Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1913-07-03
LETTER FROM GEO. n. RANpLE


Box Elder, Mont, June 80.
Editor White and Son
Mexico, Mo.
Dear sirs:
thought would give the readers
of your valuable paper few sketch
es of our trip, the crops and coun-
try.
My wife and left Mexico june IL |
over the Wabash for the Northwest
to enjoy the sight of the great
mounds and broad valleys, the beauti.
full farms. We found the crops about
the same until we reached here, then
a turn for the better. We arrived at
Havre at p m, the 18th too late
to make connection for this place;
we soon met Mr.. Joe Norman, of
Mexico; he was so surprised he hard
ly knew us. When we registered at
the Hotel, we were surprised to
learn that the mistress Of the Hotel
was Mrs. Murphy, formerly of Par
Is, Mo, and sister Of Mrs. Wood
Talley. near Worcester. We soon be-
came acquainted and spent some time
In a homelike conversation. We were
given good quarters for the night,
and at 4:30 the next morning took
the train for this place, twenty five
miles southwest from Havre; there
we were met by friends and escorted
six miles in the country to. our pres
ent resting place. My wife was made
very sick by riding on the cars, 9th
erwise everything went well. We
saw thousands of acrse in Eastern
Montana that we would call worth
less. It looked like it was COM
menced in the creation and never fin
ished; but here in this part of the
state is lovely, where not many
years ago the home of the indian and
] buffalo, then later the ranchman with
his herd of thousands Of sheep. But
now, most all the stock gone, and
every quarter section has house or
small shack upon which you will find
pretty young lady or bachelor, or
more frequent family Of from six
to ten in size and as clever a people
as you ever met They are here
fiom the Atlantic to the Pacific
: and from Canada to the Gulf Of Mex
ico, and not one that would not hail
you with a glad welcome. and as
l soon as we enter their shack fire
is started and meal is served be
J. fore we are allowed to depart. There
! are a great many new settlers her'
that after they pay the land-locater
$1,000 to $500 to locate them on
. suitable claim, then $1,000 to Uncl
Sam they have spent about all the,
have. Yet they are Il
fairly good shape to spen
three years here to prove up, on tn
good nature of the citizens they can
get along without having a penny 81
given them. Those who hav
teams help those that are less fortul
ate, besides. they can employ tn
steam pIow to break the sod at $40
per acre. or they will plow, ro
and harrow all at once for $3.50 pt
acre. They get from fifteen
twenty acres a day broke; the con
mon laborer gets $500 per day an
board; carpenters get from $500
$3.50 per day and board; there al
not many fisrt,class carpenters hel
The soil is red, very rich and produ
i've. Gardens and truck patches al
Z as good as anywhere, without any
enriching at all; I dug down fol
feet In search of hard pan but ne
? er found It; the soil is the san
at the bottom as on surface and Il
I very loose and does not pack aft
rain. see by the Mexico pape
1 (Ledger and Message) that it
still dry and very warm. How diffe
ent here. While this is prairie cot
try and not very close to the mou
tains altho we can see them, yet '
are having plenty of rain, the mig
of the 18th we had a big rain, al
several showers since; l am weari
my winter suit and have to keep I
coat and vest on most of the tim
also sleep in the room with the w
dows and doors closed, together vi
good supply of quilts to keep co
Portable. It fs warm when the s
J I shines. but there is always 90
breeze. the altitude being 2770 4
!. above level. Strange but must
true, they do not suffer here in W
: ter, as all the settlers say the sa,
thing. There are some houses s.
ply enclosed without any plaster
and they winter in them all right
en- though It registers 30 degrees
!. low zero
~ Plenty Of grass here, the princip