354 NEMAHA COUNTY, KANSAS. 



JOHN HODGINS, 



CENTRALIA, NEMAHA (JODNTY. 



Took Horace Greeley's Advice — Adventure with The Indians — 

 Seven Thousand Trees — Beautiful Q-rove and Park — 

 Method of Tree Culture — Corn the Best Crop — Raising 

 Poultry Profitable. 



Raised a farmer on land worth one hundred dollars an 

 acre, in 1860 the writer was one of the landless young men of 

 Eastern New York, to whom the honored Greeley tendered the 

 advice, " Go West, young man, and procure land for a home." 

 Acting upon this advice I came here, and made a selection 

 near the center of Nemaha county, Kansas, then a trackless 

 wild, with only a few settlers on timbered claims along the 

 streams. The same Spring I broke fifteen acres and planted it 

 to. sod corn, and one acre, which was a mellow spot, to potatoes 

 and garden stuff. Crops were a total failure that year, as we 

 had only one light shower from April until September. I will 

 relate an incident which happened to me at that time. I was 

 working in my potato patch with my head down, hoeing a few 

 potatoes about as large as almonds, when I was startled by a 

 most unearthly whoop. On raising my head I saw forty 

 Indians riding in a semi-circle toward me, with over a hundred 

 more in the background. They were dressed in buckskin and 

 bright colored blankets, and being unused to the sight of Indians, 

 I knew not what tactics to pursue. I looked at the house, 

 which contained my young wife and child, like Scott's chief- 

 tain looking at the sun before his battle with King James, as a 

 sight he might never more see. I walked up to the leader, 

 raised my hat and bowed as I would to an Eastern Nabob, and 

 as I extended my hand, he smiled, and we shook hands like 

 old friends. I showed him my potatoes. He laughed and told 

 me in plain English that he was over forty years old and that 



