West Virginia freeman. (Parkersburg, W. Va.) 1881-1886, 1885-09-30
Willow Lake, Clark Co., d. T.
August 18th, 1885.

AuSuos Aoeu, 1CCO.
DEAR FREEMAN:
Gathering "dusky diamonds from
the grand old fields of West Va, in
the beautiful valley of the Kama
wha, with mercury at 107 in the
shade, is one thing, and gathering
golden sheaves" from the timber
less, "wind-swept," lake-gemmed
summer land of Dakota, where ev-
erybody is still wearing winter
f1annels and sleeping under blank
cts and buffalo robes, is quite an
other. The former l did, and the
later l am helping to do at present.
In former days, before the genius
of man had invented self binders,
harvest days y. ere long and labo-
RUS, but now a hundred acre field
of ripened grain, is robbed of its
terrors by self binding grain cut
ting machines. Unfortunately for
your correspondent, this,my second
visit to this magnificent territory,
happened in "harvest time" As
enjoy a reputation of always be.
ing willing to lend "helping
hand" I did not dare to risk for
feiting that reputation, by refus-
ing an invitation to "shock up"
after Mccormick Binder. "Har-
vest time" in Dakota is indeed a
most beautiful sight. With thous-
ands upon thousands of acres of
golden grain, kissedby gentle breezes
and waving in beautiful sunlight,
or standing in shock, stretching
away in every direction, as far
as the eye can reach, it is sure
ly a treat for mountain-reared
sons of toll who never saw a
much larger field than ten acre
lot. The bountitul harvest of this
season, will attract many immi-
grants from all parts of the world
and Dakota may look for the rush
of immigration of '82 and '83 again
re-enacted in 'S6. And while the
coed people rejoice in the thought
of being so favored and richly
rewarded for their privation and
tell, they also rejoice in the fact
that they are making rapid strides
in Prohibition sentiment and feel
ing. They are alive to all OF their
best interests, and not only mean
that "the saloon must go" but mean
also that it shall not come. Ia pass.
ing through Chicago, enroute to
this country, | CHANGED to meet an
old friend, Mr.. B. M. Davenport, q
solid Prohibitionist by-the-way,
and manager now of the st. James
the only Prohibition Hotel in the
city. There 1 had the honor Of
being introduced to DIR. A. J. Jut-
kins, Cor. Sec'y. Nat. Prohibition
Party, and also the pleasure of see
ling the autograph of Gov. Jno. P
St. John on the register of the St
James. All Prohibitionists and
temperance people should make
this hotel their headquarters while
visiting the city of Chicago. 1 want
to say that L am entirely out Of
sympathy with Brother E. Har.
per's otherwise" argument on the
"Third Party in our State" in the
FREEMAN of July 18th, and am
glad he has been so ably answered
through the FREEMAN. The whole
drift of the arguments of these non.
partisan prohibition lists, seems
to be to save the Republican Party,
Third Party Prohibitionists are
willing to save the G. O. P. with
the people, if they can, but they
are determined to save the people.
All men here in this free Repub-
lie are free to think, free to speak,
free to will, and free to act, and it
is wrong to let hereditary policy
control their actions. Thinking
American men everywhere, are
ignoring and defying the desd past
and are endeavoring to destroy that
which belittles manhood and makes
slaves and towards of men. They
speak their opinions of to-day Sin
words as hard as rocks and they
arefearless of personal consequence.
AS free men they will speak and
as such they will act, notwithstand-
ing the rantings and rawlings Of
of Halstead & Co., the ridicule of
the "great Party OF moral reforms"