
threshed from the stack The land
somewhat undulating, soil good. Again
we are passing through vast plain,
with nothing to obstruct the view for
miles ard miles. just fairly commenc
ed blowing for the corn crop. La many
places the wheat crop is being turned
under for corn. We reach St. Louis at
3 p. III.