The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-07-18

i
Arkansas valIy to Arkansas City
through the most beautiful country
have ever had the good fortune to
put my eyes upon. On every side
were fields of corn just tasseling
out, oats nearly ripe. aud wheat
ready for the reaper, and this Ia a
county only two years open for set
Element. On every quarter section
was claim shanty, and hedge rows
compelled US TO travel on section
lines.
Arkansas City is composed large
ly of emigrants from Emporia, who
seem we'll contented with their new
home, which is indeed a beautiful
one. Here 1 found the last to leave
US, friend Haywood, looking well
and happy. While staying with the
hospitable people of this frontier
town, 1 attended q Masonic celebra-
ton. The good behavior, and deco
rum, the delicious dinner carried
me back east and 1 could hardly
convince myself that we were with
in three miles of the Indian Terri
tory. Arkansas City has certainly
bright future before 1t, whether
the railroad comes or not. At all
events there is a rich, well settled
country about it. Some eight miles
distant, in Sumner county, are salt
springs. Sixty watts are in pera-
ton, the work of evaporation being
done by the sun. Soon they pro-
pose to boil the water when the
product per diem will be largely
Increased; the water is very rich
with salt and is quite free from for
eign substances. The water used
now is surface water. When they
reach the great basin of salt water
underlying that region, the water
will contain far larger proportion
salt.
From Arkansas City I drove to
Winfield, larger place, the county
seat of Cowiey county, but COM
posed of a very different popula-
ton. OF the two places, though
Winfield is the larger, it is the least
desirable as a residence; liquor sa-
looms abound and the town resem-
bles the general run of frontier
towns, while Arkansas City is quite
exceptional in its order and refine.
ment.
Arrived at Sedgwick City on my
way back met my young friend
from Emporia and we drove to
Hutchinson, which was much
largsr place than I had expected
Heavy rains had made the streets
impossible and my impression was
that the town had been badly 10.
Gated. Proper drainage may RENE
dy this evil, but the small creeks or
every side must render the place
somewhat undesirable as resi-.
dence. Business seemed brisk, the
town is orderly and one could no
but wonder at its rapid growth
Crossing the Arkansas over flint
free bridge, we ionrneycd south
west towards Medicine Lodge city
For the first twenty miles we pass
ed along fine farms, corn growing
on the sod as large and thrifty as or
old land in other places; no treei
were to be seen, yet the land wa
generally occupied and the croI
prospect appeared most favorable
Soon we passed beyond settle
ments. After crossing the nortl
fork of the NInnesqua, we left farms
and houses behind. Nothing wa
visible but buffalo grass and sant
sprinkled with bright flowers, nov
and then we saw small herd o
buffaloes, and the antelope gazeC
curiously from safe distance.
If one can judge from the appear
ance of the soil it is safe to asser
that settlements have stretched GU
as far as land is arabic. The Mime
squa, Checaspia, and smaller creeks
have wide sandy bottoms, with &C
casional stretches of fertile meadow
but the hills are barren. 1 saw
some good stock claims. but befor
this part of the state can be settled
the buffalo grass must be displace,
by the prairie grass, which is SLOW
process. Wide plains, with shor
grass, and buffalo skeletons, offe
but slight inducement to the settler
AS journeyed through the Ar
kansas valley. could not but thin
how important for Emporia it wa
to get railroad communication wit
this most fertile part of the state.
w. E. G..