News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-04-03
Letter from Kansas.
WICHITA. Kan, Feb. 26, 1884

WICHITA. Kan, Feb. 26, 1884.
MeSSrS. Editors:
The friends left in Lamoille county
might be interested to hear something
from Kansas. so | thought | would write
you little from here. / left my home
in Illinois week ago last Monday, buy
ing return tickets, for $24.25. | arrived
here Wednesday at 10 o'clock in the fore
noon. On Thursday morning gentle
man to whom / had been recommended
took us into his wagon. Our party con-
sisted of myself and wife, brother from
Cropsey, ILL.,, and a nephew from Swan
ton, VT, our object being to purchase
land, if, after looking it over. we were
satisfied it was wha5 we wanted. The
first day we rode 81 miles southwest
from this city, staying over night with a
German Methodist family. There was
quite family of them. They came there
before the dry season and have stuck by,
and now they are all fright. The next
day they drove northwest some thirty
miles, to within half a mile of Keno
county, our starting point being Sedgwick
and fs0n there sa Hso rom We
tia. The second night we stopped 33
miles out. And right here let me say a
word for the people of Kansas. They
are the most hospitable people L ever
saw. just think of four men driving up
to house just sc dinner time, or just at
dark, and asking for accommodations for
the night, their house having only two
not large rooms. Without single ex-
ception we were told we could have the
| best the house afforded, which was good
enough. never enjoyed a trip in my
life as | have this, and if you wish to
know how like the land, will say that l
am having deed made out for quarter
section, at a cost of 81 ,125, 1925 down,
and the balance in three years. My neph-
ew has purchased the quarter adjoining
for $1,000, on the same terms, there
being more improvements on his. l be-
lieve there is no better wheat or corn
land anywhere, and there is not two
acres on both places but can be
plowed. There is no house on NINE, but
a good cellar walled up, good water and
a school house on one corner, and meet
ings are held by the Methodist and
Baptist people together. 1t is FIVE and
one-halt miles from the railroad station al
Goddard, on the st. Louis and Santa Fe
road. 1t has grown up in. a few months
They have a Methodist church nearly
completed, and this is only one of three
or four places on the road within % miles
that are growing in the same way. The
city in which l am now stopping had 900
buildings erected last year, and nine
years ago it had only one small church.
On. Sunday | attended church at the
Methodist house, holding about 1000 peo
pie, which was packed. In the evening
l attended union temperance meeting al
the Presbyterian church and listened to
lecture by MIR. Griffen, editor of the
Manhattan Nationalist, prohibition pa.
per, and 1t was decidedly the best thing
of the KIND L ever heard. The church
seats lOO0 people, and many were stand.
ing, and it is said that 500 people were
turned from the doors. People in the
east cannot realize, without seeing, the
determination of the Kansas people to
brush out the liquor traffic.
If L could set dewn and talk with you
L could tell of many things that have in
terested me since coming into this State
but will not trouble you much longer
this time. viii just say that if any O.
your readers have money that they wist
to invest | would refer them to the Lane
and Loan Co., as | am satisfied that the
officers are honorable, Christian gentle
men and deal on the square.
You can form no idea of. the large
amount of land that is changing hands
here now, and those that are engaged in
the business tell me that the rush has no
yet come. Men are here from Minneso
ia, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois that hav,
met in the short time l have been here
If any reliance can be placed on tn,
, statements of the citizens here, this sec
ton cannot be beaten in regard to eli
mate. Ihave heard much about the poo
water in Kansas, but as far as l have bee
have not yet found 1t, and in regard t,
the farming land, there is some of tn
finest in the vicinity of this city l hav
ever seen.