The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1875-06-03
COME TO SOUTHWESTERN
KANSAS.

western Kansas, properly speaking,
consists of about fifteen counties, whose
territory j. watered and drained by the
Arkansas River and its tributaries,
the Little Arkansas, the twoW alnuts,
Pawnec. Minnesota. Medicine Lodge,
Cimarron and their hundreds of tri-
butaries tits country 100 miles north
and south by 80 east and west. Being
but recently opened 10 settlements to
the pre-emptor and homcsteader, the
settlement of portion of il. especially
of Sedgwick, Harvey, Reno, Barbour,
Sumner. Cowlev and Butter 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 geographer and writer as unln-
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
eminent, as TO all observing western
men, that the really valuable lands be-
/ longing TO the general government are
now limited and that the remaining
lands are rapidly being transferred TO
private hands-thc homesteader, pre-
emptor and settler of the west. Out
side of the Indian territory there re-
mains but limited supply of really
good agricultural lands IN all 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.
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-
grces west of Greenwich. and latitude
/ thirtv-nine and one-half degrees north.
/ receiving its waters from riyulets 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
! : 1000 feet above the base of the Rocky
mountains, ii flows completely around
! the south peak, surges and sparkles at
! the base Of Mount Lincoln and rushes
! out through a canyon i'll Pixies Peak
.an@e into the valley of estcrn Colora-
/ 10 and on eastward. 1t enters Kansas
| seVcntv-five miles north of the south
! line of the state. runs due east 40 miles,
! DIVORCES scyenty-tive miles northeast,
/ then angles TO the Southeast, forming
what is known as the Great Bend.
| thence a little south of east through
! Kansas, the Indian territory and the
! state of Arkansas, cmptying into the
Mississippi midway between Memphis
and Nicksburg. 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 thu
melting SHOWS in June, July and Au
! gust of many thousand square miles, it
never oyerflows It's 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 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
leys was clay. so completely does the
porus subsoll drink up this water that
most of the year 1T is easily tordable
with teams. and there has been times
when. in the western portion of the
/ state. the river bed would 90 dry, al
! thougis could be obtained three
or four inches below the surface, where
/ IN reality the river was flowing i'll the
gravel. The river ut Wichita is about
/ 800 feet wide, at Hutchinson. forty
=. 'e- further up, it is 900 feet wide.
THE VALLEY AND SOIL.
j ! hc 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, Scdgwick, sumner, CoWley
and Butler 70 describe perfectly the
lands. streams. towns and productions
/ of flc-e counties would require more
/ fa- lo and forcible pen than we WELD.
/ lhe valley proper or bottom Is from
t.n to twenty miles in width. The
higher lands upon either side are kind
/ of .rrond bottom, or low rolling prai
/ ric.. with lust enough undulation or
swell TO carry of the extra rain falls.
+ IN, soil Of the valley proper, which is
also marked 10y gentle Swclls, is chief
+ d. sandy loan, made up of such min
crai elements as have been washed
/ irom the Rocky mountains by the attri-
fi1l OF arcs II j. marked feature Of
thi- soil that il contains a much larger
.rcpurtjon Of mineral matter than the
pr. iric soils of Illinois and Iowa. which
are chiefly vegetable mould. For this
reason our valley will improve by cul-
tiN4tiou To those accustomed TO a
murky soil. there appears TO be in
places in this valley toe much sand. but
The experience of our farmers is direct
rs he opposite. Read what the editor
ct ne lacricaH fgricHitUriSt. who vi
-itcd thi. valley in April Of this year,
ha- to say:
The soil i deep black loan, rest
-i-,iug of loan. clay and gravel, both
soil and Subsoil being so porus that
-iul face water readily passes through
diem. and in to ease is there any diff
Guilty experienced in crossing with
horses and wagons or stock. any water
courses or beds of streams. Teams may
ha driven across springs or creek bot
lainS tcarlc>sly. without danger of mir
irg. This poros3ty of the soil, while
10 renders II capable OF being plowed or
worked Immediately after the heaviest
Mains. ut the same zine keeps Is con-
,tautly moist from evaporation below.
aud protects il from drouth. Within
six hours of the cessation of a rain IN
~ ich Judge At least three inches OF
water fell, saw farmers breaking sod
and cultivatiug the Young corn. The
.ry, - of corn. oats, rye. spring and fall
wheat potatoes aud garden vegetables,
WI ich / saw growing both onnew and
hold brcaking>. in various localities in
nh, valley. are equal to any that have
eyer seen elsewhere. during many
wears experience. know of no part
ct the country, possessing more at
tra,tivc soil for the farmer than this. -
STOCK.
rhi, i the natural home for cattle.
From early Spriug until the middle Of
October or the first of November the
hr-d- of farmers and stock raiser
wonder leiSurclv through the green
u4tririou, grasses that brush their
sides in open meadows that arc bound
less. growing fat and producing their
kind The abundant grasses. pure wa
..nrl ,-a,.tn clirnatc rnnlrr TIN. .nr-