88

IN A MORE HOPEFUL VEIN

Mr. Peattie's Sixth Drouth Letter Tells of an Oasis in the Desert.

A Part of the County Where There Was Plenty Water and Where Things Are Better.

Just a Little Flash of Light in the Gloom Which Hovers Over the Starving Sand Hills Country.

(The World-Herald's special envoy into the drouth country, Mr. Robert B Peattie,
writes more hopefully today, he having apparently struck an oasis in the desert
This is Mr. Peattie's sixth letter A better idea of the actual situation which exists in the land of poverty cannot be obtained than that given by a perusal of his previous correspondence)

Chappel, Deuel Couty, Neb, Dec 19—For the first time in my wanderings I have come upon a county where the destitution is not general This county is not generally stricken, although but few crops were raised, none at all on the table lands. The valley along the Platte river, where irrigation is being practiced to some extent, raised some corn, a little wheat and a small quantity of alfalfa Here and there small patches of potatoes and other vegetables were grown where
wind-mill pumps were utilized, and on these articles the farmers will subsist
during the winter months. Seed will have to be generally distributed in the spring The farmers out here are better able to stand the present pinching circumstances than some people, for the very good reason that they have never known much better times.

Of course there are a good many who have applied for aid of the county commissioners, and there are others who have solicited clothes and food in the towns along the Union Pacific. These have all been accommodated. The county is in fair financial condition. Its warrants sell at 95 and it has some funds available for the relief of the distressed. Were it not for having reduced the valuation 25 per cent the county would be in better shape to cope with the present emergency.

Up on the river, about half way between the north and south lines of the county, there is a good deal of land where considerable hay is raised. This is bringing $10. The farming community up there has built a few ditches and irrigated a small portion of the lands. Wind-mill irrigation is likewise practiced to some extent both there and in the valley of Lodge Pole creek not far from this town. Wherever the means is at hand the farmers have pretty generally taken up the work of putting a certain portion of their lands under water, and have succeeded in keeping the wolf from the door---if he is not too large. Some of these men have rigged up pumps of their own make, built reservoirs of several thousand barrels capacity and are filling these preparatory for next year's work.

PLENTY WATER

Here at Chappell an inexhaustible supply of water is reached at from ten to twenty feet below the surface and in many instances two pumps fall to reduce the level. Along Lodge Pole creek the farmers successfully irrigate by means of pumps, dams and reservoirs, and raise at least a living stock of vegetables. The question of irrigation north and south of the sand hills will soon be solved.The hills themselves will always be good for grazing at least.

The fact that stock-raising has always been practice here accounts in part for the fact that more actual destitution does not exist in Deuel county. The cows find pretty good picking all over the county and horses too, until the heavy snows set in. The extreme northern portion is a heavy stock country and large shipments are made from there every year.

It must not be supposed, however, that the outlook is rosy or even comfortable. As in other places, I have visited many who are suffering for proper for, fuel and clothing. The popular dish of flour and milk cooked on a fire of cow chips is very common. Meat is a rarity and coffee unknown outside of the towns. The clothing is of the meanest description and Big Springs and Chapell have given away nearly every article of raiment which is fit to wear. It is a common thing where two children are in the family for them to take turns wearing the same clothes to school, going alternate days.

No supplies, that I can hear of, have been received from Lincoln and the existence of the governor's committee was unknown here. I was given the name of C. Bauer, before I left Omaha, as the name of a relief agent appointed by Mr. Ludden County Attorney Kiefer, County Judge Wolfe, Commissioner Thompson, and several other persons of whom I inquired, knew of no such person at Big Springs or any place else in the county. The first two named have recently returned from political tours and claim to know everyone in the southern part of the county, but no now of that name.

FLOUR AND MILK.
Where distress exists, it is no new thing, for a man who stumped the county as long ago as last July found the farmers living on flour and milk at that time. It is a question if the flour yet holds out in some districts.

At Chapell I found considerable indignation at the act of the Buildington & Missouri road for its charge of something over $40 on a carload of supplies for some Mennonite farmers about seven or eight miles north of here. They were almost out of flour and other provisions and their pastor visited Seward county, his former home, and succeeded in collecting there and at other points a carload of supplies. This was shipped to Venango on that road in Perkins county. From there it was to be freighted overland, but when the wagons went down to do this, they were told that the charges would have to be paid first. They claimed that arrangements had been made for the free transportion of these supplies as an act of charity, but the agents had not been notified, and a subscription was taken up among the Deuel county people and the goods finally reached their destination after two days' hauling. The county attorney wrote to Omaha concerning the matter, but was told that Deuel county was not in the Burlington & Missouri territory, and therefore outside of the free delivery. That is true, so far as the road not touching the county is concerned, but the northern part of the county patronizes the road extensively. The mistake was made in not shipping the goods from Milford in Seward county to Kearney, and thence via the Union Pacific to Chappell.

The Mennonite church is in the southern part of the country, although its membership extends north to the river, but the Burlington & Missouri undoubtedly thought that the location of the edifice made it Union Pacific territory and acted accordingly.

Coming up to this place in the comfortable caboose of a freight train the fat crew entertained me with stories of the "thriving farmers" who robbed the coal cars at Ogalalla, and other points where freight trains stopped to water.

"Why, it would be worth your while," one of them said, with great indignation "to lay over Saturday night at Ogalalla and see the farmers come in with their wagons. They come in for twenty miles to steal coal when we get in there. Sometimes we get orders to run through without stopping so as to avoid them."

Then they told me blood-curdling stories of adventures with these desperate characters, whom they described as "big, husky fellows," who overawed the train crews and took their pleasure with the coal. They told how some people loaded up wagons and sold the coal to the farmers! They did not explain where the farmers who had money to buy coal lived, but of course, I had no choice but to believe them. With great glee they told how a farmer drove his wagon up under a coal chute at Julesburg and pulled the trap which he thought would let exactly one ton of coal into his wagon, and had the vehicle crushed into toothpicks by eight tons which descended into his unhappy Studebaker. They told of the dismissal by a justice at Julesburg of a coal thief who killed a company watchman, and of another justice at Ogalalla who, when a farmer on trial confessed to stealing col, exclaimed "You are discharged. I wouldn't believe you under oath." And, of course, these stories must be true, for these are all honorable Union Pacific brakemen, and coal is so cheap along this road that it doesn't pay to steal it. At Sidney, 411 miles nearer the mines than Omaha, Rock Springs coal only costs $7.50 per ton. So you see there is no excuse for these rascally farmers, is there?
R. B. PEATTIE

UP THREE CENTS.
Lincoln Pay an Equitable Rate on Packing House Stuff.

The rate on packing house products from Lincoln to Mississippi river points will be raised 3 cents January 1.

A few weeks ago te rate on packing house products from the west to Mississippi river points were raised, and the rate from Lincoln was made the same as from Omaha, it being 18 1/2 centers per 100 pounds. The new rate created a great deal of adverse criticism from the packing men, and the railroad freight agents were besieged with protests.

The pressure has been so great that on January 1 the rate from Lincoln to Mississippi river points will be 21 1/2 cents per 100 pounds. This will be good news to the South Omaha packers, who have been denouncing the rate that put Lincoln on the same basis as Omaha.

THE UNION PACIFIC NOT IN IT
S. H. H. Clark, managing receiver of the Union Pacific was not a party to the purchase of the coal mines at Rock Springs, owned by companies separate from the road. Mr. Clark said that the Union Pacific had all but five of the mines there, and that the syndicate that had purchased these five mines had nothing whatever to do with the road. Mr. Clark added that the Union Pacific had no intention of joining the syndicate.

The purchase price of the mines by the syndicate was telegraphed to the World-Herald, and to the press associations, as $12,000.000. It is understood in Omaha that the price paid was $200.00. This seems more reasonable as the former price would purchase all the mines of Wyoming.

WILL NOT BUILD
A telegram from Butte says that General Manager Holdrege of the Burlington is in that town looking over the ground for the extension of the Burlington from Billings there. It is stated at headquarters that the Burlington has no intention of building to Butte or to any other points in Montana. If the Burlington built from Billings to Butte it would parallel the Northern Pacific, with which it has a close traffic agreement. If the Anaconda line has been offered to the Burlington it has been made to Mr. Holdrredge and has not been announced at headquarters.

MARKET GOSSIP.
General Agent [K?] of the Union Pacific in Kansas City is at headquarters.

Last Tuesday there was not a car of freight switched in the Laramie yards, something that has not happened in the history of the yards.

Trainmaster Morrison of the Milwaukee, who endeared himself to newspaper men during the Kelly may excitement, is in town. His headquarters are in Marion.

The son of Receiver Doane of the Union Pacific and bridge and party returned from Salt Lake in a special car Wednesday evening. The party went east over the Burlington.

Judge Hallett of the United States court in Denver, has authorized Receiver Trumbull of the Gulf to build a line from Pueblo to Trinidad, and meanwhile to run over the tacks of the Denver & Rio Grande. Before the withdrawal of the Gulf from the Union Pacific system this was projected.

PAID ENORMOUS INTEREST.
An injunction was granted in favor of John F. Henzie against W. H. Kridler and H. K. Dunbar to stop the collection of money on notes and a sale of chattels. The plaintiff claims to have been forced to pay interest at the rate of 120 per cent per year. Lately he has been paying #3 a month on a $43 loan.

Thousands of cases of rheumatism have been cured by Hood's Samanparilla. This is abundant reason for belief that it will cure you.

DISTRICT COURT NOTES.
Judge Baxter has been called upon to admit to probate the last will and testament of Ada P. Drake.

Sheriff Drexel has sent to Chicago to bring back Warren Hazen on a requisition to answer to the charge of larceny from the person. He broke from the city jail about a year ago.

The jury called to decide the issues between A. W. Beall against A. L. Reed and others, respecting the possession of eighty acres of land in this county returned a verdict for Beall. He has a right to the possession of one-sixth of the property and the litigants are declared tenants in common.

A recent court item, which stated that Jabez Hunter had been beaten by a Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha conductor, was incorrect in charging distinctly that Hunter had been whipped. The purpose was to say that Hunter claimed he was beaten. In court he was unable to prove his case, and it was decided against him.

The last of the supposed bucket shop deals which culminated in a collapse of the Hawkeye Commission company, during the flurry in corn last summer, has been heard of in district court. Among those who were caught was Christopher I. M. Neuman and Charles Coffman. They have now settled by stipulation their claims for several thousands of dollars. Neuman is to get a judgement for $1,127.86 and Coffman $1,193. When the Hawkeye people removed from Omaha precipitate last August they left some money in the banks. This has been garnished. Even these amounts represent a very handsome winning over the amount originally invested.

Bank Wrecker Mosher, through attorneys and by means of depositions, is trying to substantiate before a jury a suit for $5,000 in Judge Ambrose's court. It appears that Mosher was doing business at Mason City, December 24, 1888, under the same of the Western Manufacturing company, in connection with several others. At that time Margaret Walker was operating a merchandise store, and Mosher's concern claimed the right to take possession of the property. But in the meantime S. P. Morse and others had discovered that by "flagrantly false misrepresentations," according to the allegations of the answer, Mrs. Walker bought goods of them. The attempted transfer of Mrs. Walker's stock to Mosher's concern, it is further claimed, was done to simply cheat the creditors of Walker. The defendants in the present suit attached Mrs. Walker's stock.

IN A MORE HOPEFUL VEIN

Mr. Peattie's Sixth Drouth Letter Tells of an Oasis in the Desert.

A Part of the County Where There Was Plenty Water and Where Things Are Better.

Just a Little Flash of Light in the Gloom Which Hovers Over the Starving Sand Hills Country.

(The World-Herald's special envoy into the drouth country, Mr. Robert B Peattie,
writes more hopefully today, he having apparently struck an oasis in the desert
This is Mr. Peattie's sixth letter A better idea of the actual situation which exists in the land of poverty cannot be obtained than that given by a perusal of his previous correspondence)

Chappel, Deuel Couty, Neb, Dec 19—For the first time in my wanderings I have come upon a county where the destitution is not general This county is not generally stricken, although but few crops were raised, none at all on the table lands. The valley along the Platte river, where irrigation is being practiced to some extent, raised some corn, a little wheat and a small quantity of alfalfa Here and there small patches of potatoes and other vegetables were grown where
wind-mill pumps were utilized, and on these articles the farmers will subsist
during the winter months. Seed will have to be generally distributed in the spring The farmers out here are better able to stand the present pinching circumstances than some people, for the very good reason that they have never known much better times.

Of course there are a good many who have applied for aid of the county commissioners, and there are others who have solicited clothes and food in the towns along the Union Pacific. These have all been accommodated. The county is in fair financial condition. Its warrants sell at 95 and it has some funds available for the relief of the distressed. Were it not for having reduced the valuation 25 per cent the county would be in better shape to cope with the present emergency.

Up on the river, about half way between the north and south lines of the county, there is a good deal of land where considerable hay is raised. This is bringing $10. The farming community up there has built a few ditches and irrigated a small portion of the lands. Wind-mill irrigation is likewise practiced to some extent both there and in the valley of Lodge Pole creek not far from this town. Wherever the means is at hand the farmers have pretty generally taken up the work of putting a certain portion of their lands under water, and have succeeded in keeping the wolf from the door---if he is not too large. Some of these men have rigged up pumps of their own make, built reservoirs of several thousand barrels capacity and are filling these preparatory for next year's work.

PLENTY WATER

Here at Chappell an inexhaustible supply of water is reached at from ten to twenty feet below the surface and in many instances two pumps fall to reduce the level. Along Lodge Pole creek the farmers successfully irrigate by means of pumps, dams and reservoirs, and raise at least a living stock of vegetables. The question of irrigation north and south of the sand hills will soon be solved.The hills themselves will always be good for grazing at least.