Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1905-12-29

quire about Kansas that l Just had
to write up description of every
thing | saw, as it took so much of
my time to tell them Individually
and our Moweaqua paper publish
ed it.
gave my views as to it being
very much as it was in its earlier
days and in many respects after
many years of development / feel
that I'd drawn a very fair picture
OF the new country.
On FEBRUARY %, IA, Mr.. j. W.
Grlams and wife. their little
daughter, Edna, and Miss Drenes-
ey Ayers, sister of Mrs. GRAINS.
Mr.. and Mrs. Lige Hanon and Mr..
Jos. II. Hanon. Mr.. Ned Tohson
started to Pawnee Rock, also nv
self and family, consisting of wife
and three children, Oldest one 5
years old. After a wearysome
trip of four days we arrived at
the Rock and when we stepped off
on the platform it was showing
and blowing almost hard enough
to sweep us off of the platform
and no place to go, about 4 a. m.
and cold, and about the first thing
thought of was, Oh what a fool
to leave a good comfortable home
and good business and drag nv
family into such a storm as this.
l did not care for myself, but for
my wife and children.
We went over north of the rail-
road, Mr.. Orrin took us in out
of the storm with all the rest of
the crowd. He had a little one
and One-half story house with one
room below and one above. or a
piece OF one built out of plank set
up and down, and no plastering.
but he and his wife being Ken
tuckianS, and he an old Confeder-
ate soldier, they Just done their
best for us, and there was little
store room Just east of the Irwin
house and Mr.. Lightner had gone
after a little stock of goods, and
was expected back any day. and
was gong to open up his stock in
1t, and Mr.. GriamS and family
and myself and family took pos
session of the room, put up a stern
enough household to get along on,
and Mr.. Irwin gave us a few sticks
| of wood he had hauled for miles
to keep our folks from freezing
until we could go to the Bend on
the first train. We bought seven
or eight bushels of coal and boxes
to asput it in; had it taken to the
depot anu expressed it to the Rock.
and got home about 4 a. H.. the
next morning. Counting all ex-
penSeS, it cost 81. 90 per bushel and
we made that do two or three DAVIS.
until it moderated, and then we
took Mr.. Griams' team and got a
load at 500 a ton, which seemed
like burning money, and then |
hauled lumber for a house, 14x2O,
one story, which | bought of
Brinkman's, and me, with all the
help | could get, soon had my
house up, and Mr.. GRAMS fam
lily and my own moved in. and then
Mr.. GRAINS built his house prob
ably three miles east, down the
bottom, and by that time Mr..
Ferry and family came on and
settled south of town on the river.
| He had one-fourth homestead
and One-fourth timber claim. He
broke out thirty acres and put it
in corn, which was fine prospect
till the hOppers came, and l had
Is acres broke and planted in
corn-1O acres on the Sc one
fourth, and balance on southwest
one-fourth, and my corn looked
we'll. | also had a nice little or
chard, and by the way the Barton
: County Register gave an account
OF some one at the Bend growing
J the first tame fruit in the county.
i The paper stated that thew had