The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1873-10-02
THE ARKANSAS VALLEY!
ITS CAPABILITIES, FERTILITY
AND DEVELOPMENT
Lands and Homes for the Millions.

Lands and Homes for the Millions
In .his article We shall attempt Civ
ING the readers Of the EAGLE living in
other states. and who may contemplate
coming west to make home, prac-
teal idea of The more striking charac-
tcristics Of the great Arkansas river
and its valley, for within the bounds
of this valley are found the richest
lands. the most ilourishing towns and
the most prosperous people to be
found. probably. upon the American
continent Certain il is that it offers
the greatest inducements for home
seekers Of any get remaining in, or be-
longing TO, the public domain.
THE ARKANSAS RIVER
l. little less than 1900 miles in length,
being one of the longest and swiftest
running streams upon the continent.
Rising in Colorado territory, latitude
one hundred and six and onc-half de-
gIfts Wfct VI ttii W
thirty-nine and one-half degrees north,
receiving its waters from rivulets and
springs that arc fed by the melting of
the eternal SHOWS Of the snowy range
which rcars its rugged, lofty and snow
crowned peaks 100 miles west of. and
5000 feet above the base of the Rocky
mountains, it flows completely around
the south peak, surges and sparklcs at
the base Of Mount Lincoln and rushes
out through CANYON in Pixies Peak
range into the valley Of Eastern Colo
RADIO and on eastward. Within ten
miles Of its head rise the Grand and
Platte rivers. Bearing the SHOWS OF
one-half Colorado, ii flows through the
gorges and valleys Of the mountains,
is deep and impeiuously strong, but
entering upon the broad plain pasture
cast Of the mountains lis bed widcns
and its flow from thence 10 the gulf is
quiet. yet swift. In Colorado il re-
ceives several tributaries, most Of them
rising in the mountains, among which
are Fontainc, Ca Bouic, Grcenborn,
lIuerfano, Apishpa, Tinpas, Purgato-
RE, Little and Big Sandy, etc. II en-
tcrs Kansas seventy-tivc miles north of
the south line Of the state, runs due
eeast 40 miles, DIVORCES seventy-five
miles northeast, then angles to the
southeast, forming what is known as
the Great Bend, thence little south
of east through Kansas, the Indian
territory and the state OF Arkansas,
cmptying into the Mississippi midway
between Memphis and Wick sburg. The
Arkansas is broad and shallow
stream, with many islands, low but
well defined banks, varying from four
TO ten feet in height. The most re-
Inarkable features are that although
draining country, before reaching
Kansas. larger than all New England,
and although il carries the melting
SHOWS in June, July and August Of
many thousand square miles. 1T never
oycrilows its banks, but its waters are
curiously kept within the bed Of the
stream, working great benefit TO the
soil Of the valley for miles upon each
side. The fact is the bed Of the stream
throughout its source in Kansas is
composed Of sand and gravel, as also
the subsoil of the adjacent lands. The
superintendent water spreads itself
through this subsoil, instead of over
flowing The country, ~ would be the
case IL the subsoil of the wide valleys
was clay. SO completely does the
porus subsoil drink up this water that
most Of the year il is easily fordable
with teams, and there has been times
when. ia the western portion of the
state, the river bed would 90 dry. al
though water could be obtained three
or inches'below the surface, where
In reality the river was flowing in the
gravel. The river at Wichita is about
1900 feet wide, at Hutchinson, forty
miles further up, it is 1000 feet wide.
THE VALLEY AND SOIL.
This description will be more par
ticularly confined TO the valley lying
between the Great Bend and where the
river enters the Indian territory. In
this area arc included more particular
the counties Of Raymond, Reno, Har-
rcy. Sedgwick, Sumner and Cowley.
These counties embrace the finest. rich
est and best watcred lands to be found
IN the whole 1000 miles traversed by
the Arkansas. This portion OF the
valley is from five to twenty miles wide.
The soil is chiefly a sandy loan, made
up Of such mineral elements as have
been washed from the Rocky noun
tains by the attrition of ages. 1t is
marked feature of this soil that it con-
tains a much larger proportion of min
eral matter than the prairie soils OF IL
linois and Iowa, which are chiefly
vegetable mould. For this reason our
valley will improve by cultivation.
To those accustomed to q murky soil,
there appears to be in places in this
valley too much sand, but the expert
encc Of our farmers is directly the op-
posite. Read what the editor OF the
-Ameyrcan Agriculturalist, who visited
this valley in April Of this year, has to
say:
"The soil is a deep black loan, rest
ing on . lighter colorcd subsoil con-
sis,ing Of loan. clay and gravel, both
soil and subsoil being SO porus that
surface water readily passes through
them. and IN no case is there any diff
ficulty experienced in crossing with
horses and wagons or stock, any water
courses or beds of streams. Teams
may be driven across springs or creek
bottoms fearlessly, without danger of
miring. This porosity of the soil.
while il renders ii capable of being
plowed or worked Immediately after
the heaviest rains, at the same time
keeps il constantly moist from eyapo-
ration below, and protects il from
drouth. Within six hours OF the ces-
sation OF rain in which | judge at
least three inches of water fell, saw
farmers breaking sod and cultivating
the Young corn. The crops of corn,
oats, rye. spring and fall wheat. pota-
toes and garden vegetables, which |
saw growing. both on new and old
breakings, in various localities in the
valley. are equal to any that | have
ever seen elsewhere, during many
years' ernerienca I know of no part