Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-02-16
WRITES OF HER HOMESTEAD Ex.
PERIENcE IN THE
WEST.
RAPID GROWTH OF LAyINA, MONTANA
Mild Winter There Has Been A Con-
trast To That Experience
In Iowa.

ceived all right; but so little time
had elapsed since coming here to
this far off land of Montana that
there seemed very little knowledge
at hand to communicate and SO have
procrastinated from time to ! time.
However. now on the approach OF
spring, the inertia that has pos
sessed US, seems passing away with
the snow and we will endeavor to
comply with the request.
We do really pity Manchester still
wrapped closely in its wintry shroud
while We are rejoicing in the brown
plains, only dotted here and there
with patch of white, where the
snow had drifted a little, and the
scene enlivened by the grazing
sheep and cattle.
This has been the hardest winter
here for long time and yet hun
dreds of cattle have picked their liv-
ing on the range without either hay
-
or grain, and are in fair condition.
One large band Of sheep, between
two and three thousand in number,
with the camp wagon are in sight
from the window where we are
writing and they have been on the
range all winter without hay and
only a little grain for four or five
mornings before it broke up.
We hardly think a man would
want to live in a canvas covered
wagon all winter in Iowa; but that
is what the herder, who has charge
of this band of sheep, has done
during their more than usual hard
season.
For people it has not been hard,
and we never remember of putting
in winter when we suffered SO
little with the cold as here, and am
ready to pronounce it most de
lightful cold season except for the
drawback of thinking Of the cattle
Is :
and shep on the range without shell
ter or extra feed, and also OF the
expense to the. owners thereof I, who
endeayored as far as possible to re
lieve the situation.
The men who own the band i
have spoken Of shipped, at an enor-
nous avnapra about cnyo,, +ho,,co,,,
head of sheep over the Chi. Mil. r
R. to point east of here about
sixty miles, where they could pro
cure large quantities of hay.
They had brought the before men
toned band, in two days drive OF
the way to the station for shipment
when Presto! chinook wind arrived
on the scene to solve the problem
by removing the snow so they could
get their own living.
Letters of inquiry have come from
time to time asking about the ,deptf
Of snow, etc., and saying they hat
read in the, papers of the deel
SHOWS in Montana.
At New Years time the snow
was about ten inches deep on a ley
ell here in this section; but of cours,
up in the mountains it has been yer!
heavy; near Judith Gap there yer,
two wrecks because of it, on the Bill
lings and Northern r. R., and tina
| is less than fifty miles away. Ais,
inquiries as to how deep the groun,
was frozen? When the SHOWS cam
in December, there was no frost ii
the Aground and Of course the snoy
protected it then.
During the first week in January
heavy winds blew the snow off il
exposed places and the ground froz
some. However, it seems to hav
thawed out with the warm weatf
er and several days ago the boy
drove stakes down two feet, will
out any trouble from frost.
1t really is a surprise to Sc
how our cattle and horses that wer
in the barns and fed alfalfa hay du
ing the cold time, will now feed a
day on this buffalo grass on th
range.
| AS to how cold it has been, W
have kept no account of the ave
age, though there has not bee
more than six or seven nights whe
the mercury went down to twent
or below, and it would warm up /.
much during the day and in this d1
air even twenty does not seem vel
tedious.
II You will perhaps excuse this col
munication if it is somewhat mo
, personal than is good form, as '
are writing for acquaintances
we'll as the public.
My two children, Minnie Ma
and Asa Friend, with their famili
and myself, together with Charl
Beckner, from near Edgewood, Io7
have each one-foufth of section
: up on the bends, five miles nor
. east of Lavina.-a station on t
Chi. Nil. R. R.
Near us are several Iowa famil
and Frank Miller Of Greeley. is
section thirty-four cornerfng W
4 ours.
e On coming here the 4th of Il
d March to file on my claim, tht
IS was but one cabin in sight af
4 leaving Lavina, and now the plain
3 dotted with houses even out beyo
y as far as three or four miles.
o OF course their all coming duri
this last season, but little farm