Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-05-24
Letter from Kansas.

of your paper would DO pleased to hear
from this portion of the state of Kansas
and as we have now been here during
the greater part of three seasons, |
thought would write you how we find
the country, its climate and its product
ions. As to our location, Chetopa is
pretty place nf about thiriy-tive hun
bred inhabitants. Tho main street is
mile long, and lined with business
buildings 1t is about one and one
half miles from the city TO the Indian
Nation line. and 4 days drive from
Tahlequah. The Nebraska river skirts
the city on the east. and is river about
the size of Big Grant. Many fine fish
are taken from its waters among which
are the cat. buffalo, bass and many
others.
Chetopa is surrounded on all sides
by fine farming lands. Not fiat but
just rolling enough to be we'll drained.
and to promote good health. The water
in some places is not good being inn
pregnated with alkali, but in other
places it is nice free stone water. This
obstacle is overcome mostly by cisterns
which are easily procured. The water
of the river is soft and good, consider
ing that it is river water. Many of the
colored people in town use it for all
purposes.
The productions include everything
that is raised in Wisconsin. and great
many things which are not. The sweet
potato, peanut and all the vines grow
almost to perfection here. The Fl uit
is plentiful and great variety. We
arc now painting our lips with home
grown strawberries and have bad them
in the market for about two weeks.
GooseDerries are plentiful in the market
and cherries will be ripe inside of a week
The early peaches then follow, and the
raSpberries and black berries, go from
now until the middle of next November
if nothing happens, people can gather
fresh fruit for heir tables
The garden vcseta ales ;;fe quite an
old story now, IS wc have had them
over month, and Those whD have early
gardens even longer than that
The mulberry, pecan, pers immon,
panpau, and some trees which bear q
very lucious berry grow Wild. Walnut
timber is a great production here. large
amounts baye been taken away this year
The soil is very productive in most
places. Although last yerr was very
unfavorabIe year there was a. great deal
more produced here than could be
consumed The fruit crop. with the
exception of the peaches, was immense
Thousands of bushels OF apples were
shipped from this one point. Ono firm
alone shipped over 5000 bushels, the
promise this year is still greater.
Timber is quite plentiful, while a
splendid quality of soft coal. which
burns like wood. is to be obtained fol
from TO 5cts. per bu.
Many ask if tame grass does wei
hero. l can speak only from what
have seen. and tell you what | bnoto.
A great many of the house yards are
nicely sodded with blue grass; of course
this has been sown. Our yard last fall
was very fine piece of blue grass sod
1t was sown with clover -four years this
spring, and wilhstood the heat and
drouth and is now a nice even piece OF
sod. While riding in the Nation on
the open prairie we found awhile clover
scattered over it, and the clover was Of
gigantic growth. White clover,
timothy and blue grass are seen along
the edges of the sidewalks. Glover
seems to do we'll. Some Of The farmers
have tame pastures and meadows, but
the truth of the case is that owing TO
the great abundance of wild grass the
farmers have not tried TO Introduce the
tame grasses.
We arrived at Chetopa the evening Of
the 3rd of August and since then have
not seen a night which was not COO
enough to be pleasant, no hot sultry
nights, the heat of the day did not seem
TO me as oppressive as did it in Wis
during the month of July. There is q
breeze all the time, unless perhaps, just
before rain. OF the Autumn ! car
only say it was magnificent. Bright
sunny days, and l never before saw
such delightful sunsets,aud evenings,
The fall rains came and the grass and
such vegetation grew like spring time.
A great many cattle and horses have
gained their entire living for themselves
the past winter.
People did not use their heating
stoves till about the first OF Dec. anf
those who burn hard coal did not start
their fires till the middle of Dee. Th'
leaves of the trees ripeued and fell, nC
frost 10 take them of.
The winter to us was very mild, thu
| inhabitants say it was rather severe bu
that cannot SAY. There were only
two days that it was what one coult
call cold. The mercury went 10 l06
below zero on the 10th and 18th OF Jan
| think it was for about a month we hat
raw, chilly weather, but most of tn
time the mercury was above zero
Generally thawing during the middl
of the day
There was about four days Of sleigh
ing. Now let nue. tell you what mad
the sleighing It sleeted about one-hal
day, and then showed about 2 inches
and the roads being so smooth It mad
a covering which was considered goo
sleighing, and it would make the Wi:
people, old as well as young. laugh t
see the sleds. I'll just take time 10 te
you of one or two. Two forked tree
with one prong cut off of each and tn
other prongs used for thils, and I'll
tree trunks used for runners, and ih
box common dry goods b,x with
board for seat. Another was bo
set on fence boards rounded off at III