, 1874-03-14
KANSAS.
Tho Rapid Growth Of Railroads
Within lilo State.
A Healthy Climate and d Prolific
Soil,
The Great Arkansas Valtev.

The Great Arkansas Valley.
Correspondence Of The Chicago Tribune.
SARGENT, Kan., March l, 1874,
Notwithstanding tho multitude OF Ietters and
other printed intelligence TINT atn,lally find
tloIr way over tho lnnd, concerning KanBaa and
her almost imitless reBouroca, her varied min.
oral wonlth and productive power, worry littlo IL
known OF hor roal character beyond tho ia,nlodL
alto borders Of tho State. Evon many Of Lo,
own citizens have yet to bo onligl,onod OH tllose
subjects, and would bo surprised II told thal
hor mines Of woalth wore not lalf developed.
Tho S*ato has had u
BrEApy. HEALTHY GROWTH
from tho first, with no feyorisl gold.oxcitement
to luro the advonturor, whoBo droamB Of colos.
Hal fortunes boing amaaBed III single day nro
Seldom ro'llized. Her population, which ropro-
Bonts eyery Ssate IN tho Union. aa we'll as tho
countrles III Europe, ia composed Of o olaaa
Of people WHO havo been attracted hithor
by mcro enduring substance. That
torriblo bugboar which used to sorve
TO frlghton crcdulouB perBons, under the
cognomon OF "drouthy" KanHas, Inns long Hinca
vanished from sight, and ia no longer referred
to, even by hor bitter enemies. Tho rapid
CROWN VI tlle atato Blhce tto cloHo ot tno war
Ia duo largely to tho building OF railroads within
hor territory, tt!orebY makirtg tho settlement Of
tho country easier, and banishing many Of the
hardships insoparablo from frontlor-life. Tbs
progross OF our people IN material wealth has
heretofore kept even pace with tho increase Of
their facitieB for swift transportation. Previous
to tho War, and, indeed until near ltB close, not
n foot Of railroad WIS built cn KanBas soil; md,
OWING to tnt't lack OF railroatt.faoilea, and the
exposed contision OF our frontier to indian
rnfi ia ntfp
that time, rnilroa-enterpliB nave boen Carried
forward with ce'lority unparalleled In tho an
tlnls OF rairoad-tulldfng, until now neatly every
section OF The St,sto can be reached by rail. and
thore arc Indications that tho various lines will
bo oxtonlod in the near future.
There are now over
THREE THOUSAND fI1LEa
Of rarosd ad in oG5a ton in tho state
and conducted as to command tho confidence Of
tho people aud to insure their own financial
succesH. Tho yalno of those roads, In con-
tributing to tho development of The vast ro-
sources Of tho state.-thereb by adding to Its
nlatelial wcnlth,-cannot bo ovor-estimated-
With tho Increase Of rairon.l-faoi1ities tlus
opening now nlarlots, tho prco Of farm products
Is enhanced, mud tho cost Of living correspond
ingly dccreaBcd.
There is yot large area 1T land 10 be oc-
cupied, comprising somo of tho richest yalloys
on tho continent, ctief among which ia tho
Sow-cELEpnATED AnKllNsAs,
only recently opened up. to settlement. This
fertile valley II travorsed for distance Of 300
miles by tho Atchlaon, Vopeka 3; Santa Fe Road,
now completed and in operation from AtchiBou,
Oh tho Missouri Nlvor, to Grenada, Col.,-con-
Meeting at tho former place with tho Chicago.
nock lsland y Pacific Road for all points in tho
EAST and south. II ~ the intention Of the Com
nany to extend their line as rapidly aa possible
to tho Pacific Coast; anoA whom completed, it
witl constitute one OF the main thorougnfares OF
tue United st9tos. There arc two linoa Of the
road projected from this point, t,-one running
through Colorado mud Utah, and penetrating
through Now Mexico and Arizona. and making
ltH Western terminus at San Francisco, Cnl.
Their main lines have branches running to Salt
Lake City. Utah, and to San Diego CYl.
NO ROAD III thlu broad iauu pAasoB through q
richer country than this ono,-a country bottor
aoaptou to atoek-ralBng ana farming purposes.
No bottor evidence OF tlleso factB can DO pro-
ducod thAn tint furnished by
THE RAPID sErTLEa1ENT
which has followed liz construction. Three
yoars ago, thls valley was tho STAN ping ground
for countless herds ct aboriginal cattle and
tue transit to New Mexico aud the Wont was
made by the tediouA process Of ox-wagons-
Bohod tho clanso! To-day it 10 poopled by q
popnlat'on rlch III I'LL the elements Of material
wealth, ana traVersed NY railroad second to
The climate here is 30 mild and tho grass,
winch IL mainly OF the buffalo vnrioty, so
nourlnhlng, TINT cattle thrive On 1t tho yoar
round. with no other food, aud no shelter savo
tho prond canopy Of heayen. Tho winters are
usually short. and exempt from the cold rains
peculiar to somo latitudoe.
sloep are also profltably raised the nutri-
tioua ErasRos being peculiarly aIapted To them.
FOR AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS
Setsr wa sGqntry G found Al kinds
WHICH Ii HUI AHGly TO DO the CEBH f0r yeArA to