The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-04-01
COME TO SOUTHWESTERN
KANSAS.

NLE MaANNAI MAANINalNa NANN y AAAANHI
Pawuee. Minnesota, Medicine Lodge
Cimarron and their hundreds Of ri
buiarics. u lisa country 100 miles north
and south By 80 east and west. Being
but recently opened 20 settlements %
the pre-emptor and hOmesteader, the
settlement of a portion Of IL. especially
Of SedgWick. Harvey, Reno. Barbour,
sumner. COWley and Butler countie,
has been wonderfully rapid. To this
country thousands Of longing eyes aTt
turned, not only from the older states,
but from some portions Of Europe.
These peotsle who contemplate coming
20 the west, and 10 this, the choicest
portion Of il. are anxious 20 know
more Of the Particular. more Of the
striking characteristics Of the great
river. il tributaries, and valleys, that
have for derades past been set down
BY the gcographcT and writer as unin-
habiiahie- To newspapers Of this val
ley, aud 10 the lcitcrs o. friends alone,
can these people. ho desirs 10 como
among us, look FOR information To
this end j. this article comDled.
u j. a fact well known 10 the gov.
erumcui. a. 20 an observing western
men. that the really valuable lands be-
longing 90 The general government are
nnW limited and that the remaining
lands are rapidly being transferred %
private hands-the hOmesteader, pre-
emptOr and settler Of the west. Out.
side Of the Indian territory there re-
mains but a limited supply Of really
good agricultural lands IN al the west
the choicest OF which. for climate. soil
and health. are 10 be found in the great
valley q the Arkansas, In the counties
nainsd above.
TuE ARKANSAS RIVER
j. little less than 1000 miles in length,
being one Of the longest and sWiftesi
Rising ia Colorado territory. longitude
one hundred and six and One-half de
grees west Of Greenwich. and latitude
ihirty-nine and One-half degrees north,
receiving it, waters IRON rivuleis and
springs that are fed by the melting OF
the eternal SHOWS Of the snowy range
which rears IL rugged, lofty and snow
crowned peaks 80 miles west Of and
5000 feet above the base Of the Rocky
mountains, IL flows completely around
the south peak, surges and sparklcs Al
the base Of Mount Lincoln aud rushes
out through a canyon in Pixies Peak
range into the valley OF estern ColOra-
do and ON eastward. II enters Kansas
seventy-fve miles north Of the south
line Of the state, runs due east 80 miles,
DIVORCES seVenfy-five miles northeast.
then angies to the Southeast. forming
what j. known A. ;he Great Bend.
thence a little south Of east through
Kansas. the Indian territory and the
state Of Arkansas, emptying into the
Mississippi midway between Memphis
and Nicksburg. The Arkansas i a
broad and shallow stream. with many
islands. low but well defined banks.
varying from four 90 ten feet in height.
The most remarkable features are that
although draining a country, before
reaching Kansas, larger than all New
England. and although il carries thu
melting SHOWS in June. July and Au-
gust Of many thousand square miles, il
never oyerhOws it, banks, but it, 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 j. the bed Of the
steam throughout it, source in Kan
sas j. composed Of sand and gravel. a.
also the subsOil Of the adjacent lands.
The superintendent water spreads it,
self through his subsoil. instead Of
overlooking the country. a. wOuld he
the case IL the subsOil Of the wide val
lcys was clay. 80 completely does the
poTus subs0ll drink up this water that
most OF the year n j. easily far,lahle
with teams. and there has been times
when. Ia the western portion Of the
state. the river bed would 20 dry, al
though water could be obtained ''rce
or four inches below the surface, are
in reality the river was flowing In the
gravel The river AZ Wichita j. about
] so feet wide. a. Hutchinson. forty
mile- further mp. IL j. 1000 feet wide.
THE VALLEY AND SOIL.
The richest and most desirable pOr-
fion 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. Sstlguick. Summer. COUicy
and Butler To describe perfectly the
lands. streams. towns aud productions
81 these couuties would require a more
fa~iie and fOrcihle pen than We Weld.
The valley proper or bottom j. from
ten % twenty miles In width. The
higher lands upon either side are kind
Of second bottom. or low rolling prai-
rie-. with just enough undulaiion or
swell to carry OF the extra rain falls.
The soil Of the valley proper. which i
also marked BIZ gentle swells. j. chief
o. q sandy loan. made up Of such min
cFal elemeuts as have been washed
from the Rocky mountains by the attri-
81 10 q a
this soil that 10 contains a much larger
proportion % mineral matter than the
prairie soils Of Illinois and Iowa, which
are chiefly vegetable mould. For this
reason our valley viii improve by cul-
tivation. To those accustomed 20 .
murky soil, there appears TO be in
places In this valley too much sand. but
the experience Of our farmers j. direct
~ the opposite. Read what the editor
Of the IHcTiouH igricHifuri5f. who vi
sited this valley in April Of this year.
has TO say:
The SBil j. a dcrp black loan. rest
ing on a lighter ,0turrsi-- subsoil con-
.isiiu- Of lualn. clay and gravel. both
soil and sg5sB.l being - porus that
surface water readily passes through
them. and in 10 case j. there any din
Guilty experienced in crossing with
horses aud wagons OF stock. any water
courses or beds Of streams. Teams NAV
b. driVcu across springs or creek bot
toms fcarlcssly. without danger Of mir
ing. This porOsity Of the soil. while
i renders % capable Of being pl0Wed or
worked Immediately AFTER the heaviest
rains, a. the sane lime keeps j. con-
stautly moist from evaporation below.
Vnd protects 10 from drOuth. Within
six hours Of the cessation - a rain in
which I judge AZ least three inches Of
water fen. I saW farmers breaking sod
and cultiVafing the Young corn. The
crops % corn oats. rye. spring and fall
wheat. potatoes AID garden vegetables.
which I san growing. both on new and
Old brrakings, In various localities In
the valley, arc equal 20 any that have
ever seen elsewhere. during many
YEAR, experience. ! know Of no part
OF the country, Possessing more at
tractivc soil for the farmer than this. "
STOCK.
This & the natural home for cattle.
From early spring until the middle q
October or the first % November the
herds % farmers and stock raiser's
wander lcisulcly through the green
uutricious gras-e- that brush their
sides IN open meadows that are bound-
less. growing "a and producing their
Kind. The abundant grasses. pure va
ter and warm climate render this por-
tion q Kansas the finest stock country
probably In the known world The
corn crop j. safe before the rains cease.
and after hat time the grass cures
upon the ground and make a natural
hay. retaining much q IT, uutritious
qualities. which serves a. a perennial
pasture for stock The fan and winter