The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-11-27
Correspondence Of the EAGLE.
From Sumner County.
RsxAxro. Nov. l7th. ls7s.

From Sumner County.
REMAxT0, Nov. 18th, 1873.
EDITOR EAGLE: Our town and couil-
~ are in more prosperous condition
at present than the most hopeful antic-
ipaied during the summer The beau
tifui weather that we have had for sew
eral weeks has enabled most folks to
get their work well along. In the first
place, we had seasomablc rains and an
excellent time for seeding which was
well employed, n large breadth Of wheat
having been sown, all of which looks
spieudid. Sumner county doubtless
will harvest her own supply Of wheat
next year. and that is very important
item. We also notice much being done
TO render the buildings more comfort
able for the winter. The g~outing
Business seems to be all the rage, and
many houses with very shabby exte-
rior will be warm and comfortable for
the winter.
Our rich soil and the success attend
ing the manufacture of salt, attract
newcomers 10 this part of the county,
all of whom prophecy splendid future
for las. But our great drawback at
present. still folks are not likely to
suffer yet for the want of, fuel. The
supply, though meager, seems to hold
ont better than most folks anticipated,
and no doubt that coal will yet be
found. A boring is being made by
gentlemen near Wellington, with the
best of prospects.
With reference 10 the manufacture
of salt in Sumner county, continued
observations and experiments go to
prove that OH quite large area Of this
county salt water can be obtained. In
very many places it crops out as at Re-
mamto and Salt creek, but also where
diggings and boreings have been made
at various other places the best Of salt
water has been found at depth of
frOu forty TO one hundred feet.
Onr town of Remanto is Weakening
up. In addition to the two stores we
have had, Mr.. Allen, of St. Louis, is
here now experimenting the building
afa commodious and substantial store
house, To be occupied by him with q
first-class variety store. We also have
a c0mmodious school house, and school
is now being kept. Also preaching
every Sunday.
As for the l,ealthfulDess ofthis coun-
~, and in fact, the whole valley, it is
unprecedented in the Mississippi val
ley. We venture the assertion, after
having spent two summers in this val
ley, that not another spot can be found
west Of the Allegheny mountains, as
free from malarious diseases as the Ar
kansas valley. As soon as folks COM
ing here from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
and Missouri have been here long
enough (say one season to get rid of
miasma contracted there, they know it
no more, only in memory.
Now a word about the surveying of
the land in this part of our country.
II seems as though there has been great
direliction of duty in that matter here.
Either the survey ors swindled the gov
ernment, or the government is SWIM
ding the settlers. Such work never
saw. Instead of lines tending to the
cardinal point of the compass as they
should, they tend in any other direc-
ton about rs well, and the roads when
laid OH the lines zig gag about like a
dog's hind leg, which will always mar
the looks of our otherwise beautiful
country. 1t causes some Of our land to
fall short very much others over run,
some Of the lines actually falling short
five chains, or twenty rods, others over
running, and altogether leaving the
land in a miserable shape, besides hav-
ing to pay for land they do not get.
Can this matter be ventilated?
We have read an article in the EAGLE
discussing the propriety Of giving long
time for actual settlers on the Usage
lands to pay for their land. Now this
would be the wish Of every one, and
we know that.congress can SO arrange
just as well as not, unless, like last
winter, they spend their time increas-
ing their own salaries; and such an ar
rangement would conduce greatly to
the Improvement ofthe country. There
may be objections, however, to his plan
Of doing it, by deciding the land and
taking mortgage, in order to have it |
come in for taxation, which il should |
do. Cannot the time be extended on |
condition that the individual volunta-
rily listed his claim for taxation, and
not otherwise? Yours in haste,
\ SPECTATOR.