The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-03-31

Othce open Sundays from y A. n 10 P NJ -.
From the Manhattan (Kansas) Express.
Western Kansas-The Great American
= Desert.
The Emperor Napoleon, writing the Pope,
declared .'that events have their logical con
sequences. The consequences" follow
ing the late war in Europe are not more GER
tain to eclipse the glory of the Pope's en-
.pire, than is the foolish and untrue declaTa-
ton that Western Kansas is a great des-
sert," sure to affect the rising greatness of
our future State.
Missouri, in order to deter the Free State
settlers from pressing the march of empire
westward, commenced the cry, and town
spectators, politicians, ignorance, and in
terest have reaped it SO long, that thousands
believe that west of the Potawatomie Re-
serve there is little else than irregular claims
of high, broken, stony hills, and a vast des-
fert waste of whirling sand. This is the
general impression, not only with people
outside of the Territory, but with the peo-
pie of Eastern Kansas, and the practical eff
feet is to discourage the development Of the
west.
= It is not my purpose to trace the causes
(which have contributed to create this public
Sentiment, but to refer to some of the logic
al consequences to the State, if not speedily
corrected. 2 @ o<
= A birds eye view of the map will con-
vince any one that Kansas is placed in the
geographical center of the continent, north
and south, as we'll as east and west. At
present the march of empire is westward;
but what if that march cannot follow the
lines of parallel TO. the west ?, They will
defect to the right or left. as they are now
doing around Western Kansas. This is
natural consequence, and he,logieal one to
the State is that very soon the emigration
will turn on The parallels, farther east, and
avoid the State altogether-a consequence
which no man who has any pride i'll the
State can possibly desire. %fGs.ft
Emigration is the pioneer of civilization.
Farms, capital, towns, cities, railroads, tel
egFaphs, and all the paraphernalia Of civil
ization follow quick in its train. Turn this
emigration aside, and for tie presant, at
leastcyeu effeetually decide the destiny of
your State. This is fast being done in Kan
sas, and how There is a. Great Desert
IN The Vest" The impression has gone
forth! The papers state it; the emigrant
reads it, repeats it and turns aside to the
north or south. If going further west he
turns north to the Platte, or south to the
Arkansas, and thus is not only Western
Kansas slandered, but the whole State is
cheated out of her great central parallel
route to the west. I advert to this subject
not to complain, but to call attention to the
fact that we are laboring to defeat the best
interests of our own State. Can it benefit
Leavenworth and Atehison to. make her
great thoroughfare outside the State? Can
it benefit Wyandot, Lawrence and Topeka,
tD ,ioJ- H., A. H,,,l
up line on the Platte or the Arkansas
What is gained to Eastern Kansas to throw
her influence to open up highways just out
side Of her limits !? Will her own towns
and cities not find grave in this ruinous
policy? 5..., ,z7. I. .
80 But there is stGreat Desertin the West. I"
Where On the unsurpassed Kansas Val
ley? On the Blue? Oh no. / am told
that the country 10 Western Kansas is not
as good as it is this way; that when you
get to Riley the country is broken and des-
erty and theresis neither wood aorSvater for
several hundred miles. How did you get
this information? j have been told So
Are you sure that some, town scheme, some
interested place was not at the bottom of all
this information Is there no Desert in
the West? Is there no obstacle to a great
emigrant highway ? Is there no insupera-
BILE obstacle to prevent the Pacific Railroad
from passing directly through Kansas :?
Are there good emigrant homes in Central
and Western Kansas !? ;, r.e.rsxzy "a.
The answer to these questions will give
the positive side Of the story. Is there
good land for emigrants west? Yes, for
thousands of families and homes. IL the
hrst belt of this :. Great Desert is the lime
stone land: extending across, the width of
the State and averaging some 40 miles from
east lowest. Over this entire tract there
.isabundauce of the very best stone in the
world, for fencing and building purposes.
with bountifui supply of good water and
generally plenty of timber, with soil warm
and rich as can be found IN, any portion of
Kansas. 80 s.. - i...s..I
sta.This forms the first section of1the ..Great
Desert" The next section is the sand
stone belt, extending from the limestone
range to point very near the west line OF
the State. 81 s1ya a-sssz = > .aea1sshA
Through this vast belt of rich land runs
the Little Blue, the Republican, the Solo
mon, and all the upper waters of the Neo-
sho, With all their numerous tributaries.-
The southern section of this belt is cut with
the tributaries of the arkansas. Are there
homes for emigrants in this sand befte I
apswer, that all that portion lying south of
the Little Blue is unsurpassed in any por
ton of Kansas, while vast multitude may
dwell in the spacious valleys of the Repub-
lican, Solomon aud Smoky Hill. The Re-
publican valley viii average in width
through this entire belt more than two miles
of the richest and most beautiful lands while
ai9oitt in this desert waste, Fremont and his