The Ward County independent., 1921-02-10
Richard Peterson Describes Life in
PENNSYLVANIA

| ISlCUuIu tUcESOu DcSCTIucS
Pennsylvania
| The Independent received very in
teresting letter from Richard Peter
son, a progressive young forming
township farmer, who accompanied by
his sister, Kaia, left recently for the
east on visit The letter follows:
New Bethlehem, Pa, Jan. 20.
Dear Mr.. Colcord and Friends:
1t is now one month since we left |
Minot. We left on Monday and ar
rived here on Wednesday evening.
We waited a couple of hours in Chica-
go, between trains, and in Pittsburg
we stayed all afternoon Wednesday
and looked over the city. New Beth
lehem is located about 100 miles north
of Pittsburg. We went on the Penn
sylvania r. r. northwest from Pitts
burg up along the Allegheny river
to Red Bank, where we changed cars
and then went east along the Red
Bank creek to New Bethlehem. From
Red Bank to New Bethlehem is about
25 miles and it is the crookedest road
l have ever been on. 1t turns square
corners, horseshoe curves and also
goes through couple of tunnels.
New Bethlehem is located in the foot
hills of the Allegheny mountains. 1t
is not very large town but it is a
real pretty place. The Red Bank
creek runs right in the center of the
town. 1t is about the size of Mouse
river. There are lots Of coal mines
on both sides Of the river, so coal
doesn't sell for eighteen bucks a ton.
You can get all the coal you want for
So to Sc per ton. But very. little coal
is used here as there is all kinds Of
natural gas, which is used for cook
ing, heating and lighting. There are
hundreds of gas wells sunk right
around here and three miles east from
here there is large oil field. was
out there couple Of weeks ago. They
are using large engines which pump
several dozen wells all at one time.
There are also Several brick plants
and glass works but they are running
very slow at present and some are
standing still. Most all factories have
been closed up for while-to lower
the wages think is the reason. There
are thousands of men idle, but there
will be lots of work for all as soon
as things open up, SO no one will have
to go to Florida and play golf to
keep in condition.
Old John Barleycorn also used to
operate a large plant here years ago,
but it must have died from heart
failure from the looks of it. This place
has very fine residential district,
everyone owns large houses and fine
parks and it is due to so many oil
kings living here. Farming is done
only on small scale here. l inquired
of several farmers what farm land
was worth around here but they said
it varied so much, according to the
location of the farm. So l asked the
editor of one Of the leading newspa-
pers here, and he showed me where all
kinds of land could be bought for
$50 to $125 per acre, and when there
is coal and oil, it only goes by the
thousands. The editors usually know
as much as the rest Of us. The Amer
lean Farm Bureau is as busy here as
it is in North Dakota. There are lots
Of trees between the mountains. About
half Of them are evergreens, which
make it look like summer. And fruit
trees are plentiful, only minus the
fruit now. Last week l was down in
Pittsburg and also took trip to
Johnstown 1t is 70 miles east of
Kiskimenates Junction, thirty miles
north from Pittsburg; lies in a low
valley and the kiskimenates river runs
very fast at that point saw where
the old bridge used to be that stopped
the water at the time of the flood. The
rivers around here are all open this
winter. A few steamboats, We're going
} on the Allegheny and all the railroads
: here wind about at the edge OF the
rivers which makes them very crook
ed, and with many bridges.
The weather has been very fine
here and no snow, only at times, but
it goes off in day or two.
Kaia and myself have been visiting
here with our sister, Mrs. VIM. Lavely.
They have a fine baby boy eight
months old which claims our attention
most of the time. Lavely, who is a
tram conductor, is in and around
Pittsburg most of the time. Railroad
ing is a good-paying job in this part
Of the country. We receive the Inde-
pendent every Monday and it is very
interesting. 1t makes one think he is
in Dakota at the time-which we will
be after while.
Hoping this will find you all o. k,
remain,
RICHARD PETERSON.
TnNNI EV AMI LANCER