The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-03-06

success, attained by perseverance and y
faithful labor a good steam saw mill q
viii soon be in opeation near Mr.. Dom t.
8
Feb. 24th.-A ride Of eight miles d
brought us TO Eldorado, the county d
seat, which at last gives some signs of !
prosperity, as a good saw mill owned i
and run by Mr.. Maine, is rapidly sup ]
plying people with good lumber for ,
building. II
Aftera short call, proceeded ten miles
further, and pulled up at our old friend
j. II. Mead's, at his ranch on the White
water, near the old TOWNSHIP of To-l
wanda. Found the ranch In all the bus-11
tie and excitement attending, start for |.
the plains, Mr.. Mead having FIVE
wagons nearly ready for trading ex-
petition to- tho far OF Indian tribes.
Mr. Mead. has been trading with the
Indians for some years, and by hard la
Dor, fair dealing and the exercise of UNI
usual business tact, has accumulated o
comfortable fortune. We obtained of
him great deal of information con-
corning the country we were visiting,
and the great southwest generally. After
good square meal, and an additional
supply Of 'tantidote," we drove on cigh-
teen miles to the head of Chisholm
creek, over a fine level country, and /
think as rich land as have ever seen
ANY W here. Tho soil contains more sand
as we near the Arkansas river and think
is better adapted to many crops than
the stiff prairie soil. Here we found the
spring grass quite large enough to tempt
the stock away from their winter food.
/ We took up our abode while in this re-
Gion with Messrs. Davis and Lcwellen,
formerly of Butler county, who have a
ranch and trading post near the head of
Chisholm creek. They were loading
teams also for the Indian trade, and the
next morning. February 25th, we drove
over to the river to see them cross. The
Arkansas is from fourth to a half mile
wide, and is very difficult and danger
Gus stream to cross, the bed constantly
shifting and the channel never remain
ing long in one place. No ono attempts
to ford it with wagon without first
trying it. on horseback. Our friends
were unable to cross to-day, although
the water for nine-tenths of the distance
was not foot deep. The land between
, ! the Little and Big Arkansas near their
junction is piled up into. small sand
hills and ridges, covered with grape
vines, plum bushes and other tangled
vines, but upon ascending the streams a
short distance the country broadens into
smooth prairie of exceeding richness.
The country on the east of the Little
, Arkansas and on both sides OfChishOlm
| land Gypsum creeks is of extraor-
binary beauty and fertility. think !
|, never saw such rich and abundant grass
Z anywhere before. This is evidently
p the paradise of stock raisers. Near the
). mouth of the Little Arkansas, near its
: east branch, is where the Wichita, Kechi
Waco, Caddo and other bands of '1oyal
1 Indians" have been camped and fed fol-
: the past two or three years. They
@ built themselves very comfortable hous.
i es of poles matched with the long grass
: of the prairies, two or three hundred Of
: which are still standing. They raised
q heavy crops of corn here last year, with
$ no other tools than the little iron hoe
|. handled by the squaws.
: This is the point to which all the roads
8 center from the great southwest, anG
), here is the favorite crossing of the Tex
o as drovers and traders; and here will
s meet and cross the Fort Scott, Sedalis
h s. Santa Fe, and the Atchison, Topeks
s. Santa Fe Railroads. E. III. Durfee 8
. Co., of Leavenworth, have established {
large trading and Quitting post here anG
: already have a large stock of goods OF
:, hand, and propose to largely increase
: it in the spring. There are harness
: wagon and blacksmith shops already il
operation. A company, with abund'
ant means, have selected beautiful site
for a town and propose to commence
= improving it Immediately. They have
organized Ferry Company under the
laws of the State, and filed their certifi
cate of incorporation. Settlers arr
coming in rapidly and taking claims
? both on the Government lands up the
y streams, and on the Indian Trust Lands
lower down. The latter will be offer
: ed at public sale in May next, after
which they can be entered. at private
entry for cash, at one dollar and quar-
y ter per acre. They will not be subjes
= to the operation of the Homestead, OIL
= Presumption laws.
: "A hotel will be built, and a saw-mil
running early in the spring. Excellcn
stone, sand and lime, are plenty, and al
, the small streams are fed by innumera-
, bic springs of clear, cold water, some Of
> them of great size, and boiling up will
Z considerable force. Timber is moi
! abpndent at this point, but lower dowI
!, !: the stream are found heavy bodies o.
oak and walnut.
!. The streams emptying into the Ar
i kansas near here on the north side, arr
e Gypsum and Chisholm creeks, and the
v Little Arkansas. The latter, think, ii
i the most beautiful stream have seen in
}. the west; except, perhaps, our own
!. Cottonwood. On the south side there
are the Cowskin,. Niniska, and Shi-kas.
D ka. Gypsum creek takes its name from
). a thick vein of gypsum near its mouth
To all who are looking for. homes in the
west, allow me to say that if they are
! not pleased with this region they must
u bo di<fscuIf indeed to euit The mouth