Omaha daily bee., 1885-10-12
GOLDEN WEALTH OF KEITH,
The Heart of the Alleged Desert Bursting
With Golden Grain.
GENERAL THAYER JouRNeYlNe
a Among the Farmers of Western Ne
braska-The Thriving Town
of Ogallala..
fwRirrEN Fon TnE BEr.l

growth OF agricultural pursuits in west
ern Nebraska. My observations at that
time were limited to Cheyenne county,
being our wcsternmost county, bordering
on Wyoming territory. | now propose
writing something about Keith county,
which lies directly east of the former
and adjoining it, for l have just had the
opportunity of seeing with my own eyes
in that county results precisely similar to
those described in my letter regarding
agricultural development in the county
of Cheyenne. A drive into the country
of six miles from Ogallala has furnished
me with the most incontestible evidence
in support of what | have written, and
what shall write, in regard to
the farming interests of Western Ne
braska. There were seen the visible
tangible evidences of the wonderful
things accomplished since lust March
Unbrokcn prairie which, on the first day
of April last had never seen the keen
edge of the plow, is now, in the bright,
mellow days of October, bearing heavy
crops, which have maturcd beyond the
reach of frost. Had anyone forctold to
me on that day that should see in Keith
county, in the next October, that which
did see there three days ago, he would
have been significantly asked if he did
not suppose | realized what day of the
month it was.
| readily recall the time in the early
years of Nebraska when we did not be-
lcye that agriculture could be made sue
ccsstul rs far west as this county OF Hall,
and when it did begin to develop hope
the most hopeful did not look for its
growth beyond Kearney junction; but it
has now reached the Wyoming line. Its
existence us factor in Ncbraska's prog
resS is no longer an undetermined ques-
ton. All doubt has been removed; the
question has been solved. Successful
farming in Western Nebraska is now an
incontcstiblc fact.
L. NJ. Scarlc, Esq, of the firm of Scarlc
4 Peterson, of OGalala, has resided ut
that point, and ut Alkali atNtion, for the
last eighteen years, and is thoroughly
acquainted with that section. He drove
me to several farms on the south side Of
the Platte, Keith county lying on both
sides of the river. will mention one as
a sample of the rest, that of Mr.. Charles
IL. Brown, who took up II homestead of
100 acres, and also Il timber CLAIM adion-
ing, Il year ago last March. He now has
over 100 acres in cultivation. Wcwalkcd
through II corntield, where the sod was
turned last spring, and also where it was
turned the year before Two Kansas
they declared as acknowledgement that the
field of sod corn, wei were looking at
would average thirty five bushels to the
acre; This fact was apparen! in both
Keith and Cheyonn" ":atntt;;;. :atn',t;;.s. namely
unat sod corn there is all of sixty per cent
better than sod corn in central and
eastern Nebraska, where ii is cut up for
fodder only; while in those counties the
crop of sod corn, with well filled
ears of good size, is nearly equal to corn
raised on old ground. His corn raised
on ground plowey year ago last, spring
to the acre. MIR. Brown dug in my pres
oncc, potatoes, which, without exaggera-
ton, were the handsomcst, largest pota-
toes | ever saw, and which would aver
age hard on upon 200 bushels to the acre.
His field, also, showed Il remarkable
yield OF turnips, and of a very superior
kind. While looking through his vcgeta-
bic patches, Mr.. b, said "Sec here; |
Will show you something that don't be,
lieVe YOU can tell what it is, " us he point
ed to the vines running along on the
ground looking like cucumber vines,
such vines rs | had never seen before
Give it up said L. Gathering a hand
full of the vines, he drew them from the
ground, and there were clinging to the
roots large clusters Of peanuts, nearly
ripe. will confess my Ignorance by ad-
mitting my belief always to have been,
that peanuts grew on top of the ground
on small trees. have since asked about
dozen persons about where peanuts
grow; about half answered, "in the
ground, " the other half "abovc the
ground, " so | was not not alone in my
ignorance. There We're growing on that
place. thrifty caltalpas and boXclders
from the seed planted Il year ago last
spring; they showed II growth OF over
three feet this season, and many of them
were an inch through at the butt.
thrcshing machine arrived while we
were there, from IL neighboring farm,
and set to work threshing ont Browns oat
stacks. The manager of the machine in
formed me he had threshed out oats in
that county, raised on ground where the
sod was turned last spring, which aver
aged forty bushels to the acre This
county at present and is kept busy on
its rounds from farm to farm thrcshing
out grain, the products of those hitherto
valueless plains. When it was first land
ed in Ogallala, the cowboys wondered
what that blankety, blank thing was
Well, they have learned that it is the
successor of the buffalo.
MI. DIOMi WIS DDIn ullu lulStu III
Newport, II. L., farmed two years in
Pembroke, Mass, in sight of Daniel
Websters farm in Marshfeld, served
through the war, a union soldier, farmed
eighteen years in Illinois, and came to
Nebraska to better his condition. In
three years time he will have magnif-
cent farm He has one story, frame
house, painted white, with well of ex-
cellent water, and is providing his place
wite outbulldings 'as his circumstances
permit, a or
The next day, Hugh l.. McWilIiams,
Esq, a banker at Ogallaa, drove me out
six miles north of the Platte, to the farm
OF Aaron Fisher, who settled on it year
ago last spring, There / witnessed
results similar Do to those seen
on the farm of Mr.. Brown,
His sod.corn was equally as good rs that
of the former. He had every kind of
vegetables growing in great abundance.
His small melon patch had yielded him
this season considerably over one hum
dred dollars. | measured one of his
squashes aud found ii TO be six feet and
two inches in circumference; there were
plenty more of similar size, He pulled
up two parsnips which measured over
two feet in length and some beets which
were as handsome ones as one would
wish to see. A large quantity of cauli-
flower was growing in the garden.
Mr. Fisher had farmed in Illinois sew
eral wears and he also came 10 Npbra ska