Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1892-10-08
A Western Homestead.
(MINNIE REED.)

a western dOLu0SC0du.
(MINNIE REED.)
II you have ever been away out at sea
on calm day you can easily imagine
the appearance of the landscape out or
the level plain of western Kansas. Here
YOU can stand in your own doorway and
look across miles of beautiful golden
grain, and long stretches OF the dull
green buffalo grass, without anything tc
interrupt the view but perhaps an occa
siopal sod house or a wind mill whirling
in the dim distance.
If, near noon on a very warm day, you
look off to the east or west, you may see
what seems a very large lake simmer.
ing in the sunshine, rejecting trees and
bushes in its clear depths. Perhaps it
may at first appear like flames of fire
rising and falling with the breeze, but on
a second look it seems like a great lake
but mile away.
A few hours later the lake has vanish
ed mysteriously, bnt ms the sun nears the
horizon in the evening, Or as it rises next
morning, yon are again surprised to see
three or four towns just across the farm
where the lake was before. Your neigh
boris houses, which were, short time
ago, out of sight behind a gentle swell OF
land several miles away. seem SO near
that you think that you might step over
for neighborly chat. The towns scat
tered around at various points, that be-
fore were from eight to twenty miles
away, now seem so near that You think
you could almost count the houses on
the streets. A half honr later, and the
towns and the neighbors have disappear
ed as mysteriously rs they came. You
are again far from human habitatlon,
where you see only aD occasional long
cared jack-rabbit as he jumps over the
wheat field, stopping now and then to
nibble the grain. or perhaps solitary
hawk circling overhead watching the
little gray snipes.
These mirages are always source OF
interest and fascination and keeps the
country from seeming monotonous by
this trick of lifting distant objects sud.
denly into view,
Here, too. the very air you breathe fills
you with the spirit of independence, en-
ergy, and enterprise. The limit ess
stretches of level plain seem to reveal to
You the unlimited possibilities of lif, 4,
and you feel that you are indeed archl-
tect of your own fortune, and able to sur
mount any obstacles.
Filled with this spirit, the homestead
er begins to build his new house. He
has but very little money, only his team,
his stock, and pair of strong hands; but
he is not dismayed. Western plains do
not furnish timber for logs, but some.
thing Just as good. For the walls. tough
sods and just enough timbe: for stills.
floors, and roof, are all the material he
needs to make very comfortable house
Plaster aud white wash he makes from
the native gypsum, ready to mix with the
eapd by its side in the neighboring draw.
Sods are laid up in wall like stones,
covers the board roof which has a layer
of tar paper just beneath. Houses built
this way are cooler in summer aud warm
er in winter than either stone or frame.
When plastered and white washed, they
appear like any other house inside, and
may be made just as cosey and pleasant.
It is here that the house wife has use
for practical training: and needs to ap-
II Ill L in 10 h.,
keeping to circumstances. 1t she is wide.
awake and progressive, many new combi-
nations, both for furnishing and in pre-
pairing food, will occur to her. With
boards, boxes, and bright chintz, she can
transform this one, two, or three-roomed
sod house into a really coy home. As
fruit and vegetables are scarce, she finds
use for the training in domestic science
that every girl gets at our College under
our very practical teacher. She will try
all If the economical methods with left
overs, and all the palatable dishes she
learned to make from milk, eggs and
butter, and probably invent new combi-
nations. The best OF puddiuQe become
tireeome when there ie no fruit for a
change, 30 originality is again in demand.
With thought and work. many very
delicious desserts may he made With
plenty of eggs, milk and butter; which oil
course every farmer produces. Then,
too, fruit that is very appetlzing can be
manufactured from the watermelon,
which never fails in western Kansas
Watermelnns, fresh or preserved, or made
into pickles, both sweet and sour, will
fill that long felt want of fruit quite sat
isfactorily. The busy housekeeper finds
when she has her table daintily set with
nice white linen, and the food we'll cooked
and varied, that after all one can live
comfortably in q way out on q western
homestead. il It is dry and windy.
So We should not say that skno sledee
= power" but knowledge with manual
trimming 10 conqueror OF even the desert,
and viii make il 70 'bloaaom a the
sooAn