Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-07-03

road reaches here they will be marked
up, marked up sir; and you viii haye to
pay double what we now ask. Get into
my buggy, and l will show you
around"
Thanking him for his kind offer, de-
clined, and sought out other agents. 1
will do of them, one and all, the cred
it, however, by saying that when they
discovered that / was not a purchaser;
but Representative of the Journali
they talked honestly and gave valuable
information.
While there is not much wheat in
Southwestern Kansas, say from Well
ington west, the fields that are grow
ing indicate there will be no suffering
in this section, and especially from
Harper to this point, it is good when
compared with other portions of the
state, and there are many large fields
Corn looks well, Being in many intances
nearly waist high, and in nearly all
casees knee high, dark green in color,
and showing prospects OF good yield.
As for oats, it is doubtful if there is
any section in the Western states that
will compare with Southwestern Kan
sas, particularly Harper and Barber
countries. This grain is in good straw,
with large heads and will certainly
reach the yield OF two years ago, when
the newspapers down this way went al
most wild. In fact one paper then said
there was no limit to the yield of this
crop, except the endurance of the man
who measured the grain as it came from
the thresher. AS it was then so it is
now. The valleys of Barber are GER
tainly fertile, at least the growing crops
show so up TO the present time.
One thing is noticeable, however, and
that is the Arkansas shiftlessness that
seemingly prevails. This portion of
Barber, or east of here, has passed the
sod house era, and very many comfort
able houses are to be seen, standing I'M
slightly in their fiakedness. Some are
painted, and some are not, while around
but few are signs of trees. That trees
will grow is evidenced by the fact that
around some of these farm homes are
thrifty groves, apparently returning
thanks because they were set out. The
native carefully points out these BEAU
tiful spots, but when the traveller pass
es any of these ''homes" where only the
house, and sod OF hay stables are seen,
and chickens sta1d in each others
! shadows to escape the heated rays OF
the sun, and where the good wife is
starved for the sightof tees either shade
or fruit, nothing is said except about the
good land, and its richness set forth.
Those who have set out trees say, and
have reason to believe them, that all
they do is to set out the small trees in
cultivated ground. and they grow rapid
lily, or large proportion of them do.
And yet our settler, passing by creek
bottoms probably every week of his life
fails to take home even poor little cot
tonwood switch, leaving wife and child
rem to swelter in the concentrated heat
of their little houses, unless, perchance,'
tthey are still gathered under sod roof,
which the ewife. with ,woman's ingenuity
improves by, planting flower seed on
These men praise the country, giving
us the old cry of ..the garden spot of
Ethe world" and thereby proving that
Ithey are uufit to pull tlistles in the
fence corners of any progressive collfi-
try. asked one gentleman why he did
not set out trees. lie said had not time,
but he intended to some day, yet saw
him setting first on one box and thef
another, on the streets of Medicine
Lodge more than SIX hours to-day. talk
ing stream Of nothing. He could have