Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-02-19
A LETTER
FROM OREGON
Written by rrs. j. L. BeadIe
and Very Interesting to
Grand RAPIDS Friends

Grand Rapids Friends
Editor Reporter:-As We have been
here nearly a year and have seen all
kinds Of Oregon weather. l viii write
and tell you that We are not els
satisfied with the change. The rainy
season is not very pleasant, but is
not so hard on US as the cold, windy
snow storms OF Wisconsin. We have
some wind occasionally We had the
hardest wind last week one day, that
We have had since we came here.
OF course it is very muddy part CT
the time during the rainy season. If
it rains for two or three days it VIII
be very muddy, but the water soon
runs off. We never saw a place
where the mud would dry so quickly
unless it were a sandy soil. Ana
We have no sand here We had TO
so seven miles to get sand to build
our chimney. The rains are not
yesterday morning stood at % degrees
above. And the coolest We have had
yet. One morning last week We got
up and found about 112 inches Of
snow, but it did not last long after
the sun got up. The fields OF gra. IL
and clover are nice and green. We
have kept apples in sacks on the
porch all winter so far. We wash
out in the wood shed yet.
Roses and chrysanthemums are il
bloom out doors. l have a boquet OF
violets grown cut doors, they are
very fragrant Fuch as are left in
the ground all winter, aid unless the
winter is an extremely cold one they
come through all right. One of our
neighbors has one that has been out
four winters and bloomed profuseIy
all summer. You should see the pars-
hips we got a week or two ago. One
of them was five inches in diane, er
at the top. Cabbage is Left out and
gathered as wanted. Young stock
get their living so far and VII all
winter unless the snow should come
too deep and stay too long.
People are ploughing now Most
people use three horses on plough,
reaper and mower. Prices range
about as there. Eggs have been %
cents, butter 40 cents. We set tie
most of our groceries, flour and meat
in Portland. We have our own but
ter and eggs. We got fruit enough
to last until next fruit season. We
get a greater variety here than We
did in Wisconsin. We have two
kinds of prunes, both dried and can
ned. The plums, peaches, pears and
prunes are certainly very fine. Ber-
ries of all kinds are plenty. and good.
Stock, especially COWS, are very
high here, from sos up. One Of our
neighbors sold one a. short tine
ago for $50. The people who bought
her say they are making two pounds
of butter per day from her
There will be considerable oats
sown this month if the weather
keeps as it is now My brother,
George Blake, is here now He has
bought 80 acres, of land next to ours
Land is raising in price. The farm
joining us on the north is valued at
as ours. The land is certainly We y
productive. One can raise anyth ng
here that can be raised in Wiscon-
sin except timothy. That is a ia lure
in some places. My brother says he
is going to try it. Glover grows big
here. If you C ould see the prunes
here and eat them fresh you would
almost want to come here to live.
They are certainly delicious. The PEG
pie here are so very nice and friend
dg One just has to love them. 1
expect the improvements there are
cAu CIAAS141@ 1api dIy NCblt Int "
drop i'm on the friends for a visit.
Not this winter though. The Dun
aven families are we'll and doing well
Robert has a new house built; they
also have a large barn but. l
have not been to see them since
broke my arm, so do not know how
THEIR house and barn looks. 1t is
now over a year since We left Wis
consin. I can hardly realize it. We
have many birds here all winter.
The cats here 60 not seem to catch
many birds And there are not very
many cats anyway T hat is one
thing that does not thrive very wei |
No danger of being overrun by them.
If this is we'll received Will write |
again sometime
Mrs J. S. BeadIe,
R. R. 1, Monroe, Oregon.
February 4, 1914.