Missouri Valley times., 1899-02-16

i u II
think the climate would be Just the
place for bald-headed men and old
maids whose hair is beginning to come
out. kansas is good place for the
blind, too, as anyone coming here gen
orally gets his eyes opened.
4 This state is noted for it's sunfiow.
ers, along with many other things that
bother the people. Sunfowers attain
great size here and arc to be seen ev.
erywhere-in every place. have seen
them twenty FIVE feet high staEdine
among corn in the fields and so strong
that they would sweep q wagon-box of
the standards. There are great many
hard, mean things said about the sun.
flower here that would not repeat,
This beautiful flower always turns to
the suD, which reminds me of Thomas
Moore's lines:
20, the heart that has truly loved never
f0rgets,
But as truly loves unto the close.
AS the sunflower turns on her god
when he sets
The same look that she gave when
he rose.'
Jack-rabbtts are about as much of q
nuisance here as the office.seeker. No.
body writes poetry about them, how
ever, but kill all they can-jack-rab
bits, I mean-snd sell their hides,
which are sent to Paris and tanned and
are then sold in the markets of the
world as French seal skins. This is an
unvarnished Fact.
Another nuisance is the hedge fence.
There are 100000 miles Of hedge
fence in Kansas. It is generally al
lowed to go untrimmed along the
country roads. In summer it is as hot
as furnace to travel road which is
fenced on each side with hedge and in
winter the snow is swept by the wind
from the fields and lodges in the road,
being stopped by the hedge. This
makes the roads bad and causes q great
deal of profane language. All LOT these
trials are cansed by the hedge-fence
nuisance.
notice Harrison county fusionists
staid away from the polls last Novem-
ber and allowed the enemy to take the
offices. The fusionists did the same in
this state. A prominent politician
here told me that by actual count
10000 populists staid at home election
day last November. So, Stsnley's g great
victory here-l6,OOO majority-was a
result of populist indifference, stupid.
ity and general cussedness. They'll
come In next time and vote out the re.
publicsns. as the boasts of the latter
are rousing up the stay.at-homes and
they will have blood in their systems
next time. This is not q republican
state.
| didn't intend to write q word about
politics when began, but as am q
voter here now and will be requested
to vote for srlb-director soon, 1t must
have turned my reason upside down
and there fore am not responsible fol
it,,
Tho coldest day reported here thil
winter was 2 below zero. 1 notice ,
great difference In the winter weather
here from that in Iowa. The coldes
[.days here the wind was northeast, very
damp and raw, and as chilling as tn,
lowe south winds in winter. Pneu
monia is more prevalent here than 1,
Harrison county, while la grippe i'm
proves in severity the further soutl
one goes.
\ Alfred Hester and wife, of Blair
: Neb., old Harrison county settlers, lef
for home today after visit of fiv'
weeks here with their son.in-law
Chsuncey A. Linn.
Today the weather is warm and tn
cold snap is off, hope for good.
Il expect to be in Harrison count,
again before November next, YER,
.likely before. intend to locate i,
Missouri Valley. I am satisfied tha
there is no better place than Harrison
county, Iowa, and the man who dis
poses Of home there to find bette
place will search in vain.
This letter is little rambllng-but
amt home sick; not q bit, but expec
to be. The TINES always comes OF
time and is read and re-read by every
, body ON the ranch.