The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-08-08

folks left with me on a trip to the
West, consisting of w. D. Rhoad
Francis Bamberg, Miss Alma Sandi-
fer, Miss Blanche Hair, Belton Hair,
Mrs. G. F. Hair and myself. We
met a party at Nashville, Tenn, call
ed the Radnor party which consisted
of seventy-seven people. We trav-
eled in special trains with Pullmans
and dining cars attached. From
Nashville we went to st. Louis over
the n. G. & st. L. R. R. Leaving
St. Louis We made our way to Kan
sas City, Mo. We had the pleasure
of stopping and seeing Kansas City
which we were very much impressed
with as a business city. We left
Kansas City over the Rock Island
R. R. We were very much impressed
with the wheat fields and corn. The
wheat was green, this being June
goth, and now looks as if it would
be July 1st to the 5th before it will
be ready for harvest, and the corn is
planted in three to four feet rows
and about eight to ten inches on the
drill and now about six inches high,
just worked out once.
note that the low lands of Mis-
souri, need drainage like the low
lands of South Carolina, but the
high lands are broken like the Pied
mont section of South Carolina, re-
minds me very much of the Pied
mont section of our dear old Palmet-
to State. The farmers l note live in
just ordinary houses. l do not see
much stock as we did in passing
through Tennessee. We are now
travelling through the central part OF
Missouri and l note quite a lot OF
unimproved lands which are broken
and used great deal for stock rails
ing. We are now passing through
what is known as the Jesse and
Frank James territory and we are
told that they have passed over all
these hills and ravines and were a
terror to most of the country.
We are now passing through the
West central part of Missouri and
find it level and beautiful fields
of.wheat and corn, but note the ab-
sence of the negro; in fact, l am told
by citizens here that they do not al
low a negro to stop over in the town.
We are now passing through Kansas
and see potatoes and wheat and corn.
l note the white folks do all
the work. This is June the
goth, and L note that the pota-
toes are just blooming, but the stand
is perfect and should produce great
yield. The corn is about twelve
inches high, which is the best l see,
and Just worked out. We are cross
ing Kansas over the Southern Pa
cific along the Kansas river. We
have just passed Sharon Springs,
Kansas, six miles of the Colorado
line, and the country is rolling and
all of it used for grazing, raising
mule colts which we see in groups
over the plains, and I note all along
the railroad is fenced on both sides.
The land seems to be of a gray soil.
We are now within about hundred
and fifty miles of Denver and as far
as l can see 1 do not see where
plow has ever been put in the soil
and everybody seems to be living
from raising of stock by keeping all
of their lands we'll fenced, and note
very few trees and all of the farm
ers live in small but neatly
painted houses. The stations all
along are small. I saw my first cul-
tivated land, field of oats, about
twelve inches high just beginning to
head. 1 note one small curiosity
along the railroad which consists of
small heaps of sand about two feet
in diameter and upon inquiry was
told they were ant hills, dotted all
about. 1 saw house made of mud,
about six inch thick walls, and just
high enough for man of low stature
to walk into. We have just passed
Kit Carson, a small station, and saw
his grave, which is one hundred and
sixty miles from Denver, and we are
still in the grazing country, over
which Indians used to roam and Kit
Carson was a great terror to them.
note also a great number of lit
tie prairie dogs all over the plains
which seem to pose as statues for us
as we pass by.
This is now June 21st and twelve
noon, and I now have the great
pleasure of the first peep at the
Rocky Mountains, which l see in the
distance, snow capped. We are now
thirty miles from Denver and see