The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-05-07
SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS.

Inc iallu Oh green IhCauo" S'S"'
streams, fertile soil. healthfui climate,
and almost continual sunshine, South
western Kansas. properly speaking,
consists of uttifteen counties, whose
territory is watered and drained by the
Great Arkansas River and its trlbuta-
ries. the Little Arkansas. the two Wal
nuts, Pawnee. Minnesota, Medicine LODI
oe. Cimarron and their hundreds f,ri-
butarics. It's country 100 miles north
and south by $50 east and west. Being
but recently opened to settlements TO
the pre-cmptor and homesteader. the
settlement of Il portion of il. especially
of Sed"wick. Harvey. Reno, barbour.
Sumner. Cowley aud Butler counties
has been wonderfully rapid. TO this
country thousands Of longing eyes are
turned, not only from the Older states,
but from some portions OF Europe.
These people who contemplate coming
to the west, and TO this. the choicest
portion Of il. are anxious to know
more of the particulars, more OF the
striking characteristics OF the great
river. its tributaries. and valleys. that
have for decades past been set down
BY the gcographcr and writer rs unin-
habtablc. To newspapers of this yal-
| ley, and 10 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 we'll known TO the gov
ernmcnt. as 10 all observing western
men. that the really valuable lands be-
| longing to the general government are
now limited and that the rcmainiI.
lands are rapidly being transferred TO
private hands-the homcsteader, pre-
cmptor and settler of the west. Out
side of the Indian territory there re-
mains but limited supply of really
good agricultural lands in ;ll the west.
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.
TIE ARKANSAS RIVER
| j. little less than 1000 miles in length.
being one Of the longest and swittesi
running streams upon the continent.
Rising in Colorado territory, longitude
one hundred and six and One-half de-
grces west of Greenwich. and latitude
| thrtv-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
s. 900 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 rushcs
out through a canyon in Pixies Peak
range into the valley of estcrn COiora-
do and on eastward. 1t enters Kansas
seyentv-iive miles north of the south
! line of the state. runs due east 10 miles,
DIVORCES scvcnty-five miles northeast.
then angles to the Southeast, forming
what is known as the Great Bend.
| thence Il little south of east through
Kansas. the Indian territory and the
| state of Arkansas, emptying into the
| Mississippi midway between Memphis
and Wick sburg. 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 the
melting SHOWS in June. July and Au-
gust of many thousand square miles, il
never overflows its banks. but its wa
tiers 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 Kan
sas j. 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 ease if the subsoil of the wide val
levs was clay. SO completely does the
porus Subsoil drink up this water that
most of the year 1t is easily forbade
with teams. and there has been times
when, in 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, ii is 900 feet wide.
THE VALLEY AND SOIL.
The richest and most desirable 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, Cowlcy
and Batter. TO describe perfectly the
lands. streams, towns and productions
of these counties would require a more
facilc and forcible pen than we wield
The valley proper or bottom is from
ten to twenty miles in width. The
higher lands upon either side are a kind
of second bottom. or low rolling prai-
ries. with Just enough undulation OF
swell TO carry off the extra rain falls
The soil Of the valley proper, which is
also marked by gentle swclls, is chief
" a sandy loan, made up of such min
eral elements As have been washed
from the Rocky mountains by the attri'
ton of ages. 1t is a marked feature o1
this soil that it contains a 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
tivaiion. TO those accustomed to +:
murkv soil. there appears to be in
places in this valley too much sand, bu
the experience of our farmers is direct
" the opposite. Read what the editor
of the -1meTican 1gTic"lturiSt. who vi
sitcd this valley in April of this year
has to say:
The soil Is a deep black loan, rest
ing Oh lighter colorcd subsoil con
,isting of loan. clay and gravel, botl
soil and subSoil being so porus thai
surface water readily passes through
them. and in 10 case is there any diff
Guilty experienced in crossing will
horses and wagons or stock. any water
: courses or beds of streams. Teams ma,
be driven across springs or creek bot
toms fcar!essly. without danger of mir
!, ing. This porositv of the soil, while
it renders i; capable of being plowed o.
worked Immediately after the hcavieS
rains. at the same lime keeps is con
stantiv moist from evaporation below
, and protects it from drouth. Within
, six hours of the cessation of Il rain IL
which ! Judge at least three inches o
water fell. saw farmers breaking so,
| and cultivating the Young corn. Tn
f crops of corn, oats. rye. spring and fal
l wheat. potatoes and garden vegetables
, which | saw growing. both on new an'
old brcakings. in various localities il
the valley. are equal to any that hav
ever seen elsewhere, during man,
wears experience. know of no par
; of the country. possessing more AT
= tractivc soil for the farmer than this.
STOCK
This is the natural home for cattle
,, From carly spring until the middle o
, October or the first of November tn
; herds of farmers and stock raiser
wander lcisurely through the gree
nutritious grasses that brush thei
sides in open meadows that are bound
less. growing fat and producing thei
Lind Tho abundant grasses prrp wa