Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-06-12
LETTER FROM W. G.. MUSGROVE.
MEDICINE LODGE, June 5. 1885


EDITOR INTELLIGENCER:- - Having
lived in Kansas for nearly two months,
l will try to keep my promise, and let
you know what think of the country.
So far, l am very well pleased. l
have house and half acre OF land in
the suburbs, and a garden growing.
Corn, potatoes and tomatoes seem 10
be as thrifty as any l ever saw. The
longest dry spell we have had since
came here was seventeen days, with a
very slight shower in the meantime.
Only about nine days have passed with
out any rain at all. Last Tuesday
night it rained all night. Vegetation
is fourishing since that rain. While
we have had no hurtful dry weather IN
this vicinity, the north side of the
county has suffered considerably. Sew
eral counties west of us were nearly
burned up, but the recent rain was
general, and extended over the whole
southwest part of the state. The soil
here is mixed with just enough sand to
make it pulverize nicely. An hour af-
ter rain work can be done in field or
garden. After long dry spell the
clods are very hard. If the ground is
narrowed and the clods broken. the
soil retains moisture for long time.
My garden has not been troubled by
cockle-burrs, but we have sand burr in
unlimited quantities. The sand-burr
is as much worse than the cookie burr
as the latter is worse than dandeliOn.
L have been told that sand burr
weuld cling to wagon-tire for two
miles, and then crawl up the drivers
breeches leg. The bull nettle grows
everywhere the sod is broken. Some
poet, in speaking of the nettle, says
grasp it like man of mettle, it harm
less lies within your hand" If he
should grasp one of these it would re
main in his hand, without doubt, but
| expect he would do some tall growl-
ing. The prairie is now full of beau
tiful flow ers. The grass is about three |
inches high, and does not get any
higher. The whole landscape, except |
for a few punches of weeds, looks like |
a we'll kept bluegrass lawn. 1t is a |
little strange how quick this short grass |
will fatten stock. When l came here |
it looked to NE like the cattle were |
nearly starved. Now they are fat, and |
not grain Of food has been given |
them except what they got on the range
The beef here is far superior to what |
~ hnn r,
four times as much tallOw, but ours is |
much more tender and palatable.
have not seen bad piece Of beef since |
| came here. This county has no herd |
law, and farmers have to build fences.
They build the cheapest kind-two |
wires. on posts forty feet apart. Hogs
and sheep are kept up, or herded.
There are but few hogs in the county.
l believe big money will be made by |
the man who brings a few fine animals |
here, horses, cows or hogs. People are |
seeking to improve their stock. Farms
can be bought at So TO $40 per acre, ac-
cording to distance from town. Prop |
erty in the city is high, and farms very
near town can scarcely be bought at
amy reasonable price. There is a small |
of public land in the county,
but 1t is either broken or in small tracts
You cannot pre- empt two tracts unless
they join, but can take 100 acres in
spots If they touch each :other. | see
Ok teams on the streets every day.
Often L see oxen harnessed like horses,
with brides and bits, and they travel
nearly as we'll as horses.
A big drawback to this country is
the fact that nearly all the farmers have
10 mortgage their farms. A man came
into our office few days ago ,mad as
wet hen, because he had been fool
enough to put mortgage on his farm.
and had come to town to pay the inter-
est on his note, Two hours after he
came back laughing, saying: ''Misery
owes company. | thought [ was the
only fool in the county, but when l
went to the bank. to pay interest on
my note, | found twenty-five men
ahead of me, all there on the same
errand. By George, had to fall into
line and wait my turn at the COUNTER"
and he laughed in the most hearty man
ler. All the old Lafayette county peo-
pie out here are well, and are appar-
emily doing well. We are hoping for
boom to strike us this tall. We will
soon begin the construction of $685.
700 courthouse and Jail. We will also
soon begin building five bridges, to
cost about $4,000 each The weather
has not been sultry yet. The ther-
nometer has been up to SO, but the air
s SO rare and dry that l have not suf-
tered from oppression. The indica-
lions are that we will have another
rain ill few hours. 1t may ram i'm
halt all hour, or the wind may arise
and blow the clouds to Ballahack in
less time. We have had one thorough
bred sand storm since l came here. 1t
only lasted an hour. New potatoes
have appeared in market Beets onions
lettuce, radishes, &c, are common.
My lntelligencer comes on Sunday af
ternoon, and 1 look forward to its
perusal as a great treat. With best
wishes for the good people of the noble
DID city of Lexington, | remain,
Respectfully, w. G. MUsGRovE.
MONTANA LETTER