The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-05
PROSPECTING IN THE WEST.
BY A FARMERS SON.

Editor IatelHgencsr After alternating
for several days (snow .boand) in the
vicinity of Charles City, Iowa, where the
mercury ranged from twenty to thirty
eight degrees below zero, we were pull
ed out for Nebraska with two engines in
front, and sometimes the third was called
to the rear of the trains to push up
grade of snow and ice. During my stay
at this place / did not see one vehicle on
wheels. Wagons and all are run on
runners" on the sleigh order, and when
the roads are once travelled over by the
teams they can travel with more ease,
and pull more on these runners" than
on wheels. The teams soon become
white nearly all over with frost, caused
bv their "breath" freezing on them.
About lhe towns and telegraph wires the
jipgling of the sleigh bells and hum
ming EoIian harp.like sound of the
wires, soon becomes monotinous. When
the mercury is twenty or more degrees
below zero, and the wind is blowing
through half:dozen wires, it makes o
music that can be heard some fifty or
more yards away. The universal fashion
here in houses is to have the rooms very
small and tight, and where they are not
underlaid with masonry, stable manure
or other litter is piled up several feet
high all around the huuse to prevent the
cold winds and snow from blowing under
the house. Iowa is strong Republican
State, and Charles City and Floyd Cpun'
ty is their stronghold; but see new
Democratic paper has just started here
with stout support, and there is a
rapidly growing crop of Democrats,
with daily increasing strength. | was
very cordially received and Hospitality
entertained here. Democratic national
success seems to lend enchantment to
the songs Of praise Of the balmy South,
and we were agreeably surprised to learn
that the course of immigration from
these parts was directed more to the
South than to any other point.
At Sioux City, near the cornerof Iowa,
Dakota and Nebraska, we found very
little snow and much more pleasant
weather. Sioux City is what might be
called the head of the great Missouri
river valley-the Egypt of America for
corn. This valley is several hundred
miles long, and from seven to twenty-five
miles vile, and l saw several large farms
that averaged over one hundred bushels
of corn per acre this year, and forty
bushels is given in as the minimum per
acre for the poorer titled lands of this
valley. At Sioux City corn in the ear
was worth more than sheled corn, on
account of getting the cobs 10 burn for
fuel. In many places in the interior of
Nebraska i: is economy to burn corn in
preference to other fuel, though the
average American is hard to convince
that this is true economy, even in ex-
extreme cases; but I assure you that 1t
is economy A half.bushel of corn in
the ear burnt 10 a good stove will cook a
good dinner, and at less cost in some
places than wood or coal. Living in a
sod house in Nebraska, and burning corn
to keep one warm and cook with, has a
thrilling and uncivilized air about it,
though we have seen people live in
houses with less comfort and happiness
than these pioneers.
All through the States of Nebraska
! and Kansas are to be seen thousands of
acres of corn now first February, 1857
standing in the fields, just as it grows.
They shuck the corn and leave both
shuck and fodder on the stalk, and place
the corn in long pens or cribs eight or
zen feet wide, and about as high. About
,,ne.haif of these cribs have no cover,
and the corn is left exposed to weather
and piliage--but corn here is not worth
enough to steal. The yields of corn in
eastern Nebraska aud eastern Kansas
runs from twenty-five to one hundred
bushels per acre. This sounds "big rich, "
until you count up at the ruling prices,
delivered at the elevator in the ear, which
ranges from eighteen to twenty four cents
par bushel, or fror 81 to $24 per acre.
All through this section of country are
farmers that have gone in debt for land
or machinery, and perhaps both, that are
now in distressing circumstances, not
withstanding the fact that their crops
were never better The prices for grain
are 80 low they are not able to shake OF
the mortgages. 1t is clear that there is
no money in growing grain in the west.
The only prosperous farmers are those
who are engaged in breeding fine improy'
ed stock. This stock sells high and will
bear long transportation. In the West as
every where else, the producers of cheap
grain and scrub stock are dependent on
! local market, and the grower of i'm
proved seed.crops and improved stock
have the world as q market. For Illus
| tration, it takes nearly two bushels OF
Western corn to pay the freight on one
bushel to our State; or it will take three
| scrub horses to pay the freight on one
from the West here, and the freight on a
highbred horse is only one fifth to one
| tenth his selling value to any point South
or East. Western Iowa. Nebraska,
Kansas and southwest Missouri are the
a