The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-05-31
Some Statistics of the Arkansas Valley.

IL iiSeS III Colorauo territory, longltuC
1862 west of Gresnwhich, and latitud
39lo north. Its source is in the Rock
Mountains, at and altitude of about 10, 90
feet above the ocean, where it flows fror
the base of Mount Lincoln, one hundre
miles southwest of Denver, and immed
ately to the west of that delightful. bu
almost inaccessible region known as tn
South Park of Colorado. Intent upon a
eastern outlet, it breaks through noun
tain barriers, news for itself gorges an
canons in the eternal rock, floods owe
precipices, receives innumerable tributar
rivulets foaming with clear water from tn
mountain sides, and finally, after as rapi,
a run of two hundred miles as river eve
made, debouches into what may be termed
the upper plain region of South Colorado
From thence it's flow due eastward is NOR
tranquil, but yet very rapid. In Colorado
it receives several large tributaries, mos
OF them rising in the Rocky Mountains
among which are Greenhorn, Huerfano
Apishpa, Tiempas, Purgatoire, Squirrel
Little Sandy, Big Sandy, etc.
The Arkansas enters Kansas rs mile.
north of tue south line of the State. run,
due east 40 miles, and then makes al
angle to the northeast about rs miles
whence it DIVORCES to the southeast, form
ing what is known as the "Big Bend - o.
the Arkansas River. At this point is stu
ated Fort Zarah, an abandoned govern
ment post. The course of the Arkansa:
from Fort Zarah is southeast, to the State
line, distance of $50 miles, where it en-
tiers the Indian Territory. Its general
course is little south of east, until il
enters the Mississippi River, in the State
OF Arkansas, at point midway between
Memphis and Nicksburg. 1t must be re-
membered that the distances above given
are in direct lines and not by the windings
of the stream. The Arkansas is a broad,
shallow stream, but so far as l have seen it,
is unlike the Platte in that it has well de-
fined banks and few islands. Its banks are
very low, varying from four to ten feet in
height But we come now to one of the
most remarkable features of the river
Although draining country before reach
ing Central Kansas, larger than all New
England, and although it carries the tor
rents from the melting SHOWS of one half
of Colorado, it never flows outside its shall
low bed. Its banks during May and June
are nearly full, and apparently it's vast and
rapid waters are about to flood and devast-
ate the entire valley, but are curiously
kept from injury and caused to work a
great benefit to the valley, or at least to
the soil Of the lower bottom lands. This
remarkable phenomenon is easily account
ed for, when the facts are UNDERSTOOD
The bed of the river, at least throughout
its course in Colorado and Kansas, is COM
posed of sand and gravel, and the subsoil
of the adjacent lands consisting of the
same material, the superintendent waters
spread themselves through this subsoil,
instead of overlooking the surface of the
country, as would be the case if the sub
soil was composed of clay. So completely
does the porous subsoil drink up this river,
that last summer, following a winter of
extraordinarily light fall of snow in the
mountains, the bed of the river was in
places absolutely dry, although water could
be obtained short distance below the sur
face, where in reality the river was flowing
in the gravel.
The word "valley" is ordinarily applied
to such lands, called in the west s'bottom,"
or second bottoms, as are adjacent to a
stream and considerably lower than the
uplands or hills which lie farther from the
stream. Applying the word strictly in
tn is sense, it is difficult to tell the width of
the Arkansas Valley. There is occasional
ly tract of land on the margin of the riv-
er which is so low that it is too wet for cul-
tivation during high water, and must there
fore be devoted chiefly to the grasses, but
the rise is so gradual as we travel back
from the river, that few can tell where the
'bottom - ends and the "upland' be-
gins. The average width of the Arkansas
in this State is about 1000 feet, but in
places it is considerably wider. The length
of the bridge now building at Hutchinson
is 1,6S0 feet.
The lower lands, or " first bottoms, " are
from one to two miles wide, of which only
a narrow tract is of the wet character
above described. The second bottoms ~
rise from four to eight or ten feet above
the first bottoms" and are from five to
ten miles wide in the vicinity of Hutchin-
son, and down the stream to the State line.
Following up the river to the west line of
the State, the average width of the bottom
or valley is two to four miles, extending in
places to Il distance Of eight or ten miles,
That portion of the valley below Big Bend
is from five to twenty miles wide. The
crops raised in this region during the last
two years have sufficiently demonstrated
our agricultural wealth. Last year there
were grown upon the sod in this valley
that is, upon ground newly broken-corn
from 90 to so bushels to the acre, oats 20
to 40 bushels, vines OF all kinds, potatoes,
beets, peas, lettuce, etc. Usage orange
seeds, sown upon the sod, produced plants
from three to five feet in length.
After what has been written of the Ar
kansas River, it is almost superfluous to
say that the water Of all this valley region
is abundant and pure. 1t is in truth the
best watered portion of Kansas. On the
bottom lands, "drive wells" or "tube
wells y are universally used. They consist
of a tube of galvanized iron, with an iron
point, the lower end of the tube having
small holes on the sides, around which is
wrapped piece of wire gauze for strain
er. This pipe is driven into the ground
through a hole in the kitchen floor if desir-
ed, or wherever inclination dictates-and
water is reached at depth of from six to
thirty feet. A pump is placed upon the
pipe, and in an hours time an endless sup
ply of pure water is obtained. 1t is ordi-
narily quite soft. This blessing will be
fully appreciated by housekeepers.
So much has been said about the sand
hills of the Arkansas by people who have
never been here, that a definite description