West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1893-10-05

VPo~sss - tho tbofoAec obEiVs
PERTH, KANSAS, Sept. 30, 1893.
EDITOR ARGUs:-
IL you will allow mo space In
your valuable paper, will give
your readers few items from this
corner OF the world. You Eastern
people don't often hear from the
best part Of the United States, that
lie. The Great American Desert, and
hear only the dark side of things.
Rain +! rain ! ram! While | am
writing the rain is coming down in
torrents, and one Of the worst
droughts ever experienced in this
country is broken. Persons who
have lived here for twenty years
havo no recollection Of such dry
year, except, possibly, the year
1874, which was like the present
season in great many respects.
While it has been dry here, the
people Of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
and l guess in West Virginia, too
whore they never have any
droughts, you know-hnve expire
rienced little dry weather; so
Kansas is not alone in that respect.
Some parties were here. about two
weeks ago, from Pontiac, Illinois,
and they said that things looked
decidedly better here shan there.
That is one good argument in favor
of Snmncr county.
Crops were very fair here consid
ering the season. Wheat made
from RI to 20 bushels on upland
and from 90 to 40 bushels on bot
tom land. 1t will average IL or
10 bushels per acre all through the
county. l had 100 acres of wheat
on upland that made about 10
bushels per acre. Oats had no
show at all to mako crop, but
made from Is to 20 bushels per
acre. There is but very little corn
except in bottom land and in few
localities where showers passed
through during the summer There
is lots Of good corn in portions of
the State. Hay is pretty scarce,
but there ID plenty Of feed through
the country.
Farmers cut up most Of their corn
fodder and there is plenty OF straw.
Most farmers are done seeding and
the rains will make wheat pasture
80 that stock will not Feed much
roughness.
Farmers don't seem to be dis
couragcd on account of the fnan-
cial depression and low prices, but
are putting in a largo acreage OF
wheat again. Things have to look
very blue indeed to discourage the
Western people.
Wellington markets are about as
follows Wheat, hard, 44c.; soft,
40 cents. Corn, Csc. TO CSC. Oats,
Csc. to 28c. Cattle, $500 Gag s2.25.
Hogs, IS. so. Eggs, 15c. Butter, 25c.
Fruit is pretty scarce, owing to
the late freezes last spring. There
were more.grapes and benches than
any other kind of fruit. Choice
peaches from 10 to IL inches in
circumference, sold from $3.50 to
s2.75 per bushcl, and common ones
from SO cents to s1.0O.
! expected to see all Of you East
ern people out sere to take claims
in the Cherokee Strip. | had the
pleasure OF witnessing the great
race for homes--semething / never
expected to see. The day Of the
opening was clear and warm, bnt
smewhat dusty. People had been
coming in bY the thousands for
about two weeks prior to the open
ing and congregating along the
line. On arriving at Hunnewell,
which was one OF tho principal
points 81 entrance, we found fifteen
or twenty thousand people massod
along the one hundred foot strip
set apart by tho Government on
which to make the start. The peo-
pic were in covered wagons, bug
gies, carts, on horseback-in short,
every wsy possible. At 10 o'clock
the signal was given and the great
mass Of humanity moved of with
tho horsemen in tho lead. At frst
it was one solid moving column,
but they soon scattered, each one
taking his course and trying TO win
home.