Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-02-08

The farmer himself is the most fascinating
adjunct Of Kansas farm. tis here that the
contented steadfastness Of the population Of
the far eastern states has met half way the
disorder and turbulence of the far west and
the meeting has resulted In type Of charac-
ter which believe has not its counterpart
elsewhere in tho world. His history has usu-
ally boen somewhat as follows
He was born and "rasod" in Ohio. When
ho reached mans estate--the estate, by the
way, being laokng-he 'struck out" for the
west, and settled, perhaps, in Indiana. Thence
when "things got too thick" he migrated to
Illinois, and after a sojourn OF few years in
that state he was swept on by the tide of emf
grafton into Missouri, where, as be will tell
you, THE rebels were too rank, and so he
soon hitched up the family schooner, embark
ed the family with goods and gods, aud cross
ed into Kansas.
On his travels he has somewhere picked up
a companion to whom q certificate carefully
preserved in a frame, shows that he has been
married by justice Of the peace, and whom
he invariably speaks of as "his woman" He
and "his woman" have managed to accumu
late family more or less numerous, and hun
CRY in the superlative degree. The spirit Of
unrest that has controlled him heretofore has
yielded TO the desire of middle life for quiet
and he feels as if he was settled now, and
AoNho AOA Whlu OuAJ NoIJ NhButl1 " u Slhlul III
Colorado or q farm in Iowa when the tenden
ces Of his earlier days have again gathered
force to stimulate him to push on. There is
no such thing, however, as contentment among
certain class of the younger men they in.
tend to preGmpt "that claim in Colorado be-
fore the land is all took up"
While waiting at a little way station on the
Kansas Southern railroad, recently, 1 noticed
on the platform young farmer, took him
to be, Who with 'his woman" and family of
three children, seemed to be also waiting for
the train.
"Well, 1 said to him, "are you of for Col
orado 7"
NO" said he "Ioway."
Going to settle there z" l inquired.
Yes" he replied. II was up there in
September, and l seed a nice little farm that
took q notion to, and so thought that if l
could sell out here for anything like what that
farm would cost me, 1 would 90 and buy
Wall, fellow came along and offered me $40
an acre for my so, and that 80 up there in
Ioway wasn't but $12 an acre, and SO 1 in
vested"
"Well," said /, 'is the Iowa farm better
farm 2"
81 dunnos it s. any better" he answered.
maybe the buildin's aint quite so good. But
then, me and my woman was sort O. tired of
Kansas, and then she had the shakes, she did
and so we thought we'd move"
"How long have you been in Kansas 2"
Five years going on next April"
Where did you live before that?"
Nebraska"
Where were you raised Z"
illinois"
"Well, my friend, said I, don't you know
that you are moving out of the part of Kansas
of which Mr.. Greeley said that if the garden
Of Eden wa apythinu lilo Adam, nd Eva
were great fools for ever leaving? According
to your own showing, you won't better your
self any by going your wife is as likely to
have the chills in Iowa as in Kansas you are
running in debt for your farm you have all
the trouble and expense of moving, and the
probability is that it will be years before you
are as well off again as you are now"
wall, said this specimen of western 60
ahead-ativeness, my folks do tell me that
rolling stone don't gather no NOES; but then
l tell EN- that a settin' hen don't git fat"
had no answer to this, for had never re-
fected on the drawbacks which setting hen
may have to encounter.
This restlessness is the most characteristic
feature of the western native farmer of the
middle and poorer classes. He is always un-
easy-never long satisfied anywhere. He is
always going to settle somewhere, but can't
find the place where he is willing to admit
that he means to live and die. He helps TO
develop an immense amount of country, but
can't bring himself to stay anywhere long
enough to reap the full rewards of his labor
l was riding along Kansas country road re-
Gently in company with gentleman well sc-
quainted with the community. OF II houses
which we passed, nine l was told had been
built less than five years, and of these nine
seven were owned by persons other than the
original builders. Four had changed owners
twice.
OF course what has been said above does
not apply to very large number of farmers,
whoare either of foreign birth or have brought
with them from homes in the far eastern states
traditions of perseverance and contented in
dustry The Germans are proverbial every
where for taking the most unpromising up
land claims and sticking to them till they bios
som, if not with the rose, certainly with yearly
crops Of Indian corn which are the admiration
and envy of the owners of the more fertile
farms on the bottoms and along the creeks.
''The Dutchman is bound to get rich," says
the Kansas adage, 'for what he can't sell he
feeds to his hogs and what MS hogs won't eat
he eats himself. Cor. ". Y Tribune