Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-08-03
Awhrsl on the prairle

NWhcei on the Prairie.
have had bicycle trip today over
to che ranch" and back The round
| t'p is twenty miles. and the most OF
the read is c'ong the ridges and
through the canyons of the bluffy
prairie Along the river valleys in
Nebraska the roads are level and
smooth and hard, but when enc gets
up into the bluffs among the great
green pillows 1t is different So long
as one can follow the ridges between
canyons the Slopes are long and
gentle. hut when he must cross over
there is pitch downward where only
careful use of the coaster brake
viii keep him from break-necR
plunge into the tall weeds at the bot.
tom. And then he must push his
wheel-ahnost lift II UP the opposite
slope Under a hot sun--mercury up
into the COS this is moist, puffy bust.
meas, And such plungings and push.
ines are frequent enough to keep one
rom feeling OF monotony
Yet 1t Pays.
If you ask me, comrade, where's the
fun In such performance. let me tell
you, sir, that IL is well worth while to
get upon some of the high places of
the great, fal.reaching prairie and
there view the landscape Ger In.
spring it is. and | wish could tell
YOU just how it is Words, we'll used
can give a little bit of an idea of il.
but only that The camera can give
only a suggestion, even II the picture
be tinted by the genius OF ala artist
The only way TO get the real thing Is
to stand over yonder upon one Of the
highest pillows of that green sea,
when the atmosphere is as tianspar
int as crystal, the glorious sunlight
flooding the hills all around you, bring
ing out beautiful harmony Of all
shades of green and brown and yell
low and purple-grassy slopes. great
fields OF corn, patches OF ripe grain
and vast areas OF alfalfa IN bloom,
with scattering groves along the deep
canyons aud upon timber cleims her
and there-and then let your Cad
soul feast upon the beauty Of II, Oh IL
is grand, 5ake my word for It. know
what ] am talking about
Not AS They Used To Be.
You understand from what have
said about corn and wheat and al
falfa, OF course, that these bluffs are
not in their primitive condition. There
are no Wild Indians galloping over
yonder billowy landscape 10 make
one AFRAID of his scalp; but there are
herds of peaceful cattle on the hill
sides, men riding sulky cuItivators IN
the great cornflelds and Gathering
mowers in the alfalfa Also, there are
farmers cottages and barns and tall
windmills a mile or two or three
apart Now and then there Is great
farmhouse with small villages % out
houses. ! saw one such where there
were extensive hog. houses. and. you
know, hogs are q token OF wealth I
saw IN the village one day Eve loads
OF big hogs on the way 70 the depot.
They came from the hog yards Of
which ! have just spoken. 1t was said
that those teams had made two trips
o day for several DAYS and still there
were hogs left WIS told that thar
Particular Danish farmers establish
ment was worth $4,000 and that he
and his family are exercising them.
selves TO get more and more.
The men who till these bluffs own
land by the half section and section
With some Of them thousand acres
is just a respectable farm You can
take up that land, oomrade, for from
forty 60 seventy-6ve dollars per acre
The man whc has his thousand acres
is intending IN year or two 10 buy
another quarter or half section he
has his eye avon, and then by-and-by
some more
Some of the hs'uses along the way
are slnaH and witheut sign Of
tree yet set out stopped al ont
eneh place on the top Of a ridge to get
drink of water. The good lady
living Up there told me that the well
Rom bieh I drank was 2e4 feet deep.
That well would buy Sung little
iaItn III kDtue parts OF The country,
The lady told me thar she liked living
there IN the summer with SO grand
q yiew--but when the winter sindf
came roaring. clustering. bllzzarding.
etc, it ig moi quite so pleasing
Some Bleak Spots.
Among the hleakest and most lone
~ spots over in the blrTs" Is tie
occasional sehoolhouset The appes.-.
auce Of those saw Is not such as 10
present any incentive % culture.
presume these Nebraska lassies arc
the best 81 teacbcrs and so attract
and train the little ones of the prai
lie: yet 81 seems 10 me that they
must be The chief If nol the only at.
traction a. these waysiJ4 schools
have geen the inside Of orc o. two
sgch ehooibuuses, ard they DO not
srem much more pleasing than their
outside surroundings. ! think that II I
we're The moving spirit OF school
toard I'd try 70 make the place where
our boys ard girls are 10 get their
first schooling the pleasantest m the
commHnitY-s 7 would