Semi-weekly herald., 1909-08-26
DR.. McEwen Writes
Interesting Letter

Geo N. Raymond. editor of The
Herald. is in receipt OF the following
letter which we take the privilege OF
publishing nearly in full as Ii win he
found very interesting. being from Or.
| ", w. McEwen who has been touring
the east for the past six weeks or
two months.
Those who cannot make a trim to
the outside may be Interested in know
Ing how the country elsewhere is. This
is my excuse for writing
Beginning outside OF the irrigated
area In central Nebraska, corn is i'm.
mense, alfalfa good. and small grain
fair. Down this Republican river as
FAR as the eye can reach on either
side of the railroad, vast fields of corn
and alfalfa with great droyes of most
ly red hogs, are to be seen for two
hundred miles or more-in fact all
through Nebraska. Kansas. Missouri
Illinois, Indiana and northern Ohio. ex.
cepting along the Missouri river where
crops have been destroyed-except the
mules, and some of the farms also
One would think This vast corn bel,
mas corn enough to feed all the world
and fatten all the hogs too.
After leaving Colorado but little fruit
Is seen except In parts of northern
| Missouri where the apple trees are
| full. Eastern Kansas and southern
| Illinois have few apples, peaches and
| pears Along the south shore of Lake
Erie are few apples, but no peaches
Tell the pessimist who says that an
| pies will be overdone in La Plata and
San Juan counties that from Colorado
east are not enough orchards to sup.
ply local demands. In fact. the or.
| chards are small with few exceptions
Tor such vast territory. In Missouri
and Illinois are some fair sized apple
orchards but thesei are not generally
I'm healthy condition, nor cared for
Bordering Lake Erie are some fine.
well kept peach orchards, but no
danger of raising too many Colorado
o: New Mexico apples or pears. With
grapes II is different For miles along
| Lake Erie and Ontario are fine grapes.
al fine as can be found In California.
have been trapsling soma lately
visiting my early haunts in Kansas.
where | lived but ten years ago.
| find so many friends that | promised
dozen or more to take supper the
first night, all OF which countermand
ed but three. l have crossed Kansas
north and south four times, and Illinois
three, and am east of II now; all this
| in visiting my old homes II costs
bills. 2 cents Il mile.
In Illinois where lived over thirty
years ago. the men and women are
| nearly all dead. the boys and girls
| unknown. and when introduced say.
"Oh, yes; | used to go to school with
him" Where | lived forty-nlne years
| ago neither the people nor the same
/ ''uhAy III TtuHbllNtllit
where | am now. the towns bear the
| same names yet all else Is OF a later
generation. did not stop along there,
| such scenes are but sad, as all you
ever knew are dead and gone now.
find from eastern Kansas on east,
land is selling far below Its true
value. The reason given Is that these
states are becoming manufacturing
| states and people are leaving the coun
try and going to the cities. The final
result | can guess as well as dream
One thing President Roosevelt's coun
| try commission has not solved that is
| Cody true-in way of these old farm.
| ing communicable people. most OF
! them, are so ptiably poor that they
do not enjoy the necessities of life ex-
cepting food which is usually plentiful
| and wholesome.
| forgot to say that | am writing
this by arclight on the brink Of Nj
asara Falls were the roar OF the rush.
| ing water and the cool mist-laden
| breeze Is In pleasant contract with
| the torrid heat l have experienced
| lately In st Louis and In southern
| Illinois. ! stopped in St Louis a while
to see DR.. Pinkney Freund do some
select surgery and during my stay
twenty-five were killed with the heat
The last night there spent part of
/: in the bath tub.
| ! go to Toronto from here and will
be home for September frosts,
| W. W. McEWEN.