The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-11-19
Among Our Farmer Friends Again.

Among Our Farmer Friends Again
The summers warmth was sal! in The Ky,
Though the summer birds had hied away;
The yaulted heaYeIA.-o blue and high
Spanned landscape brown with decay.
Struggling c0tionwoods, d:smantled. AZ by age.
Along the low-banked Arkansas stood
In sad numbers, mourning their lost foliage
And the death of their floral s.steghood.
Set like gems in 4 rolling of brown
We're quiet homes, and fields of emerald green,
As away we sped from The noisy town
To the cowskin--fhe EAGLE and his queen.
Last Saturday was glorious day. The
dim dusky haze of Indian summer was lifted
by q brisk breeze from the north leaving the
heavens SO blue and the sun so bright that
one could almost butter-cups, johnny
jump-ups, and other spring flowers peeping
forth. 1nstinctiyely we thought OF Scramber
and Rather and our ride TO Lincoln. The
temptation was too strong. Getting Thomp-
sons. coy little backs-whch blacks by the
way, used to be the gallant Phil Sheridan's
driving team-we rushed around home, bum
dled:in,our "'tother SELF and soon were over
the bridge and whirling away across the
broad valley on the west side OF the turbid
Rackensack. bound, as our verse intirDates,
for the land OF .'Cowskiner's rooster "Al
roads lead to Rome" was said of the cam
paignia, and from the answers we got Satur-
day afternoon all roads on the west side of the
river must lead TO the Cowskin. West Wicl- |
ita looked business" and McCanless' new
store was full OF customers, but business was
what we were running away from, and away |
we trotted gayly along on the Medicine Lodge |
road directly west until we struck the farm Of
Mr., NJ. Stanton whom we found busly al |
work on his new frame house Afier noting |
his fifteen acres Of wheat, pleasant location |
and also the home of Mcdonald just to the
west, we took cross road leading south by
Mr.. Menifee's place, whose wheat looked well
and his apple trees thrifty. Mr.. NJ has 4
young grove of forest trees growing. that he
will lind source Of great comfort and profit
TO himself and stock two or three years hence.
For the same amount of labor and expense
our prairie farmers can do nothing that will 80
enhance the beauty, comfort and even value
OF their places rs the setting out and properly
caring for Of a small grove OF forest trees AS
a windbreak 10 the house, orchard and stock,
valuable, rs n shade Tor yourselves and chill
dren grateful, and for the ieathered songsters
OF the air and domestic fowls delightful. We
are glad TO note Improvements in this direc-
ton aud would be pleased to hear from any OF
our readers upon the subject at any time.
A. we glded over the smooth road south
away to our right from one to three miles
Were many line and substantial looking houses
and Improvements, the bright green wheat
fields dottin. almost thichly the great cXpanse
OF brown prairie that reached on and on until
il seemed to push the sky back. Some day
we hope 10 so out that way-,ome day when
we get rich enough 10 own Turnout" OF
our own when we will travel this county over
10 see our hundred, Of subscriber, living in
every portion OF Scdswick \
la little while We struck the old Chisholm
cattle trail WHEN We again headed southwest.
~ we rode a.olg our mind went bacA one !
shcs4 dccadc when ihi, -oil. old land which d
men call new with il then limiie>s waste,
and solemn silence IL awful >o!iludcs broken
only by the step 81 ihe red man or the tramp
OF the suu-:aHucd trapper. the rolling seas OF
buffalo. the wlIi;c-;aiied antelope and The sly
cayOte. How marked the change already. ,
How great aud grand will be the change In +
The near future. Most OF a. shall live 10 ,ee :,
Bat here we are upon gentle swell or roll
overlooking the pretty little stream with such
an outlandi,h name. The house at which we il
halted was the home Of 5. 5. Bowman. who. :
with team aud plow, was turning over the o
rich. warm. loose soil preparatory to spring
crops. Ali around him looked clean and neat =,
and his eighteen acres OF wheat was indeed
luxuriant. His nearest ncighbor is Mr.. }. d. :,
York, one Of our county commissioners. We
drove down 10 his house, little nearer the
stream and timber. We have known friend u
York rs an excellent man and now we know ii
him to he an excellent farmer as well. His C.
comfortable story and half frame house. j
large grain BIN and barn, hedges and seventy
odd acres OF wheat all told of his present and .,
coming comforts. But what attracted our at
teniion most was his fruit trees, especially the =,
apple trees, which were larger, finer and more /,
thrifty than any we have yet noticed in the
valley. We will miss our guess if J. Il. York
Is not sitting under his own vine and Zig tree, !"
and also eating his own apples in the next !"
two years. Mr.. I. was not at home on Satur- IA
day, but we congratulate him upon his home
like and pleasant surroundings. His farm, 90
which lies on both sides of the stream. is join -
ed on the other side by that of his brother j. =.
plain view upon an opposite knoll. Up the
creek we could plainly the home and farm
of MIR. NJ. Mead, which looked pleasant and w
nice with its oui-hGuscs and home-like sur in
roundngs. Mr.. Mead has in at least twenty
five acres Of promising wheat, and if he is not BIT
a happy and contented man he can't lay it to
n want of good prospects. still beyond upon .,
n high and s,ghtly roll stands Prairie Gem
school house, its white sides and bright win w
dows glittering in the light of the low de- "
scending sun, we thought it most admirably '''
named.
Turning our team around at commissioner J..
lork's we drove back past Mr.. Bowman's,- :.
who will please accept our thanks for answers a.,
TO our many questions,-and down along the -,
north bank of the Cowskin. Now, Messrs. a~
or residents along said stream.
right here we want TO put in our protest
against this Astounding, homely, or worse m;
than that, vulgar name. Here is as bright Ell
and delightful stream a. You viii find in tie
many day. travel bounded by ricn little To-
valley that is being studded with pleasant WI
homes-a clear running water fringed by lux hu
uriant grasses and bordcrcd by groves of the it.,
dark grcen-leaycd elm. aud 10 better name
than "Cowskm." The name has had its sig
niiicance To the long-hurcd Texas cow boy. Oh
no doubt, bat his day j. past; tie Jungle of Is
his spurs. his Wild whoopce. his weird song ms
aud the startling whang of his revolver will ira
soon be heard no more forever an the hank. a5
Of your pretty stream. then why not change Wi
The dciesiahle pame. .
That WAS what We thought q, We went ne.- COZ
riiy along ia add ont. ami around with The ia.
Hiniiugs OF The road. taking in The homes. fay
TarTs and Improvements OF Mcndcuhai. inq
Iio.d, and grac, which were la plain Vcw idc
upon The other baHh, but which we could not rilI
each. lci We were near cnoagA 10 see that To,
hey all had nice fields OF wheat, fifteen or
weniy acres apiece and thtt la few years q
ieiihcr woall fear any sra>>hoiper raid. an
GAMING 70 = bTly, y,, crossed ,,er au.i tioi
ound TIE home of N. u. Wcmpe, who MAS OF
cpairing corral, lac making At business 10 >tel
sinicr and feed cattle. Mr.. " emplc is prob ahc
hiy the oidcs; settler on the creek lie lives eh'
Il the crossing OF the London road inst eight Inn
miles from town, and rs the evening sun was WI
rearing the HORIZON We reluctantly turned our :
aces homeward, so far every place we had ana
zen was the home OF reader OF the EAGLE CON
which added no little TO our pride and gratih- ves
,ation. Before reaching the river. near the tic,
atue pens, some iour or hNe miles below ma
own, we passed a well improved place. Fri
Irse "i'e ira'he mousse surrounded 10y rep
thrifty trees-with ducks. turkeys chickens :,