The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-07-04
OUR KANSAS LETTER.


Interesting Notes on Agricultural
and Other improvements in the
"Great American Desert of
Kansas.
sEncwrcx HARVEY CO., KAN.
/ June iGsh, lS72
Mr.. Editor:-The former county Of
Sedgwick, being 42 miles long and SO
wide, was considered by the solons Of
our Legislature. too large for conven-
lent county, accordingly ten townships
were struck of from the north part Of
the county, and three other townships
contiguous to them were attached, and
q new county. called Harvey after the
Governor Of the State. was organized.
Harvey county Is small in territory
and young in years, but what it lacks
in age and size it makes up In quality.
Lying mostly in the valley Of the
Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers,
the land is about equal TO the best Of
this or any other State. And, small
rs our county 10. we have about 40
miles Of railroad in running order on
its territory. The Atchison, Topeka
and Santa Fee r. r. runs through 1t
the entire length of 80 miles from east
to west, and the Wichita branch
strikes of ct Newton aud runs south
to Wichita 80 miles-lO Of them being
in this county.
BY the terms Of the land grant, the
Atchison, Topeka aud Santa Fe r. r.
Co. are required 70 reach the west line
Of this State by the end Of this year,
which Is at least $50 miles west Of this
point. But little was done ON the
road until 1870 when they commenced
at Topeka and built 70 Newton, In or
der to draw the Texas cattle trade,
which wes big thing last year, rs
some 10000 were driven north
through the Indian Territory, and Q
very considerable portion Of them were
shipped from Newton. Having reach
ed Newton In June last year, the COM
pany suspended operations on this end
OF the road, and went hack to Atchison
aud built the road to Topeka. Grad
ing was resumed here again late in
the fall, but winter setting in early,
and the ground continuing frozen un-
I'll the middle of February, but little
progress was made until after that
time. But this season work IL being
pushed In earnest. The grading
reached Fort Larned BY the nrst Of
May, and Is now about so miles beyond
that point. The company in the lat
ter end Of May determined to put on
700 hands ut track.laying aud put
down two miles per day. Whether
they have their full complement Of
hands or whether they are laying two
miles per day I cannot say. but they
passed this point two weeks since at q
rapid rate and are now miles west of
this. This road will follow the course
Of the Arkansas river to the west line
Of this State.
Having good lands, and good rail-
| road facilities IL IL not di6lcult to an
swer the question as to how we are
going 10 make q country out of this
great American Desert, as the old ge-
ographies used to have it. Hedges aud
young timber grow well when planted
and the winters are 90 mild, that the
Usage Orange seed may be planted
where the hedge is wanted aud need
not be taken up. have q mile and q
quarter up and growing nicely, except
in few places where the grasshoppers
have nipped it.
We have what is known rs the herd
law. requiring all stock to be kept up
or herded. and making the owners Of
stock responsible for all damages, and
accordingly we break our land, and
put in our crops, and hedges without
any protection whatever.
The settlement of this county may
be said to have commenced one year
ago last March, as previous to that
time there were probably not 200 In.
habitants in the county and no crops
worth notice had been raised. New
ton and Sedgewick are the only towns
in the county. When we came In
May II, Sedgwick had six houses.
and Newton perhaps dozen, mostly
unfinished. At the election last
month Newton cast sos votes and
Sedwick 7O3. These of course were
mostly fraudulent as the location of
the county seat was in question. 1t is
nevertheless true that there are over
200 voters in Vewton, nearly as many
In Sedgwick. and about 800 in the
county. Last year we raised nearly
enough corn for home consumption,
and If the present season continues
favorable, as It has been so far, we
shall have large surplus, both of corn
and potatoes to ship to other points
less favored. So that with rich lands,
and good seasons, and mile climate,
and with railroads to bring in lumber
coal and rock, and such other things
as we do not produce, we have no
feaIs but we shall make o country in
much less time than could be done In
the timbered regions Of the east, OF
even on the prairies Of Iowa, where
fences had to be built before farming
could be done.
| The prices of the leading articles o
consumption hero are about AZ follows
Dressed lumber. $4 per hundred coal
81 per ton flour, $6 per cwt;; corr
meal. 50; corn, 50 cts per bushei oats
SO cts hams, Is cts per ID bacon, 1Oc
lard, 12lc; butter or eggs not used.
We have few Greeley Republican,
in the valley. Cause why, they have
got their backs up because SO many
land grants have been made to rail
roads during the present administra
ton. Now, while admit that corpo
ratiops have no souls, and monopolies
should be bound with bonds and
chains, yet when properly controlled
like the steam engine they have i'm
mense power, and may te made very
useful. I would like to ask thes,
gentlemen when this valley woult
have been settled without railroad