The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1870-08-18

The Nav valley.
10 the Editor cfMe Times:
That portion of Leavenworth County skirt
ing the Kaw river is not as rapidly developing
as some other portions of the county. All the
bottom from near Wyandotte to Stranger and
beyond, was originally covered by as mag
nifcent a growth of timber as could be found
anywhere in the West. The land was grant
ed in the first place to the builders of the
Kansas Pacific Railway, and the best of the
timber worked up into ties and bridges. 1t
was then put in market at prices averaging
twenty dollars per acre. But it costs time
and money to get lands like these in tilla-
BILE condition; trees, stumps and underbrush
must be cleared away; whereas the labor
Of making farms upon the prairie is COM
paratively uncomfortable, and meanwhile,
the bet of prairie has been in the market on
all sides at from five to ten dollars per acre.
Timbercd bottoms have also repulsive rep
utation as regard healthfulness; so that the
Kaw bottom, though inexhaustibly produc-
tive, with still enough timber upon it to sup
ply the ordinary needs of agricultural set
tiers, though less likely to be visited by pro-
traced droughts that make farming more
precarious on the surrounding uplands, with
other marked advantages, has been left in
good part to the occupancy of temporary
suuatters substantial settlers preferring
TO locate their homes out on the prairie.
The soil is made up of combination of
two silicious sands watercd down by the
rain from the plains, and the rich vegetable
mold of the prairie slopes on either hand.
Thus constituted, it is rich and deep beyond
the likelihood of exhaustion, and though
not we'll adapted to the growing of small
rrains. is unsurpassed for fruit, and more
esucciaIlv for the cultivation of our great
local staple, corn, which, with the timber
and water to be found here, supply all the
conditions for the rearing and fattening of
swine. The best of the timber and wood
th,t was left on the bottom is rapidly disap-
nearing. The non-residency of the Proprie-
tors and the excellent market furnished by
the railroad, has formed and stimulated an
active prosecution of that business provin-
cially termed 'Jayhawking, which, if it does
not mean stealing, cannot be prosecuted sue
ce..6plly by those who do not take rather
obliquitos,s view Of the Sixth Command
mcnt.
That norton Of the bottom which lies in
Leavenwceth and Wyandotte ccunties-ex-
ceuting town sites and some small parcels
sold 20 settlers-amounts TO about eight thous-
nd acres and is now owned by Mr.. Is. W.
Lewis, . wealthy capitalist and lspecu!ator,
residing in St. Louis. The kaw Valley
Town Company have two town sites on this
tr,ct within the limits Of the counsy-Lenape
and Stxnger-cach covering Plot OF eighty
scrpA. Lenape is twenty-five miles from
leayenworth and one and half miles north
- Of De Soto, in johnson County, at a point
where The old government, now le Soto road,
crosses the Kansas Pacific Railway. The
omr,e of this road before it reaches Lenape,
is through rocky, winding canon. The
grade in some places is very steep, and thu
led Of the road is periodically washed out by
torrsuHs that pour down the surrounding
baufk In the rainy seasons. Ii Is emPhatl
c,lly sshaSd road 10 travel" and Is avoided
- fir q practicable by travellers, and is ;
painnce 10 the farmers Of the vicinity, wht
sre conpellsd to make use Of it in their deal
inU wifA the nearest posaofice and railwa..
sessiop. The town was formerly subject y
-6ow bv the waters which poured dow
hun Tie blnis during the heavy rains. L
redeem the place from the aquatic characte
i ths ohllined, the Town Company IA
- . dep sluice 10 be dug on the north
b IT,. ., >kH,.,