The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-01-14

ita tell wonderful stories about the adap-
tation of this soil to hocd crops. Imme-
diately along the Arkansas, for num-
Der of rods in breadth on each side, the
soil is piled in sandy drifts, and dwarf
oak and Chickisaw Plum are abundant.
The Grouse, which flows into the Ar
kansas some ten miles southeast of the
mouth of the Walnut, has broad bottoms,
and even more timber than the Walnut.
1 Its mouth is barely within the State.
1t flows for some distance parallel to the
Walnut, about six miles from it.
Immediately east of the mouth of the
Walnut, range of limestone hills cross
Fes the Arkansas, forming gorge prob
ably three-fourths of mile in breadth,
i filed with timber from bluff to bluff.
East of this range, we found hundreds
ofacres ofoak openings, and very broad,
fertile bottoms. Two other streams, the
Neniskan and Shekaska, enter the Ar
kansas-on the west side, within five or
six miles above the mouth of the Wal
nut, each having broad bottoms, aud
abundance of timber. The Arkansas is
far better timbered here than in the re-
gion further west. The uplands are
generally smooth and fertile, based upon
| limestone.
The peninsula between the Walnut
and Arkansas, towards its southern ex-
| tremity, breaks of into q smooth swell
ing ridge, much like that upon which
Emporia is situated, but narrower and
somewhat lower. Timber, building
stone, sand, water pOwar, all abound in
the immediate vicinity. The site has
every natural advantage to be found in
Kansas and here, on Monday, in the
newest stage of the moon, and near the
first day of the year, we laid the rude
log foundations on which a thriving
town may some day rise. We were
spared the trouble of naming it; the
charter of the Preston CTexas) and Sa-
lima railroad has already christened it
Delphi.
The Sac and Fox and Usage Indians
were camped close by. They are per-
fectly quiet and harmless /; perhaps over
awed by the number of settlers. We
made the acquaintance of a few of them
the superannuated chief, lizard Rope"
''Little Bear, E-kee-son-ge,w whose name
is, translated, "Long-tailed Rat" ana
some others. Like all the other settled
Indians, the Osages are a dying race.
Very few children now grow to matur-
ity.' "Strike-ax," one of the principal
chiefs, told one of our party that he had
lost nine children, and only one remain
ed. At the present rate of decrease,
these tribes will soon disappear from
the earth. "White mans food" and con-
sanguine intermarriages are mentioned
as the most apparent causes.
We have the best evidence that the
number of the Osages has been greatly
exaggerated by interested parties; that
1900 is above the figure. While en-
camped near them for some days, we
were particularly struck by sort of
prolonged and unearthly wall, which
rose every morning at daybreak from
their villages sound that wonderfully
harm onized with the note of the owl
and cayote-rising and falling for seve-
raj minutes in strange cadences. This
was said by some to be their mode of
worship; but Col. Manning, who has
spent much time among them, told US
that they were mourning for their dead.
To US it seemed as if these pre-Adamite
people were singing their own DEATH
| song.
Most of the timbered claims along the
lower Walnut are now taken. The prai-
RE claims are almost untouched. The
valleys of the lower Grouse, the Arkan-
sas, Neniskaw, and Shikaska, are almost
totally unclaimed, and the best of tim
bered lands await the pioneer. In its
adaptation to grass, corn, fruit, and live
stock, this region is hardly equaled in
Kansas. The survey of the Walnut
Valley branch of the A, T. s. S. F. r.
r. passes across the site of Delphi. A
ferry for this point has been chartered,
and will be put in operation early next
spring. Other good things are in pro-
gress. Should the Usage title be extin-
guished this winter, the growth of this
country will be wonderful; and it is
impossible to describe the anxiety of the
pioneers upon this point. Above all,
they desire that the lands be sold only
to actual settlers, and not made the
plumber of great monopolists, in which
prayer most of us will heartily join.
If the present Usage Treaty be ratified,
actual settlers will receive each a quar-
ter section at $1.25 per acre. Now is
the time to act. III. B. NORTON.
Il