Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1885-03-26
OUT IN THE FAR WEST.
A TAR HEEL IN KANSAS WRITES
HIS EXPERIENCES.

n TAX HEEL IN KANSAS w KITES
HIS EXPERIENCES.
His Novel Home fin HIlI Side-
The Scenery Climate, Soil,
and Crops. F-< afse5sis.a 2.
Special Cbrrespondencs of tbs Sentinel-
FORD CRY, Kansas, March 20.-I
am going to presume upon your good
nature to a certain extent and hope
you will pardon my boldness if I ask
for some space in your worthy paper
for the purpose of making known to
my friends and the many readers of.
The SENTISEI. nay where -abouts. am
now citizen of the State of Ksnsas,
and while my affection for the Old
State of North Carolina still remains
yet l am fast becoming part and par
eel Of this new country of South West
ern Kansas and beginning to have q
feeling of pride for my new home.
Ford county, near the South West
corner of the state has been little
known to the outside world aside from
its county seat, Dody City, This place
has for years been considered the wick
edest place East of the Rocky n,oun-
tains and deeds of crime and wicked
ness comnamitted in Dody City have
cast a reflection over this county,
which will take few years of correct
living to wash from its name. My
claim is adjacent to the town site of
Ford City. If the readers of your
paper will take a Kansas map and
look along the line of the Santa Fe r..
R., the town sf Spearyille will be seen.
Soon after passing into Ford county
from this point travel in your mind
Southwark almost in direct line un-
til you reach the Arkansas river, and
here at the mouth of Mulberry creek,
you will find our new city of Ford.
My claim is bnt short distance West
of the site and while my palatial home
is not the most gorgeous, still it is
very warm and comfortabie [ am
on the bank of the Mulberry, and as
the bank in some places is quite high.
l have scooped out hole in the bank
about 10x12, dug me fire place and
covered the top nicely with plank, put
in window that looks East, and here
with my dog I eat, drink and am
merry. | presume some of the lady
readers of TIE SENTINEL would think
home in the earth rather repulsive,
but let me say that while l and many
others live in the dirt, still my house
is not dirty, for the walls and floor is
compact and clean. This winter has
been cold one here as with you but
| have kept as warm as toast in my
dugout, and never wished it exchang-
ed for shanty.
had some little difficulty with q
"cow boy" as to my claim few week,
ago and expected any night az visit
from my unfriendly neishbor, who ]
supposed would bring his boon com
paniens and undertake to force me
from my claim. I therefore kept my
best friend (my gum, ready for com.
bat if called for; but before any act
ual battle was fought, a report from
the United States Land Office cane
and settled the dispute between my
hostile friends and myselfin my favor.
as soon as this statement came, wal
was at once ended and now [ am on
friendly terms with all, far and near
/ My claim is fine one and will make
me a very pleasant home and a nice
farm.
/ have had some fine hunting here
and few weeks ago party of foul
of ug drove several miles South of here
and there we had the sport of sports
killing deer, so that since my return
with six deer, I have lived upon the
choice cuts from the venison, [ have
plenty salted down, and if any of my
friends will come out and give ma q
call they shall have plenty of venison
steak to eat. One of the first ques
tions asked bysshome seekers ia concern
ing the water. Our river is a very
rapid flowing stream and permits none
of its waters to idle behind its current
the bottom is a clean white sand and
the water pure, clean, clear and soft
Into the river are flowing many
creeks whose currents are also of {,
swift nature, as is the Mulberry o.
of which | have previonsly y mentioned
These streams afford ample water for
the herds of cattle which pasture OIL
our vast prairies and also act as tn.
finest drainage systems, however d.
no not think us dependent upon thu
natural water courses for our supply
Not so, we have wells that are il
depth from twenty-five to forty-fv,
feet and the water is as pure
clean and cool as any, the world over
besides this the water is soft and i
used for washing purposes with th'
same results as in North Carolina.
The air is pure and inyigorating
| Many of the settlers came here with
| chills and some with lung troubles
they are free from their ailments an.
are weighing more than ever befor
III theil lives. The pure air and fresl
clean water is the best medicine hum
an beings can have, such of this "
have an abundance. lis a fact, W
have some wind, but not as is so offer
represented by persons who have n
regard for the truth. The wind blow
much of the time but we have no &c
we're wind storms nor hot winds as ha
been credited to Kansas. IF the
were ever frequepters of this part &
the country. they have gone with tn
| wild Indian aud buffalo to othe
4 lands.
The rain fall since my coming
equal to that of any locality hay