The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-05-19
BELLE PLAN.
Arkansas CRY. cowLEr Co., KAs

ARKANSAS IITY, CoWLEY Co., hAs.
May 4th, 1871.
MEssRs. EDIToRs To those unac-
quainted with the rapid growth of this
part of the State, and with the enter
.prisiag spirit which .characterizes the
greater part of the people now immi-
grating, the changes, which. have taken
place, may seem incredible. but they are
nevertheless facts. Newcomers expect
to find a wilderness, but fin d o garden
Men of ability and sagacity, who came
down here in advance of spring immi-
grafton, have travelled this strip over
thoroughly, and have become familiar
with all the best land, and points where
soil, timber, water, building material,
and commercial advantages were cen-
tered, they have located and surveyed
out town sites, and are keeping pace
with the tide of immigration, building
up places of business as fast as the
| country settles up arouud them. And
it now. bids fair 10 be lively race be-
tween the town and country to see
which shall grow the fastest. After ex-
aiming the whole county of Sumner, a
party of men have organized town
company, and chosen the most favora-
| BILE location in that county for a town
site. This enterprise 1 am told started
sometime during the past winter, and
since then few towns have grown so
fast as Belle Plain. 1t is situated in the
richest and most fertile part of the
county between the Arkansas and the
Nineseah rivers, about ten miles. from
the mouth of the latter, and surrounded
by a vast tract of bottom land extending
from river to river. They are quite sure
of the county seat, and bid fair, Judging
from their present progress, to rival any
town in the Arkansas valley. The mair
current of emigration into this strip
seems to be heading in that direction
and in as much as judge from disin
terested stand point, l must say theii
part of the country is getting more thar
its proportion. Business men of mod
crate capital will find there an opening
not to be found in older towns wher,
the requirements for building call fol
too much expense.
There are great many who come in
to this State with capital just sufficien
to put up an Inexpensive building, ant
. have enough left to go into trade; bu
many of our western towns, when dona
ting lot, place the conditions upoI
, which the lot is given beyond the reacI
of men with ordinary means. For thu
present this is not the case at Bell,
Plain. The town company have appro
priated large number of lots to b.
, given to men wishing to start in an!
honorable business, and those who wisl
} to make a sure investment, and a largt
per centage on their money, whethe
the amount be great or small, canno
. do better now than either to go and Sc,
or write to the propritors of the Bell,
Plain TOWNSHIP. Tho country adapted
) to general farming or stock raising is 81
extensive in their vicinity, that trad'
cannot be overdone for the next year q
least. Business houses are going NJ
quite fast, and trade is thriving. Ths
following buildings are either filled
with goods, or expecting to be in run
ming order soon: Town Hall, Thurman
and Richards, 20x4O ANDERSON, livery
stable, 40x60; Hotel, Barton and Son
main building, 30x30, two stories higt
with an ell 16x24 j. Hamilton's store
1920, general assortment of groceries
; George Hamilton, 1920, dry goods
j. Kellogg, 1890, drugs; Davenport
first class stock of hardware, 20x40
Miller, 16x20, flour and feed; Kline
l6x20, groceries; Chamberlin, I6x20
land ofiifie. a good ferry crosses tho
Arkansas near the town. A mail route
has been established from Wichita tc
Arkansas City, and stages will soon be
running. A stage route from Thayer
via Winfield, to Belle Plain has been
surved out, and it is expected that
stages will be running on that route al.
SO soon. T. A. WILKINSON.