The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1917-08-02
VIEWS OF AN EASTERN
MAN WRITING HOME

Below we publish the letter writ
ten by J. w. Richards to the Garth.
age (Illinois) Republican, which ap-
peared in that paper in q recent issue.
Mr.. Richards is a brother of J.. B.
Richards, one of our prosperous farm.
ers living on the south table. J. w.
was a recent visitor to this county at
the home of his brother, and the fol-
lowing letter written to his Home"
paper describing this section, will be
of interest to number of our readers:
Julesburg, Colo, July 4, 1917
Dear Republican:
Wife and myself are rusticating In
Sedgwick county, Colorado.
Here il whsrs No expect to get 80
relief from the high cost of living.
There are hundreds of acres of wheat
with promise of from fifteen to
twenty bushel to the acre, growing on
SIP to SIS per acre land There are
large fields of potatoes with a per-
feet stand, and it sure does look fine
We see here the first signs of the
dried beef we purchase in small glass
jars, for here are thousands of head of
cattle, roaming on the range. 1t is
very different from our small farms in
Hancock county, where we speak Of
our ten acre pasture. Here the pas
lures are measured by sections and
half sections.
Alfalfa is raised here without the
advice from an Illinois county advisor
or q clover seed dealer.
The covered wagon has given away
to the automobile. One case is re-
ported where the husband brought
home an automobile. The wife had a
leaky teakettle. She said, "John, you
would have better brought home tea
kettle than 4 Ford. Even though
some people here live in sod or one
room houses they own their car. They
may well afford it much better than
some of our land owners, as no one
knows how many of those large cat
tie he may own, those running outside
over the land that is not fenced.
This is poor place to sell lawn
mowers or hog oilers as the front yard
is given over to the precious cow
The average farmer will own about
three hogs. He says, "What do you
want to bother with such a small thing
as hog, when you open your lot gate
and your cattle go out on the other
mans land and get their feed and all
you have to do is to furnish them the
water"
There are acres of wheat fields pro-
tected only with fence of two barbed
wires. We are out on what is called
the table lands, where all the land
looks alike.
This morning early we saw auto
mobiles crossing the prairie in great
numbers, enroute to celebrate the
glorious Fourth. Some of the towns
have three days celebration.
Trees do not bother the telephone
lines out here, nor do they have to
have twenty-foot ladder to climb the
poles, as the telephone poles consist
of 2x4 about four feet long, nailed to
the fenced post and you ring all the
neighbors within radius of twenty
five miles, SO you see the neighbors
are plentiful. I fear the automobiles
are going to cause short grazing for
the cattle as you see them going across
the prairie wearing out the grass.
The first day of our celebration
passed off very nicely and without ac
cident.
But it is not uncommon to see a car
standing out on the praire Out thru
cow paths there is limit. You are
not allowed to go any faster than your
car will run; but they do go some and
have some awful loads.
July the 5th, we loaded our Ford
with six persons and ample provisions
for two meals, (asthey always stay
until it is over), and started for an