West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-10-19
Letter from Col. Matiick
Kahoka. September 81,

a copious rainfall on the evening oi
the 10th. followed with repeated show.
ers until the S1st. This month has
been mainly clear and cool. We had
our first frost on the morning OF the
, 18th and two moro on the nth and
18th. with the thermometer indicating
20 and Ss degrees respectively.
The leaves OF all vines on the bot
toms were killed. but the late corn
was not damaged much. After the
showers came the late corn grew and
developed very fast. and the dry
weather In this month is maturing Il
nicely, so that there will be more
corn than we thought was possible.
The big water melon crop on the
bottoms near the Des Moincs and Mis-
sissippi rivers Is about exhausted, al
though they arc still coming I'm by
the wagon loads.
Now the sweet potato crop. which ia
excellent, Is being marketed.
A few years ago there was a can
ming factory in Kahoka, which was de-
stroyed by fire except the salt house
and vats for pickles. The plant here
liz branch OF one I'm Keokuk, Iowa.
| and is In charge OF two mon, one OF
whom travels nearly all OF the time
along the line OF the railroad west OF
here contracting with farmers for so
many acres OF cucumbers and supply
ing them with seed. and also superin-
tending the delivery OF the crop of
pickles. The other man superintends
the plant here. which, since the FIRE.
only consists OF the store room for salt
and twenty-one vats, with capacity
OF one thousand bushels each OF pick
els. The company formerly contract
ed for about six hundred acres OF GU
cumbers alone. TO say nothing OF the
many acres OF peas and sweet corn,
when they proceBsed. canned and bar
relied the entire receipts here. This
year they only contracted for about
one hundred acres OF cucumbers, and
have thus far received about seven
thousand bushels, or nearly eight watts
full. for which they paid twenty-five
cents per bushel. for all requiring on
ly two hundred to make bushel; and
eighty cents per bushel for all requIr-
ing six hundred to make n bushel.
Owing to the cold. wet spring and the
hot dry summer the average per acre
was only about seventy busheI. Six
hundred and seventy bushels was the
largest amount delivered In any one
day this year. while In former years
there were over fifteen hundred bush
els delivered In one day The super
intendent has to make complete de-
tailed statement and forward II to the
company at Keokuk each evening.
The supply here is kept I'm the brine
in the tanks until they are needed by
the processing factory I'm Keokuk.
when they are put I'm barrels and ship.
ped.
A woman residing down on Fix river
three miles northeast OF here, whose
husband was seriously wounded In a
drunken brawl last winter, under an
austere protest by her liege-lord, had
prepared and planted little over n
half acre OF ground in cucumbers.
from which she gathered and sold
over two hundred dollars worth Of
pickles.
All business haa greatly revived
since the rains and pleasant weather
began. and the people are animated
and encouraged 80 they are making
all business lively and active.
The general health OF all is good.
] have improved very much In health
and strength during the last three
weeks.
Uncle Amos Guseman OF near Corn
land. Illinois. came over here on the
9Th inst. for a rest and visit looking
hale and hearty under the weight OF
76 years. He went from here to his
brothers.. Abraham Guseman, 10
miles south, on the evening OF the 9th.
On the morning Of the 14th Uncle Alb
raham, his two daughters. the Misses
Ella and Floy brought Uncle Amos
over In their automobile. After cat
ing an early dinner with us Uncle
Amos. accompanied by a grandson,
Lewis French, boarded the noon train
east for home. Lewis French went
home with Uncle to work on the farm
for him.
My daughter. Mrs. Ada French. who
keeps the home for us, went Up "a
Kirksville yesterday W attend the Mis-
sogri NJ T. Conference In session
there this week. and visit with one OF
my sisters, her two brothers and her
mother-in-law for about ten days
Respectfully yours.
IACOR q MATT THK