Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-09-25
Letter from Missouri.
SARGENT. Mo. Sent. 900.

OAhSENI5 NO. O6pC. GAQ, ~
ED. HERALD: ore I left Kansas
several Of my friend s requested me
to write them, and 81 nee 7 have been
here 1 have received letters from 9th
ers asking about this country, and as
most of them take the HERALD I know
OF no better way than to answer
through it.
Altogether I have been here seven
weeks and the longer I am here the
better l like. There seems to be no
sickness here and everyone [ meet
seems well and I have not heard of
any one being sick; then the climate
IS delightful, so steady and equable.
one day just ike another, no wind to
speak OF, no dust flying and then
every ten days or so nice rain which
falls without any wind accompanying
1t. The grass IS now as green as It
was IN June and my sheep are get
ting fat. The water here is soft and
so clear you can see to the bottom of
any of the steans and beng so clear
they look much shaIbOwer than thew
are. The banks of the streams. are
low and there are some very fine val
leys.
LA1C4C oOOAl45 W 10 E1A CkJiAlOLA ia
Kansas about the people here that I
hndstO be erroneous. Several said to
me that l would find that northern
men were not wanted here. I find it
to be just the reverse. Several men
here have said to me you are just the
kind of men we need here to open up
and develop this country and know
ing 1 was looking for a location I have
had at least a dozen men say to me
come out and look at my farm and
stay few days and if my farm don't
suit you 1 Will show you all the land
IN my neighbOrhOod and it wont cost
you a cent. In several instances I 4
have gone and they were as willing
to show their neighbors land as they
were their own and I believe there |
Is as good class of people here as
IN Kansas. AS regards to work they
pay Sl.l5 for ten hours work in Sarg- |
ent at the planning mill, and while
there IS no great demand for men
they are hiring some as others quit !
Board costs from $3.50 to $500 per /
week. AS regards team work a man
can do better without a team than
with one as many Of the farmers are
working their teams and the cost of
keeping a team and the wear and
tear are so much There are two
kinds of business that I think will
pay here, raising fruit and stock. !
Fruits grows to perfection and with |
but little care. The Alden fruit farm /
is located 20 miles from here. They |
have over a thousand acres III orch |
ards and berries and are putting out
more each year. This is not a fruit |
year but apples are sold in the orch !
ards out in the country at 40 cents
per bushel; sweet potatoes grow to (
an enormous size and are selling at /
SlOO per bushel; then there there is /
lots of wild fruits such as persimmOns. !
grapes nearly as large as tame grapes,
blackberrles, raspberries, strawber- /
RES, etc, also hazelnnts, waIlnuts. /
hlokerynuts, butteTnuts, etc.
They tell me that stock lives nine !
months out of the year. out on the /
range, and from the small amount Of !
feed 1 see put up and the amount Of /
stock / think they must. Clover, /
timothy red top and blue grass where !
ever there has been any seed sown or |
dropped. 1 find clover and timothy /
growing IN and along the side Of the /
roads where the seed has fallen from /
hay that was being hauled over them. |
They have a County Assessor here /
and property Is assessed a year ahead /
My sheep were assessed last week for !
1891 at S1.00 per head. The Assessor !
told me that the rate of taxation on |
them would be about 80 cts. on $4,000 /
valuation, making the tax on 800 !
sheep $6.40. This tax will not be due /
until December 1891.
The surface of the country is hiIIy,
the hills being low and in many
places very stony. Although crops
are short this year I hear Of no one
that viii need to be helped to live
through the winter or obtain seed. /
There Is lots Of timber here and oak