The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-12-02
SUMNER COUNTY.


EDITORS NEWS: Thinking few
words from the Southwest would not
be uninteresting, I solicit their publ
cation.
A few days ago, in company with a
friend, / started for Wichita, which
place we reached after three days of
pleasant travel, crossing the Walnut at
Eldorado and the Whitewater at To-
wanda. Many of the sluices have be-
come extremely bad from excessive
wear, but, in general, the roads are dry
and excellent.
AT Wichita we found Judge w. r.
Brown holding court, and our fellow
townsman, J. d. II. Chamberlin, in at
tendance and at work.
On thanksgiving day ia company
with j. NJ. Steele, of Wichita, we cross
ed the Arkansas and made our way
across the fat beyond, where we passed
large train with government supplies
for Camp Supply, which latter place is
situated on the Canadian River in the
Indian Territory, about $50 miles south
west of Wichita.
Taking the regular Texas cattle trail
we crossed Cow Skin Greek eight miles
from Wichita, and ten miles further on
struck the Nenescah where we stopped
at q rancho for dinner and RECALLED our
selves with q little the finest young
buffalo steak ever masticated.
The Nenescah where crossed by the
cattle trail is just in Sedgwick, but tax
ing southeastern course it soon passes
into Sumner County. This is pretty
stream and somewhat blessed with
timber, but not enough TO be burden.
some. The sand on its banks although
not "quick,r resembles that on the Ar
kansas for color. Continuing on the
cattle trail due south IL miles, over
beautiful country and the finest roads
ever saw, you strike Slate Greek in the
geographical center of the County
This creek is well timbered and fed by
springs of living water. Here one no
tees the total. absence of mud in thu
creek, and its subsoil of slate, whenc'
it derives its name, is very fine.
On pleasant eminence to the east o
the cattle trail, the Sumner TowI
Company" have located their embryt
city, and procured a charter. Among
the members are Hon. j. NJ. Steele,
Jay Buck, E. W. Cunningham, j. D. Fl
Chamberlain, T. A. Bright, Hon. w. r
Brown, Capt. Andrew B. Barnes, Col
j. c. McMullen and Frank Lunsdram
the first five of whom are elected di
rectors for the first year.
1t is surprising to see the amount o
travel through that section. There ar
80 families already on Slate Greek
among whom are Lewis c. Hopkins
Justice of the Peace, Captain Barns
James Sanford, Charles Craig, Franz
Allcraft, Charles Russell, Edward Wig
gins, Thomas FL. Barnes, Thomas +
French, Daniel Chestnut, Joseph Bea
cock, Mr.. Forbes and Mr.. Brown.
Application has been made for pos
Office at Sumner, which will soon be al
accomplished fact. The Southern Kan
sas Stage Company are already matur
ing plans for stage route over thi
road to camp supply.
To my mind, this is the best tradin!
point in southwestern Kansas. On
would suppose it was healthy from ev
cry indication; and the ponderou
stacks of hay to be seen, are evidence o
the richness and fertility of its soil
Every foot of the ground thereabout
is tillable. The country is not broken
The valleys are not wide, but the up
lands are unsurpassed. The soil is darl
and rich, but contains more sand thai
hereabouts. What are here denominate'
"uplands" are but comparatively few fee
above the streams, and bear no resem
blance to the bleak, rough and rugge
lands on the line between Lyon an,
Chase counties. From all I can judg
and learn, Sumner county will prov
the peer of any for agricultural pur
poses, and its advantages for raisin
stock, and the traffic in the same, ar
unsurpassed. j. j. B.