The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-06-04

striking characteristics of the great
river. its tributaries, and valleys, that
have for decades past been set down
by the gcographcr and writer as uniii-
habitable. To newspapers of this val
ley, and TO the letters of friends alone,
can these people. who desire to come
among us, look for information. To
this end is this article compiled.
1t is fact well known to the gov
ernment, as 10 all observing western
men. that the really valuable lands be-
longing to the general government arc
now limited and that the remaining
lands are rapidly being transferred to
private hands-the hOmesteadcr, pre-
"tor and settler of the west. Out.
side of the Indian territory there re-
mains but limited supply of really
the choicest of which, for climate, soil,
and health, are to be found in the great
valley Of the Arkansas, in the counties
named above.
| THE ARKANSAS RIVER
is little less than 1000 miles in length,
being one Of the longest and swiftest
running streams upon the continent.
Rising in Colorado territory, longitude
one hundred and six and One-half de-
grees west Of Greenwich, and latitude
tlirty-nine and One-half degrees north,
receiving its waters from rivulets and
springs that are fed by the melting of
the eternal SHOWS of the snowy range
which rears its rugged, lofty and snow
crowned peaks $50 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 a canyon in Pixies Peak
range into the valley Of estern Colora-
do and OH eastward. 1t enters Kansas
sevemty-five miles north of the south
line of the state, runs due east 40 miles,
DIVORCES seventy-tive 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, emptying into the
Mississippi midway between Memphis
and Vicksburg. The Arkansas is a
broad and shallow stream. with many
islands, low but well defined banks,
varying from four to ten feet in height.
The most remarkable features are that
although draining country, before
reaching Kansas, larger than all New
England, and although it carries tn.
melting SHOWS in June. July and Au-
gust of many thousand square miles, it
never Ovcrflows its banks. but its wa
tiers are curiOusly kept within the bed
of the stream, working a 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 Kan
sas is composed of sand and gravel, as
also the subsoil of the adjacent lands.
The superintendent water spreads it.
self through his subsOil, instead of
overlooking the country, as would be
the case if the subsoil of the wide val
lcys was clay. SO completely does the
porus subsoil drink up this water that
most of the year 1t is easily fordable
with teams, and there has been times
when, i'll the western portion of the
state. the river bed would go dry. al
though water could be obtained three
or four inches below the surface, where
in reality the river was flowing in the
gravel. The river at Wichita is about
800 feet wide, at Hutchinson, forty
miles further up, it is 600 feet wide.
TIE VALLEY AND SOIL. =
The richest and most d sirable por-
ton of the valley lies between the
Great Bend and the point where the
river enters in the Indian territory, in
which area are the counties of Reno,
Harvey. Sedgwick, Sumner, COwley
and Butler. To describe perfectly the
lands, streams, towns and productions
of these counties would require more
facile and forcible pen than we WELD.
The valley proper or bottom is from
ten to twenty miles in width. The
higher lands upon either side are kind
of second bottom, or low rolling prai-
ries. with just enough undulatiOn or
swell to carry off the extra rain falls.
The soil of the valley proper, which is
also marked by gentle swellS, is chief
ly a sandy loan, made up of such min
cral elements as have been washed
from the Rocky mountains by the attri-
ton of ages. 1t is marked feature of
this soil that it contains much larger
proportion of mineral matter than the
prairie soils of Illinois and Iowa, which
are chiefly vegetable mould. For this
reason our valley will improve by cul-
tivation. To those accustomed to q
murky soil, there appears to be in
places in this valley too much sand, but
the experience of our farmers is direct
~ the opposite. Read what the editor
of the american 1gricutturiSf. who vi
sitcd this valley in April of this year,
has to say:
The soil is deep black loan, rest
ing Oh lighter colOred subsoil con-
sisting of loan. clay aud gravel, both
soil and subsoil being SO porus that
surface water readily passes through
them, and in 10 case is there any diff
Guilty experienced in crossing with
horses and wagons or stock. any water
courses or beds of streams. Teams may
be driven across springs or creek bot
toms tearlessly, without danger of mir
ing. This porosity of the soil, while
it renders it capable of being plowed or
worked Immediately after the heaviest
rains. at the same lime keeps is con-
stantly moist from evaporation below,
and protects it from lrouth. Within
six hours of the cessation of a 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. potatoes 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 experience. know of no part |!
of the country, possessing q more at |
tractivc soil for the farmer than this"
STOCK.
This is the natural home for cattle |
From early spring until the middle of
October or the first of November the |
herds of farmers and stock raiser's !
wander lcisurely through the green |
sides in open meadows that arc bound |
less. growing fat and producing their |
kind. The abundant grasses, pure wa
tiers and warm climate render this por- |
ton of Kansas the finest stock country |
probably in the known world. The |
corn crop is safe before the rains cease, |
and after that time the grass cures |
upon the ground and makes natural
hay, retaining much of its nutritious |
qualities. which serves as q perennial |
pasture for stock. The fall and winter |
seasons. which east of the Missouri |
are marked by the prevalence of cold |
rains and chilling storms so trying to |
stock, here are marked by dry and
bracing weather. Occasional storms, |
in which light, dry snow is drifted and /
upon the surface. occur, dur
ing which the farmer will feel called
upon TO shelter and feed his stock.
Thus this country is specially adapted
for sheep and stock-raising in conjunc-
ton with grain growing. and must I'M
ioubtedly soor become great source
Of supply of beef and mutton to the
eastern markets. Thousands of tons