Year: 1870

The mass OF the Immigrants were poor,
and had sought homes here because
they were not able to get them in the
older States. They had little expert
ence in the best methods of guarding
against drouth. Many would wait for
rain before they would sow and plant,
and consequently did not plant at all.
Others did not plant till late, and so
might as well not have planted. A
drouth set in, in September, 1859, and
continued till September, 1850, with
out rain enough during the whole
year to wet the ground an inch deep;
and 1 freely admit that all this cOInbi-
nation of causes did produce a famine
and without the aid so freely given by
the States, multitudes must have per-
ished. And who can fail to see the
hand of Providence in the means by
which this assistance was rendered to
the needy in time? The Hannibal &
st. Jo., and Atchison & st. 10. railroads
were just completed in time.


All chances for water transportation
were cut off, and without this line of
railroad the aid so freely given could
not have reached us in season. Great
credit is due to those whose zeal car
ried the project through. Much credit
is also due to Senator Pomeroy, Thad-
deus Hyatt and others, who devised
so harmonious a plan of collection and
and much honor and
many thanks are due to those who so
literally contributed to our suffering
people. But, having admitted that we
had a terrible drouth, and consequent
ly famine, 1 assert that such drouth
now would hardly produce want; and
1 shall prove it by my own experience
that year.


A knowledge of how and what to
plant, with a jealous carrying out of
that knowledge, would have averted
that famine, as scarce of provisions as
we were. 1 sowed nine acres of spring
wheat before the frost was out of the
ground, and raised 81 bushels of ex-
cellent wheat. 1 planted corn early
and ploWed it very deep, and had sew
eral acres that produced 25 bushels to
the acre. I therefore had plenty of
corn and wheat to make bread and
feed what little stock 1 had. My
neighbors thought was mistaken, but
have found out that they were and not
I. I think this demonstrated the fact
that enough could have been raised,
even in that unprecedented year, if all
had applied themselves in time. am
of the opinion that such a drouth in
Ohio would have caused a greater fail
ure. Kansas soil will produce a good
crop with half the rain that is required
on the Ohio soil.


The next year produced more than
we knew what to do with. The COM
merce of the Missouri river was cut off,
and the railroad torn up a great part of
the time by rebels, and we were with
out a market. In Atchison, corn could
not be sold for ten cents a busheI cash ;
and wheat dull at 30 cents; other pro-
duce accordingly; but articles import
ed were as far above the usual price as
our produce was below. For instance,
I remember of trading 8 bushels of
wheat for one bushel of salt. ThOus-
ands of bushels of corn lay in the fields
ungathered for a year, and some for
Is months, for two reasons. First, be-
cause it did not pay to gather it; and
secondly, the men were all in the ser
vice. For several years the women
did the milling and the hauling, with
the aid of their little boys. Thus,
while the Eastern States were getting
immensely rich on the war, Kansas
was suffering in the extreme.


The grasshopper cry has been a
great scare to some; and yet I have
seen the fly destroy more wheat in one
year in Ohio than all the grasshopPers
have ever destroyed in Kansas; and
the same Of rust; and the same of scab,
neither of which ever amounts to much
in Kansas. The grasshoppers have
only visited US twice, and the last time
they were here they gave strong evi,
dences that they were being extermin,
ated by an enemy that follows them


wherever they go; namely, a small


red insect that preys on them, consum


ing their entire bodies. I do no


think they can survive in this country


more than a few of their generations


The last school of them disappeared


leaving us no seed, and their wherea


bouts is not known.


AS for the war, that is "playet


out" The Indians will soon all b.


removed from the State, and we viii
have done with them. So much fo


"war, pestilence and famine" AnC


now, wherever you set your foot il


Kansas, you see evidences of prospect


ty; and can scarcely fail to see the


way to comfortable home and hap
/ py independence.


Society, in the main, is good


would say superior to almost any 9th


er country of its age. The facilitie.


for educating the children, already il


excellent working order, are soon t.


excel any State east Of this. Wher


ever there is a settlement, may b
| found a good school house. MANY 0