Wichita eagle., 1889-12-12
A GRANDCoUNTRYA AND A.PERSONAL Ex-
PERIENCE

From letter written by ". A. Marsh
and published in the Carlisle Pa) Even.
ing Sentinel we make the following ex.
cerpts:
WICHITA, Kan, Nov. q, 1889.
will preface my letter by saying that
nv father and his family lived for seven
teen years in Elizabethtown, Lancaster
county, Pa, and removed to Knoxville
Tenn. in September, 1867. After a sojourn
of three years at Knoxville he went to
Wichita, Kan, arriving here when the
town could boast of only fifty houses and
very meagre population. Wichita is now
a city of 10000 Inhabitants. My father
died in September, 1852, leaving a widow
and six children, and it was 70 meet with
these. my sisters and brothers, once more.
that I made this jaunt into the state of
Kansas I arrived at Wichita on Satur-
day, Nov. %, and stopped with my sister,
Mary A. Polk. Also called on sister Rosa
whose husband is in the hardware bust
ness on Douglas avenue. | was sorely
grieved to find her an invalid, all broken
down in health, and hope to bring her
home with me on my return, if she is able
to travel.
On Tuesday. November IS, took spin
over the prairies with my sister, Mary, to
visit mother. who lives fifteen miles out
of the city. / must say that / never in all
my life saw such beautiful country land |
have seen good portion). From small
knoll at st. Marks, you can look for
twenty TO twenty-five miles in each direc-
ton, and the eye never wearies of the ex-
uuisite scene Wheat fields are common
from one to two hundred acres each.
Arriving at mothers, who by the way is
married again since fathers death, to a
Mr.. Shaffer, who owns |, los acres, but only
tills 400 acres of it, employing but one man
h,r ant ho ir6 hara
My brother, Joe, lives about one and a
half miles west, and he has 300 acres and
rents 100 additional acres. He hires only
one man. At the annual harvest all the
farmers 90 together and help one another.
Last year he had 40 acres in wheat which
yielded 1890 bushels, and sold it from 81
cents TO S1.O5 per bushel. Seventy acres
account of the hot winds. This corn
sold for 81 cents. This year Brother
Joe had PIG acres in wheat which
produced 900 bushels. Seven hundred
bushels were lost during hail storm
which came on at harvest time and lasted
for half an hour, the the stones being as
large as hen eggs. This wheat brought
five acres in corn, fifteen acres yielding
900 bushels. The remainder is still out in
the field; price of corn Is cents per bushel.
TWENTY-FIVE acres of oats yielded 1000
bushels, which commanded % cents In
market; bad year for oats on account OF
frequent rains.
Joe has been farming for seven years.
Previous to going to farming he was
cowboy in the Indian territory. He now
has ten horses and rhirty-one head of cat
tie to eat up the roughness. In summer
they are herded at S1.50 per head. Prices
of fat steers 3A cents and stock 2 to 219
cents; hogs 81 cents; eggs 16 cents per
dozen; butter IS cents per pound. Sister
Kate's husband, John B. Simmons. has
$50 acres which he purchased in 1882
for sc, 5000 and on which he put
5000 in improvements on house
and barn. lis acres of wheat this year gave
up for him 1000 bushels-lost 500 bushels
by hail storm. 80 acres of oats yielded $50
trusts" IL acres of potatoes yielded 500
bushels which brought 25 to 80 cents at
market 100 hundred acres of corn will
average As bushels to acre. Brosher An
thony has 660 acres, but rents it out and
is in Washington territory specializing:
All these farms are located in Add1ca
Sedgwick county, the garden
spot of Kansas. =,
This morning saw the sun rise on the
prairie and a grand site it was. / returned
to Wichita this morning in less than two
hours and did not drive hard. The dis
lance travelled is about seventeen miles
over good roads, except one sand spot.
which runs along for at least one mile.
Tomorrow being Thanksgiving day l
will rest on turkey On next Sunday
there will be grand family reunion at st.
Marks. As am the prodigal son the fat.
ted calf is awaiting me at ''St. Marks"
prohibition in Kansas. Yours truly.
w A. SMARSH,