The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-03-18
COME TO SOUTHWESTERN
KANSAS.

Cimarron aud their hundreds Of an
butaries. Ills q country 100 miles north
aud south by $50 east and west. Being
but recently opened to settlements 20
the prc-emptor and homesteader, the
settlement Of . portion Of IL. especially
Of >etgwick. 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 20 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 geographer and writer as unin-
habitable. To newspapers Of this val
ley. aud to the letters Of friends alone.
can these people. who desire 20 come
among u, look FOR information. To
I this end il this article complied.
Il j. a fact well known TO the gov
eminent. as TO all observing western
men. tina; the really valuable lands be-
/ longing To the general government are
now limited aud that the remaining
lands are rapidly being transferred 20
private hands-the home-teader, pre-
efnptor and settler Of the west Out
/ side Of the Indian territory there re
mains but n limited supply OF really
good agricultural lands in all the west,
I the choicest Of which. for climate, soil,
and health. are To be found in the great
valley of the Arkansas, i'm the counties
named above.
THE ARKANSAS RIVER
l. liti.g less than 1000 miles in length,
being oae of the longest aud swiftcsi
running streams upon the continent.
Rising in Colorado territory, longituds
one hundred and six and onc-half de.
grees west of Greenwich. and latitude
thirty-nine and One-baif degrees north
receiving its waters from rivulets and
springs that are fed by o. melting oI
the eternal SHOWS Of a WV rang
which rears its rugged, l. and snow
crowned peaks $50 miles west Of anc
$3.50 feet above the base Of the Rock,
mountains, IL flows completely around
the south peak, surses and sparkles n
the base Of Noun. Lincoln and rushe,
out through a canyon In Pixies Peal
range into the valley OF cstcrn Colora
do aud ON eastward. II enters kansa,
.eyenty-tive miles north Of the soutl
line Of the state. runs due east 40 miles
DIVORCES seventy-five miles northeast
then angles to the Southeast, formin;
what j. known rs the Great Bend
! thence a little south Of east through
Kansas, the Indian territory and tn
state Of Arkansas, emptying into tn
Mississippi midway between Memphi
and visksburg. The Arkansas Is
} broad and shallow stream. with man,
, islands. low but well defined banks
varying from four tn ten feet In height
The most remarkable features are tina
although draining n country, befor
reaching Kansas, larger than all New
|, England, and although IL carries tn
melting SHOWS in juno. July aud Au
gust OF many thousand square miles, !
never oyerflows its banks. but its Wa
tiers are curiously kept within the be-.
Of the stream, working a great henefi
to the soil Of the valley for miles upol
each side. The fact Is the bed Of Oh
stream throughout its source i'm Kan
sas l. composed Of sand and gravel. n
also the subsoil of the adjacent lands
The superintendent water spreads Il
self through his subsoil, instead o
oVerfiowing the country, as would b
the case IL the subsoil Of the wide val
Ieys was clay. SO completely does Oh
pSrus sub-oIl drink up this water tina
most Of the year II Is easily foriabl
with teams. and there has been time
; when. in the western portion of Oh
. state. tho river bed would go dry. al
though water could be obtained tire
or four inches below the surface, wher
= in reality the river was flowing in Oh
: gravel. The river at Wichita j. abou
2 Loo feet wide. At Hutchinson, fort
miles further up, il Is LOO feet wide
THE VALLEY AND sOIL-
The richest and iaost desirable pOI
? ton Of the valley lies between Oh
: Great Bend aud the point where IN
|. river enters in the Indian territory, Il
which area are the counties Of Rens
Harvey. Se,lgwick. sumner. COwlc
I and Batter. To describe perfectly th
r ia.sd-, streams, towns and production
. vi these counties would require NOR
farilc aud fOfsihle pen than we WELD
The valley proper 90 bottom il frou
. ten 10 twenty miles in width. Tn
higher lands upon either side are kin,
OF second bottom. or low rolling prai
Ue-: WIN , a. ~ - =. :,
-wei 20 e.'is .,a- s'i';",'
The -Sh - ~. pi'II. !. -,
IL a sandy lou. made up OF such m'i
cal elements a .sse been washe
from the Rocky mountain Oy u'e s''r
iiop oI ages. Il l. n marked ,-.- 'are Q
; this soil that il contains 4 much large
. proportion OF mineral matter than Oh
/ prairie coils OF iiiinois and Iowa. " hicI
are chsel! Nege'aoie mould For thI
"" s"Ss VIA improve by eul
uNhio". y" those accustomed To
murA sou: here appears To be II
: aocs ~ .''s NsiieH 100 much -and. bu
us sNt'en.c "' our farmers Is direct
,he opPosuc- .seaa whai The edito
=, ny 100" i9,saa..a, who VI
~" ''''s 'S'''s u" HP'" VI 'HhS veal
c ma r.
, ;,,. ~, , Egh,cr roiors,, snh-o;i -,
D sistinr of loan, ciay and gravel. DO,
. soil aud subsoil being so porus tina
!, surface water readily passes throug
!, them. aud in To case Is there any did
! Guilty experienced in crossing wit
horses aud W agOns or stock, any ate
: courses or beds Of streams. Teams ma
, BE- driven across springs or creek bcl
toms fsarlessly. without danger Of mil
ing. This porosity Of the soil. Will
J il readers II capable OF being ploWed a
!. worked Immediately after the heayie,
, rains. at the sane ,imc keeps il col
siantly moist from evaporation below
and protects il from drouth. With
c six hours of the cessation Of n rain
Z which judge At least three inches 4
water fcil. ! saw farmers breaking 80
!. aud cul;ivaiing the Young corn. tn
crops Of corn. oats. rye, spring and "a
|, wheat. potatoes aud garden vegetable