Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-08-28
An UNCLAIMED PARADISE.
The verdlgrls valley..-Soasnern
A0AO0D.

An UNCLAIMED PARADISE.
The yerdlsrIs valiey.--so.shera
Kansas.
Ems. DsxscsAr la . preceding letter,
~ promised 70 give yss some account Of
The vsllsy sf the vsrdisris. which vs then
proposed 70 visit. should We lnd iiany bet
ter than those portions Of K,usas::'hrougs
which xs had journsyed.
Daring our trip from Lawrence SOUTH
ward, W encountered party OF Texans
Who had passed through the region We
write Of, and ~hoss glowing descriptions Of
i.s numerous streams. towering forests, and
fertile prsiriss, 30 infsmsd our curiosity
that We determined On . visi. 10 that d.
rection.
This valley. famed among oil travellers
for its rich natural resources and unparal'
slled beauty. lies fisy miles vest Of the
Missouri line. and extends from the upper
portions Of ths Indian Territory 70 point
about sixty miles north Of the Kansas state
line. lying principally in the counties 81
Wilson and Montgomery, and embracing
moee Of that magnificent tract Of country
now inbsbitsd BY the Great and Little
Osags Indians.
The vsrdigris (pro. Vsrdi-s-se) river,
from whence it derives iis name,
10 . 6sorishing stream, the trtouta-
ries Of which extend into Greenwood, Ne.
ssho, Woodson, Wilson, Howard. and
Montgomery counties.
With some mseivings lest the Lldors
should prove similar to the many sxpionsd
ones ~ had euosuntered in eur pilgrimage,
on the first of the present month. We pre-
pared to move westward. Chstepa was our
base Of operations our objective ps'st,
thirty miles distant. BY the advice OF our
scqusintAness, ws proposed to 60 through
on feot, and during the night. we are no
especial lover OF the Weston style OF loco
motion, and ponies are here 90 cheap that
every man rides one, but We we're informed
that ~ would meet no settlers on the route,
I and that the Osags Indians would os twies
- apt to scalp us, il ws were mounted, -
If ws had nothing absut u worth the sts:i.
ing. Ous reason for marching at nient
was, that from the time you leave Chsseps,
until you arrive st the vsrdigris river, you
will Hnd no water, aud 70 travel in the heat
Of the day over sssrehing rrairiss would b
almsst inDosaibls.
Acesrdingly ~ 9 o'clock In the evening.
10 light marching order, with ssf rusbss
blankets and five days rstiens. TIVE Of ui
set forward. In the darkness Ne could oi
course tell nothing about the land, but on
cur return, W found it 70 b rich, and ca.
pable Of high state Of cultivation. Every.
thing went we'll with ~ until enc o'clock,
whom, almost prostrated with thirst, ~
were overjoyei TO and pool Of crystal
watsr at the side Of the Indian trail We had
been following We quafted In haste, tc
repent At leisure. The pend we shortly
found to consist Of folkals water. Ths inev.
liable result was thirst the like Of which
We never before experinced To describe i,
would b impossible. The parching Of q
burning fever sould afford the only ade.
quate Illustration. To add to eur ewu
psrplexi,y, ws lost our trail BY soOa
means, and we're forced to rely on our com
pass, and plod along through the rough prair
10 grass With double weariasss. At sunrise
ss reached what We after wards learned wss
Snsw Greek, having travelled twenty-five
miles. Ito wAssrs were dried up ~ the
drouth, but in its bed We found green
pool which Furnished . question bic 70.
frsshment. Here We campsd until fous
o'clock in the afternoon, when We push.
I'd on, and were gladdensd By view ol
the bread valley Of the Vsrdgris At sun
set,
Extending along the entire southern Dor.
der Of the state, and dividing it from the
Indian Territory, 10 . tree. Of land three
miles vide. and belonging to the govern
ment, known ~ the "govsrnmsut strip.
Along this our course had lain, and hers
We were surprised to find a settlers cabin
Not in the days Of Sherman raids were ws
ever nearer played out than on this
tramp. Consumed with thirst We ap'
preached the door fer water. We were
received With ell thst generous hospitality
for which the frontier IS % Justly celsbra'
ted. The occupant proved to be from
Iowa, Captain II. c. Crawtsrd, late Of JET
erson. Greene county. He gave us .
hearty welcome. land insisted that We should
make our headquarters with him while W
remained at the valley lie also fuaDishsd
1 ~ " III all Soc wi S0ttoSttN
craved, lie had been located there with
bis family some six weeks. Two Indian
trading posts were established in the vicin-
| ity. Quite number Of families were set
tied on the eastern side Of the river, and
many more were preparing to locate. On
the other side the Indians still held undis.
turbed possession. On the third day, hav.
ing fully rscovere from The fatigues of our
Journey, We made Arrangements to look
ever the valley. Captain Crawford fur
nished sprightly team, and veil armed
four Of u crossed ths river. We had no,
preceded westward more than . quarter ol
= mile before We arrived At Black Doc
Town, ~ Indian village. The warriors
we're absent on hunting expedition, and
Ne had 81 excellent opportunity 10 ecruti
nizs their camp. The lodges are oil similAl
in sizs and shape, being about forty feet in
length and ff,esn in width, made Of sap
linss, with oval roofs covered With ekins
In each one 10 . "bunk" and Ore pit fel
cooking purposes Altogether they very
much o. csl the summer structures ws uea
TO erect in the army, and are much prefera
bic to IN ordinary tent. Adjoining Each
.odgs WAS . cache, whsrs we're storsA al
l 81 0OsVe bSs OVSOoOoby ~ OO0sO1 =
Black Dog Town, named in honor Of 10
nous and departed chisftaiu, usually con
sains . population Of 500. Four hundred
yards further on WAS Cumaw Town, named
after living chief, ssd likswiss deserted
In the centre Of each town stands coun-
ell house. whore the chiefs aad warriorl
discuss questions Of moment. II 10 Of cir
eular form, and also constrreted Of saplinei
asd skins. No regularity d obossved q
laying OF these villages.
| From thence W pushed on ever landi
which must tecm with wealth and plenty
at no distant day, until four nilss had
been placed behind us, when We reached I
noble bluff, verging on the line Of the In
dian Torritory. This ~ ascendsd, snd
from i;s summit gained an sncbant nl
view, which can never b forgot
ten. East. north and south Of ii
stretched . marvsleusly beautiful valley
silest - the deepest wilderness; untouched
by the hand Of man in all its virgin love-
illness and fertility; green. vide and match
less broken BY myriad streams. and varied
BY long, blue lines Of timbsr In eli it,
frssh, ssest grandeur just - it came froG
the hsod Of God. The valley OF the Shsn'
audcah, the ssorisd vale Of the Mohawk,
the romantic realms Of the Upper Pessmae
oil lovely spets from the fAirsst womb d
u