The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-03-26

largest stream in the county, Dry, Cole,
and Eagl. creeks, with various SIN Ill
tributaries. In many places these
streams are skirted by heavy timber,
making altogether one of the best wa
tered and timbered counties i'll Kansas.
In many places along the streams where
the prairie fires have been kept out since
the settlement of the country, young
timber has grown up to the hight of
twenty and thirty feet. In this way the
area of timber has not decreased.
LAY OF THE LAND.
The land is rolling and there is but
little of it that will not some day be
cultivated. Along all the streams there
are bottoms from one to five miles wide.
These are very rich. They are nearly
all settled. On these bottoms are many
farms that would make the eyes ct
Eastern folks 'bug out" when they
considered that the country has only
been settled a dozen years. We have
many finely improved farms, also, on
the upland. These are also rich lands.
FARMING AND STOCK RAISING.
The first rush of immigration came
in 1857, and those who have stuck 10 it
through thick and thin. been industri-
Gus, and had no bad luck, have done
well. We have plenty of men worth
from $4,000 to $4,000, who have made
it here in the last ten years, commence
ing on nothing. Many have surround
ed themselves with comfortable homes,
and desirable property, the nice stone
or frame residences taking the place of
the old log cabins, who would have
made mere living had they remained
in the East. The county is getting well
off in its f1ocks of sheep, herds OF cat
tie and droves of horses, and there are
not wanting plenty of instances where
nv
farming, except III 1860, the year of the
drouth Our flocks of sheep and drOVes
of cattle are numbered by the thousand.
The wool clip of Lyon county is no
trif1ing item. Hundreds of cattle are
annually sold to Eastern drovers, and
our annual contributions to Eastern cat
tie pens bring TO us many thousands OF
dollars. Mules and horses are also
raised to a considerable extent.
FUEL, FENCING AND BUILDING MATE
RIALS.
Wood costs, in the county, from three
to five dollars per cord-ayerage four
dollars.
Coal of good quality has been discOv-
cred at several points in the county, and
there is no doubt but that it exists IN
large quantities.
Stone is found in great abundance
every here. Fine, white lime stone,
which is pronounced by some good
Judges as equal to the Junction City
stone is found in abundance. 1t is taken
out i'm blocks of any desirable length or
shape, and is being used by our bust
ness meu for fronts to their business
houses. 1t was used for corners in the
erection of our new court house. Good
stone for fencing and building purposes
is found on or contiguous to nearly eV-
ery quarter section. The Usage Orange
grows rapidly and does well. Humid
reds of our farmers have il growing
around their fields and farms
The Neosho Valley railroad, in course
| OF construction, will open up to US the
immense coal fields of the southeastern
| portion of the State, while the Atchl-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad viii
bring us within thirty miles of the coal
fields of Usage county, which VIII fur
| nish an inexhaustible supply of the besi
coal in the West. 1t will thus be seeL
that SO far as the alI important items o.
fuel, fencing and building materials are
concerned, we are very adyentageously
situated. More 50, perhaps, than an
county OF the Missouri and kaHsa1
rivers.
FRUIT.
Lyon county is one of the best TO
| fruit raising In the State. Grapes, ap
pies, peaches, and all the small fruit
have been successfully raised. Th'
matter has been tested sufficiently q
| put the fruit question beyond doubt