West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-04-27
NUMBER rs.

leaves the Ozark country behind
and enters a prairie district with a
good deal Of woodland along the
waiercourses. The surface looks
extremely level to one accustomed
to West Virginia hills. 1t Is. how
ever a little undulaung and here
and there the ground breaks down
half dozen feet within distance of
few rods. A ledge of rocks may
crop out in such place. but on the
surface in general loose stones are
very scarce. The soil is black and
when thoroughly wet 1t makes mud
which is deep and sticky. The
streams are turbid and arc seldom
bridged. Even the "draws" may
bother person on foot and he may
have to crawl through the barbed
wire fencing and make circuit
around. Often dam will be thrown
across a draw to provide water for
cattle. Springs are fewer on the
prairie and the drinking water is no,
so good. But it is better general
farming country than the Ozarks,
especially for corn, and is claimed
to be quite as good for fruit. In
both regions garden vegetables do
well. Planting is done early, so
that as far as possible the crops will
escape a long dry spell which is liza.
BILE TO come on at the close OF SUM
mer.
The open prairie is entirely GOV.
cred with grass in its wild state and
the farmers give their chief attention
to cattle.raising. This grass will
make a ton or more of hay to the
acre and they begin cutting it the
middle of July. Along the railroads
a good deal is baled for shipment.
1t brings 81 ton at the station.
The country districts look thinly
peopled. With few exceptions the
houses are mere shacks and most of
them are unpainted. They soon
grow black and seldom is there
tree or paling fence torelieve their
ugllness. But then most of these
homes are occupied by renters.
Neither landlord nor tenant feels
like putting up any thing better than
little, cheap house. But as the
country passes under private owner
ship better houses will appear
One day while / was out on the
prairie a man talked with left his
team standing in the field and asked
me TO go with HIM and see the sort
of shack he lived in. 1t was a tent
house with three rooms standing in
row. The walls were only four
feet high and covered with odds and
ends. The timbers were driven
deep into the ground, for there is
much wind in that country. The
roof was simply a canvas cover
which had just been tarred and so
the air within was heavily perfumed
until the doors were opened and the
breeze let in. There was only an
earth floor TO the kitchen. There
was no inside lining to the house
and not an inch Of wallpaper The
furnishings were as PLAIN as the
house itself. The mans wife said
the breeze kept the shack cool in
summer and their wood stove made
II plenty warm in winter. They
were alone except for little grand
daughter. The child was onc-cighth
Cherokee. except when something
made her mad, and then she was all
Indian. Coz. ZEPH BRooMsEDGE.
The food Of Jefferson day oratory
shows conclusiuely that the democ-
racy Of Judge Alton B. Parker and
William J. Bryan is as far apart as
ever it was and that there seems to
be no chance Of them ever getting
together. The people will have to
take their choice between these two
brands Of democracy, and it does
not require a man possessed Of sec.
ond sight 20 tell which one will be
chosen by the vast majority Of the
people. The Jefferson Day banquet
at Chicago came nearer the ideas
that Jefferson believed in as voiced
| by the speakers there than any held
in the country and was really iol-
lifcation over the victory won by
ihe people in that city at the recent
| city election, and in nearly every
speech made there was a tribute to
Hon. William Radolph Hearst, and
the work of his papers IN that fight
for the people though his name was
not mentioned
Dr. J.. w. Cobun Of Masontown.
has removed to Morgan,own, where
he will in the future reside. lie has
built a residence i'm Souib Park