New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-09
FROM KENT TO KANSAS.

| A SKETCH OF A FAITHFUL woRKER-THE STRENGTH,
PLUCK AND PATIENCE OF A KENTIsH FARMER
IN WESTERN KANSAS.
rrRoM AN OCCASIONAL coRREsPoSDEsT THE TRrBuNE.l
| VICTORIA Kan, July 3.-A brand-new country
can have no fixed type of inhabitants. 1t is a col
lection of specimens from all parts. Time will
bring fusion and establish local character by
which the West Kansan may be ticketed and recog-
nzed Nor are many years needed for such a stamp
| of locality.5 TIE East Kansan is already we'll
marked Species and between the residents of Hi
| nois Indiana, Michigan and Ohio the distinguish
| ing aayors are unmstakabe. But the people of
| the newest West are still unmixed and unstamped
| The individuals are interesting either as the in
| gradients OF the future amagam or as representa-
| tives of the older communities from which they
| come-as materials or as specimens. From either
point of view the subject of this sketch meIlts
more adequate portrait than | can give.
John Bunting came to Kansas, in wagon from
| Illinois To Illinois, some dozen years ago. he had
| come from Kent England. He is at the same time
notable specimen of the English farm labOrer and
a stout member in the framework Of the industrial
| society of his new home. My acquaintance with
| Bunting began in September, 1879, when engaged
him to help as mason's tender, in the building of
stone farmhouse some twelve miles from his
| shanty Camped for the winter in temporary box
of boards near the site of the building, we lived Ill
close quarters during the progress OF the work. and
| both then and after, when our accommodations
| were more ample, my relations with the workmen
we're perhaps more familiar anG intimate than strict
| discipline demanded. We shared in easy equality
the hardships and the soaces of rough bachelor
| fe and thus gained near view Of the lives and
| thoughts of the men who were at once my helpers
| and companions.
| A SOUND MIND IN A SOUND BODY.
| The chief essence of Buntng's personality was
| strength, a quality which appeared alike IN his
| effective, unlInching body. in his mind, quick TO
| seize facts and ready with needful expedients, and
| in his moral pluck that met difficulty with quiet
contempt, ard conquered it by intelligent stubborn
ness The life that filled him was that of the
oak, a spirit that runs through trunk and branch
and twig and even in the vigorous OF leaf and
acorn is still only strength III decoration.
! He was about torty-Gye years old, few gray
| hairs beginning to show on his round head in
| height not above the medium: heavy and solid.
| Quick III all movements of work. he used with
effect every ounce of his compact strength. No
days work could tire out his iron toughne and he
smiled at younger men who succumbed to far
| lighter toll than his. Gray eyes, whose steady OBJ
| servaton missed nothing that came within their
range looked out quietly from face full enough in
| flesh. but marked with deep lines that could look
very grim occasion, and that told OF hard fight
| ing with tough times. Yet the sturdy face had
store of sunshine, ready for .any merriment that
came to tighten our toilsome life, and al
ways glad to listen to the curious Kentsh accent,
| in old stories of laborer's life in England. His
| work for the first four or five months was of the
| heaviest kind Mixing and carrying all the mortar
for two stone-layers. itself hard task for common
man. he still found time to carry the stone to the top
of the growing walls Up the steep ladders all day
49, ofr piUhty
| hard shoulders bore many tons between morning
| and night The hoe in the mortar box awoke to
| frequent spells of most effective motion, and the
sound of sitting sand occasionally told of a change
in Buntng's unceasing activity No word of direc-
ton needed, for quick sense attended the will
ing heart and the strong hand was full of rough
skill Ever seeking thel thing that most needed to
be done and the best and speediest way of dong It,
he cheered his heavy days with the inspiration of
a faithful purpose effectively accomplished.
At the supper table, when our Russian Katharine
had called to her plain but plentiful preparations
Bunting with his face shining red from n vigorous
scrubbing took hold with fitting earnestness. We
watched with wonder the vast supplies of bread and
beans and bacon that went to repenish the wear of
his hard worked muscles. AS we pushed back our
stools withdrawing from the hopeless competition,
he would calmly dip cut a trimming bowl OF hasty
pudding, to top of WITH" and put it out OF sight
with as little concern the Giant OF " Jack and
the Bean Stalk" He was the Oldest in the
camp and his work was the heaviest, yet in the
evening time of rest and talk he the freshest OF
us all, and when Inc had put III his night OF solid
sleep he was the first out in the morning to start
the fire, or do without being asked any little extra
work incident to an outfit of bachelors. When
Saturday evening came he would start OIL afoot on
his twelve mile walk to his home and family. and
before
work.
RISING SUPERIOR TO MISFORTUNE.
He had been one year in Kansas when he came to
work with u.s. and it had been experience tit to
break the courage of an average man. Long de-
layed on the journey from Illinois by an accident
which broke the leg of one OF his boys. lie had
hardly settled into work on his rough and lonely
claim when one Of his two horses died On Geld
night of the early winter his shanty caught fire and
burned to the ground. great part OF the store of
household necessarics which the hard toll of man
and wife had slowly acquired Were lost with the
house There remained of their capital one blind
mare a wagon and harness, plough, and perhaps
a drag, a COW, and n scanty supply of damaged
clothing and household utensils There was no
money left to bulld new house, and work was
hardly to he had. The scattered neighbOrs, who
had recognized the mans industry and honesty,
gave hand to put a roof over the frOst-bitten
family and in some way they contriyed to live
through the winter. When spring.came, occasional
employment was found at nelghborlng ranch,
where Bunting had chance to show his value as a
faithful and skilful laborer. This advertisement
was in the end, as useful to him rs tho sorely
needed dollars that the labor brought him.
But the home teamwork had to be done in its
season. and the earnings of the days that cOuld be
spared were a scanty support for the large family.
Throughout the hard harvest work man ard wife
and children lived on a straight diet of wheat mid
dlngs The small crop once gathered, the resources