August 28, 1878

Note: The Pabody Gazette gives us some real insight into life in Plum Grove in the late 1870’s and early 1880’s. In this weekly newspaper we find columns entitled “Plum Grove Items.” These columns were mostly submitted by two authors. The first contributor signs his name “A Star Cus” and it is easy to deduce from the way the columns are written and the similarity of the name that this is Starchus M. Spencer. The other contributor signs his name “Num Skull.” We are never given a clue as to the identity of Num Skull. Both of these authors gives us a lot of infomation about the people, the area and the climate in and around Plum Grove.

0UR TRIP TO RENO
ED. GAZETTE:—thinking it might be of interest to some of your readers that are too industrious to “take a trip West” I send you a few items under the above heading.
We left hone Aug. 8th at 6 p.m., for Newton. Next morning we struck a northwest course for Reno county. We were very much surprised in the country and came back firmly convinced that Plum Grove was the best place for us.
We did not see a single field of good corn on the trip after we left Newton.
We thought we had. Seen wheat before, but never did our eyes behold such a sight; for 20 miles, it was nothing but one continuous wheat field stretching away from the road as far as the eye could reach. The grain bad all been cut with a header, and the stacks were simply innumerable. In all that distance we saw but one threshing machine, and it put us in mind of a man with a hand pump trying to drain the Atlantic. Where we saw a Cornfield, it looked as though it had been planted and then left to take care of itself, and the consequence was it had pushed the tassels out by the time it got knee-high and forgot to shoot at all. Arrived at our destination at 6 p.m on the 9th, and, for a wonder, found the Folks glad to see us. Found them living on the south side of the Little Arkansas, 5 miles above Halstead.
We haven’t much fault to find with the place, except dune nature has a contract of Building a series of mountains and you are liable some morning to wake up and Inn] your farm on the top of one of them sandhills. You can’t get a deed strong enough to hold their land.
They have an exceedingly large crop of mosquitoes this year; which is rather discouraging to the young couple engaged in studying astronomy these summer evenings. Now, is the name of common sense, what geography did you study when you went to school, that located the Reno county line within 5 miles of Halstead?
Take it all in all, I think we may consider ourselves fortunate that we did not settle further wrest, at least I am well satisfied with my section.
Yours truly,
Num. Skull.

Note: see “Num Skull’s strong words of rebuke addressed to the editor in response to ‘blunders of an ignorant “printer devil.”’ “Now, in the name of common sense, what geography did you study when you went to school, that located the Reno county line within 5 miles of Halstead?”