The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-08

| onstrated on Christmas by the many
gifts that were bestowed upon her by
| her class. Mr.. and Mrs. Rugh. who are
Pennsylyanians by birth, spent several
| years in Ohio, coming to Kansas about
/ seven years ago, since which time they
have been very prosperous. and are now
the happy pOssessOrs of $40 acres of fine
| land. which is well improved and makes
them most desirable home. Mr.. Rugh
I is five miles from Abilene, and takes
an active interest in any cause that
tends to the production of good. He
has a true christian family, who are
well educated. and who look upon this
| life as being but preparation for the
| life to come. Christmas was pleasant
day to all present, and wishing them
many more years of prosperity we bid
them adieu. Calling upon
Mr.. SHATTo,
we found him enjoying the cold wealth
er sitting by his stove improving his
leisure time by reading. On interrOgat-
ing him We learned that he came from
Missouri to Kansas in 1877. with only
team to start with. Like many 9th
erS who came here poor, he had some
hard times, but perseverance has put
him In comfortable circumstances, and
he is now entirely out of debt, has
pleasant home and is actually worth be-
tween four and five thousand dollars.
His good wife has stood by his side in
prosperity and adversely and has proven
herself to be most excellent woman,
and with their two obedient children
they are indeed happy family. Leav-
ing our friends we wandered to the
home of
ADAM KORN,
where We were Hospitality entertained
during the day. Mr.. and Mrs. KOrn
came from Wisconsin to Kansas in
1877 and settled on raw prairie. He,
unlike some others, had some money to
begin with, being worth all told about
$500, meager sum compared to what
he is now worth. For the first few
years crops were not very good and yet
he has cleared some money each year
above all his expenses. He now owns
five hundred and sixty acres of choice
land, all in one body, upon which he
has raised in the last three years about
fourteen thousand bushels of wheat and
twelve Thousand bushels of corn, an av-
erage of % bushels of wheat and 40
bushels of corn to the acre. Last year
he raised "A acres of millet which yield
ed 80 bushels of seed to the acre, oats
averaged about As bush els. He has 40
acres of as good tame grass as you ever
saw. On this large farm Mr.. KOrn has
81 head of cattle, Is horses, $50 hogs,
about 5000 bushels of wheat in the
granary, besides great quantity of
other grains, about 1900 fruit trees, one
half of which are bearing; he also has
grapes, raspberries, &C., and thousands
of forest trees. Mr.. X. was married in
1874 to Miss Stevens, who is a woman
with no superior, They are now the
fond parents of four bright children and
have property worth from S25, 900 to
$50, 900, all of which, save So, 800 they
have made in Dickinson county, and as
a natural result they think this is one
of the greatest countries in the world.
Who would not think the same? We
next met
NELSON FRIz,
who came to Kansas from Michigan
ctbOSO OLA ) CuAo ttS5O. 4I1s L liz 10 ICtIllSl
a quiet unObtrusive man, but a deep
very intelligent, always agree
able and pleasant, and one of our most
citizens. He is much pleased
with this country, likes the climate,
and says that Kansas is far superior to
any country he has yet seen for all kinds
or fruit but peaches. Mr.. FriZ has $50
acres of well improved land, fine resi-
dence, and has just completed fine
barn, II 10y 81 feet, at cost of $1100.
He has had good crops for the last
three years, one 40 acre field averaging
81 bushels per acre. We would like to
speak of his large orchard, consisting
Of many varieties of trees, but space
fOrbids, and we will hurry on by saying
that he has averaged above all expenses |
since he came to the "Garden of the |
Vest 81 800 year, but in the midst |
of his prosperity he has had the mis-
fortune to lose his excellent companion,
who died one year ago, leaving him four
children, two boys and two girls, all of
whom Mr.. f. is taking much pains to
the oldest boy graduated from
the Abilene high school two years ago
and the younger Will be one of the
graduates next spring. Success to this |
worthy family. With
JAMES PURDY
we enjoyed ourselves listening to his
stories concerning his early adv entureS
in Kansas, he having come here in 1866 |
settling in the eastern part of the state.
He was well acquainted with the ia
nous John Brown and spent much time |
with him. Mr.. Purdy came to the far
west with $25 in money; after serving
MS country for four years, he came to |
Dickinson county, where he first met |
his present wife, Miss Creech, to whom |
he was married in 1866. They settled |
on an so acre homestead on Turkey |
creek, where they were surrounded by |
the broad prairies with very few settlers, |
and where they roasted their buffalo |
meat when they could get it, and en-
dured the privatiOns of pioneer life, at |
one time having only enough provisions |
to last them three days, but determined |
to grow up with the country" they |
struck to their old homestead, and now |
which he would not take $50 an acre,
well fenced, with good buildings. large |
orchard of 500 bearing apple trees, 500 |
peach, 100 cherry, pears, plumS, grapes, |
etc. He takes quite an |
interest in raising stock, and now has |
so head Of cattle, 40 of which are milk |
cows, s horses and 100 hogs. Mr.. 2. is
beyond want and is certainly destined |
to be wealthy man. We spent the |
Sabbath in pleasant conversation at the |
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