Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-05-11
COMMUNICATIONS.
w eStern Kansas.


EDS. CITIZEN:-A little more than
a wear ago | took Horace Greeley's
advice and came west; located in the
county named in his honor, the new
est county in Kansas. Some of my
Butler county friends requested me
to write a description of Western
Kansas And by your leave, Mr..
Editor, | will give, so far as | can,
my experience and observations
through the columns of your paper.
But one year in county 80 recently
settled as Greeley, cannot be taken as
sample of the years to come. Gree
lev county is situated in the centre of
the state north and south, bounded
on the west by the state of Colorado.
1t is 80 miles long by 25 miles wide.
The surface is gently rolling prairie,
every acre of which is tillable. The
soil, dark loan mixed with sand,
and by chemical analysis has been
found to contain potash, soda, phos-
phate of lime, carbonate of lime and
other substances necessary to plant
growth. The crops that did the best
last year. on sod or first blowing,
were sorghum, fodder corn, broom
corn, millet and melons of all kinds
Owing to the Stiffness of the sod corn
does not ear well, neither do the
smaller grains yield well on sod. AL
most all of the crop raised last year
was upon sod. In addition to those
mentioned, the following named crops
did well on second plowing: rye, po-
tatoes, turnips, peanuts. peas, beans
and onions. There was no wheat
raised here last year. | have seen
but one piece that was sown last fall
and looks we'll now. We had more
rain last year than they had in coun-
ties east of this; but that is no assur-
ancs that we will have plenty this
year. There is more danger of dry
year, and consequently failure Of
crops, here than in Pennsylvania
But as the country becomes settled,
broken up, cultivated, etc, the rainfall
increases, such has heen the history
of Kansas in the past. 1t seldom
rains here in the winter, consequently
the roads are in good condition all
winter. We had little sleighing this
winter but there is seldom any sleigh
ing in western Kansas. We got our first
rain last year on the l4th and this
year on the 7th April. There are few
springs of water in this county; good
water is obtained at depth Of from
25 to 100 feet, more frequently the
latter Western Kansas is practically
void of timber, only few cottonwood
trees growing along some of the
streams. [ haven't seen natural
growing tree in Greeley Co. There
were some trees planted. last year
that did we'll. and by the close of the
present year, thousands of trees and
tree seeds, both fruit aud forest will
have been planted. The sun is much
hotter here than in Pennsylvania.
But there 10 almost always a gentle
breeze of wind sometimes though it
isn't so very gentle), 80 that the heat
isn't 80 noticeable. During the past
winter we had some very severe
weather. We bad four billiards. 1t
wouldn't be safe to be out on the prai-
re, unless you We're in a house, dur
ing blizzard There were no per-
cons lost or frozen here last winter,
though some of the eastern papers re.
ported o number of deaths thereby.
We had more nice warm weather
last winter than ever experienced
during any previous winter in the
east.
The elevation, purity of the air,
freedom from swamps, etc, places
western Kansas above the reach of
ague, and renders it generally health
ful. The Missouri Pacific railroad
runs through the centre of the county
and others are being constructed, SO
that the products of every cline can
be brought within our reach.
Church and school advantages are
as good in this as in any other new
county. In the towns, Horace, Trib-
une, Ried and Colokan, either the
Methodists. Baptists, Cumberland
Presbyterians or United Presbyteri-
ans have preaching every Sabbath.
There are also Sabbath schools aud
day schools, not only in each of these
towns but also in different parts of
the county A colony of United
Presbyterians is located in the
western part of the county. They
organized q congregation less
than o year ago, and
at present number l25 communicates
They have erected frame church
building and have Sabbath school and
preaching every Sabbath also day
schools in different parts of the colo
ny. North of the U. 2. colony is
soldiers colony. While many per-
Sons come here for speculation only,
many more come to get homes and to
stay if the seasons and crops will JUS
tify them in doing so. But what the
future of western Kansas will be re-
mains to be seen. Surely this broad
and beautiful prairies was not design
ed to always remain uninhabited save
by range cattle, antelopes, wolves aud
and other wild animals, but it seems
that the time has come for man, the
paragon OF animals, to take possess
ion, discover that TO which it is best
adapted and thereby cause it to con-
tribute more fully, perhaps, to the will
Of Him who formed it; and also to
the general good of mankind.
w. p. PHILLIPS,
HORACE, GREELEY Co, KAs,
MAY 3, '88.
A Birthday Party.