The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-04-25
SUMNER COUNTY.

EDITOR News: lii perusfng your
paper I seldom find an item from
our young but fiourishiDg county of
Sumner. AS think Gas most per-
sons do about their own county,
that our county is the Eden of Kan
sas, propose to give, through the
columns of The News, few items
from this portion of the State.
The first settlement in Sumner
county dates back but little more
than two years. AT present, in
point of population, it ranks almost
among the first counties in the State,
and far in advance of many that
haye been settled from ten to fif-
teen years. We may conceive some
idea of its rapid growth when we
consider that at our late Presiden-
tial election it polled nearly three
thousand votes.
This portion of the State, which,
a few years ago was considered If
not within the confines of the Great
American Desert, so near to it that
for all practical utility to man
kind it might better have been in
the middle of the Pacific, as it af-
forded abundance of range and hid
ing places for renegade white men
and maurading tribes of Indians !;
but it is now acknowledged TO con-
tain less waste land than any other
cuunty in the State. Hence we may
predict for Sumner county, aud that
within a few years, wealth and
population unsurpassed by any in
the STATE. 1t consists of portion
of the country known as the Usage
Reserve, and is sold to actual set
tiers at Sl.25 per acre, hence is not
blessed(O by visits from specula-
tors and railroad monopolists.
Iu the northeastern portion OF
the county is quite a dense pop
ulation, all of the land containing
timber and water having been taken,
while in the southern and western
part may yet be found, some timber
and an abundance of the best and
purest of water, and land that for
beauty and fertility is unsurpassed,
| Sumner does not contain an over
plus of timber, but as it has "herd
law" people find enough TO supply
their present wants.
The settlers seem TO take an linus
ual interest in hedging, and the day
is not far distant when the farms CT
this county will be inclosed with
fences which, with proper care, will
be ornamental as well as substantial
and useful.
The great Texas cattle trail ex-
tends through the western portion
of the county; and because of the
abundance of water and grazing il
is selected by drovers for holding
their cattle until they cen be dispos-
ed of This affords the new settler
an excellent opportunity 10 procure
stock at a reasonable market price,
makes trade lively and money plen-
ty. The stock dealers are antici-
pating heavy drive again this sea-
son, which will begin to arrive
about the first of May.
Wichita will be the principal
shipping point, which will make the
southern part of Sedgwick and the
western part of Sumner counties
the place to buy cattle. Nolwith-
standing the reports abroad with
respect TO DEMONSTRATING and the
hanging OF men of that persuasion
by vigilance committees, to US they
have become things of the past, as
it is undoubtedly an established fact
that Sumner county is not healthy
place to ply the trade of horse-s:eal-
ing. When q riot, hanging or Shoot
ing affray is reported in Sumner
county, the important news is OBJ
tanned from some paper perhaps
hundreds of miles distant, or is the
fruits of some imaginative mind,
for in no frontier district will be
found more thrifty, industrious
enterprising and law abiding people
than Sumner county.
Yours, from Sumner, i. Ii. d.
CHIKAskIA, April 16, 1873.