The Red Cloud chief., 1896-08-21
From Oklahoma

TO rIIE EDIruB:-it You can spare
room | thought "a few itrm~ taken
while on our journey south through
klu-a, and into Ohioupma might nr 't
interest 90 some OF 'hy readers Of your
valuable paper. oar conveyance D., 20
very light spring wagon containing %
very limited campers outfit, having
dispensed with everything not ab>"-
lutcly necessary, in order To max" a>
quick time as possible. We left home,
JudSon, Kansas, July Goth, and our
first day out proved to h" the most
eventual one. In the forenoon we u
"A light shower sufficient to lay the dust
and cool the air, and we campcd or
dinner at the old Gates farm six miles
south of Red Cloud. Soon after noon
we had another shower making the
roads quite heavy. A .hIrd shower
caugl, us about nine miles from Burr
Oak, Kansas, and as it was raining in
the wagon | moved back into the bed
ding. | had hardly got seated when
lightning struck the wagon. 1t struck
on the left front burning Il holethrongh
oil cloth and muslin running up and
tearing the wagon sheet at the top and
splitting the bow at the top, running
down and Utterly shrcdding the sheet
at the corner burning the rope in two
and scattering the lint like chaif for a
distance of several feet, and knocking
one Of the horses down. When | took
in the situation the wagon sheet was
loose and Tapping, one horse lay
floundering On the ground, the other
frightened and kicking. 1t seems al.
most miraculous that we were un-
injured and the only other damage was
a broken single-tree and a strap. w"
went half a mile I o a farmers and sue
ceeded in getting repairs sufficient to
enable us To continue our journey 10
Burr Oak where we arrived about six
o'clock and one too soon for it began
pouring rain and two inches of water
fell. The next day we continued our
journey south by way of Mankato,
Jewell City and Beloit, AT Mankato
we passed the jewell county fair
grounds and were surprised to find the
buildings so much inferior to those of
Webster county. From Mankato to
Beloit we find "a good section Of coun.
try and we pass many beautiful farms
with commOdious dwellings and fine
orchards. Crops are good all the way
and we feel that truly CORN rs KING.
Beloit in Mitchell county is "a nice city
with line business buildings comfort
able homes and well kept lawns. The
celebrated Randall rock" is much
used mere, The old.tashined English
ivy is found here growing in great pro.
fusion, reaching 10 the tops Of the
houses and in some instances it is seen
clingIng TO the shingles.
We q the solomon river at Brioit
and the absence OF windmillS is soOu
noticeable, Upon inquiry we lind that
water j. scarce, and that what wells
there Is are very shallow and known
as surface OF wet weather water. We
lind much of it Ia he quite salty. A.
we travel on We lind the country more
thinly settled and much of the land il
very rocky. Rock is used for every
thing, fences, fence posts, houses and
in IN place we saw a water trough
made Of rock. The country III south
Mitchell and north Lincoln counties Is
very rough, When we campcd at
nigh. We inquired of a girl about six.
teen years old, if anyone lived in that
country. "Oh, yes But they
mostly all live in the hollers," was the
reply. An Old lady who was there
from Oklahoma visiting her daughter
said that they (her d%aughter) were
doing well there as they raised SO much
katir corn aud stock. Upon inquir-
ing how much stock they had we re-
ceived the reply -four cows and two