Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-03-03

by Mrs. D, NJ. Valentine In Journal
Of History.

In the early spring Of 1860 We
moved to Peoria City, then tbc.coun-
ty seat Of franklin county. This VII
Ilage was located on tho banks Of the
Marias des Cysnes River about eight
miles east Of the present city of Of
tawa, though at that time all the
country surrounding where Ottfwa
now stands was an Indian reservation
and Ottawa was not even in contem-
plation. M
On our way from Leavenworth
down to Peoria City we fordcd the
kansas river at Lawrence, a thing
few people ever did; in fact, have
never been told by any other woman
that she had had a similar expert
ence. The river was very low, but
the qulcksand was very deep, and 1t
took considerable effort and ingen-
luity to keep the horses going, for the
quicksand, stiff current and a
strong wind threatened to upset us
at any moment.
The year 1860 was the year of the
terrible drought; such drought as
probably had never visited the state
before, and such as has never visited
1t since. Eleven long months with
out a drop Of rain. The spring
opened rather promisingly, though.
dry, but no rain came, and soon the
growing crops, the wild berries, the
prairie grass, the natural and planted
forage, and every living vegetable
thing, withered where 1t grew, died
and scattered to the northward be-
fore the heavy, hot scorching blasts
that blew continuously from the
south. II by any chance there was
anything which through favoring
circumstances retained life the grass
hoppers, swarmlng in clouds, settled
upon It and completed the work of
devastation.
Then was the ingenuity Of the
housewife taxed in equal proportion
to that of the provider All through
the hot summer, and up to late in the
fall, when aid commenced to come in
from the eastern states, there was
actually not a potato, tomato, head
Of lettuce, cabbage, onion, radish,
bean or any kind Of garden vegetable
to be had In that village or the sur
rounding country. Neither was there
any meat of any kind excepting a lit
tie wild game, nor any butter, eggs
or even milk. The cows dried up.
So did the wells, and we carried
water for household purposes other
than washing clothes nearly q mile
up the highest bluff in Kansas. I'VE,
took our washing down to the river.
and did the laundry work in pools Of
water left in the river bed; dirty,
filthy water as l remember It now.
We did not waste any water at our
homes you may rest assured. The
children were certainly not weakened
by too frequent baths.
In the neighboring field few tur-
nIps managed to grow, and these fur
nlshed both vegetable and fruit diet.
Because Of lack Of market, quite a
good deal Of corn had been left over
from the year before, so we had mush
without milk, and corn bread and
such other corn dishes as desperation
could suggest. have made corn
bread day after day until the odor of
its cooking would almost nauseate
me, so tired had become Of It; but
/ had to make It and had to eat 1t,
too, for at times there was nothing
else.
One time I got some potatoes from
the "Aid Store" AS / was peeling
them for boiling purposes, an old
lady who happened to be calling on
me seriously chlded me because ] did
so, for even potato peelings were too
precious to be thrown away. Can
any woman who has ever done her
own cooking think of worse situa-
ton in the face Of insistent demands
Of vigorous young appetites?
That winter Mr.. Valentine killed
many prairie chickens which came
to feed on the sumach bushes sur
rounding our house like a young
orchard, for there was nothing else
for them to eat. But they were very
thin and poor, there was no lard to
cook them in, no butter to season
them with, and dry prairie chicken
Is about the most uninviting substi-
tute for something toothsome and
nourishing Of anything know about.
Think Of eating prairie chicken
every day SO cooked and served. Mr..
Valentine also managed to gather a
large crop OF hickory nuts, which