The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-04-13
From the Hutchinson News.
Our Railroad and Tide Water.

Our readers will be interested in an
article taken from the Van Buren, ar
gus, with comments from the Wichita
EAGLE, and PUBLISHED in another col
umn.
Van Buren, is situated in Arkansas,
near the west line Of the State, and on
the Arkansas River. 1t is only about
twenty miles from there to TT. Smith,
the present terminus of the Little
Rock 81 Fit. Smith Railroad, which
town is on the south side of the Ar
kansas River and directly on the line
of the Indian Territory, SO that we
may say the railroad is now completed
from the east line of the Indian Terri
tory, down the Arkansas River to Lit
tie Rock, and thence nearly due east
about one hundred and forty miles to
Memphis, Tennessee, and also from
Little Rock southeast, following the
Arkansas River about one hundred and
twenty miles to tho Mississippi River,
near Napoleon. and two hundred miles
below Memphis.
The distance from Hutchinson down
the Arkansas River, via Wichita to
the State line, is, in round numbers,
one hundred miles, and the distance
thence following the same magnificent
valley, the finest in the United States,
is two hundred miles through the In
dian Territory to Fit. Smith. 1t will
thus be seen that three hundred miles
of road in a valley where grading is
of the lightest character, and where
ties in abundance and of the best quail
ity are to be found OH most of the line,
connects the great Atkinson, Topeka
Il Santa Fee Railroad with the Little
Rock 81 Fit. Smith Railroad, thus af-
fordipg a continuous line of broad
gauge road from the Rocky Mountains
to the Mississippi River.
Moreover this line strikes the Mis-
sissippi River at point where the
river is open the year around, and
where the channel is SO deep that sea-
going vessels, coming to New Orleans
by the improved channel being con-
structed by the Government under d.
rection of Captain Eads, can ascend
and load direct from cars, with the
wheat, flour, oats, corn, hay, bacon,
lard, butter, cheese, ETC., of the Ar
kansas Valley.
Nor is this all. This Arkansas Val
lev road crosses the Missouri. Kansas
& Texas Railroad at Muskogee Station,
near FIT. Gibson, and freights will be
taken thence to the cotton fields of
Texas and to the excellent seaport of
Galveston.
Not less important to us is the great
fact that the best coal in the United
States west of the Alleghanies, is found
in Western Arkansas, on the line of
this road, and the entire State of Ar
kansas is vast forest embracing ex-
cellent pine lands. Now, for mo-
ment compare this with any other pro-
posed route to the cotton States. In
the southeastern portion of Kansas
there are so many projected lines
which have been exploded by the fail
ure of the companies who have Hnder-
taken to build them that we can hard
ly recall their corporate names. The
line known as the Memphis & Garth
age Railroad, q corporation which sue
ceeded in grading a few miles from
Carthage, Mo-, into Kansrs; there is
the Memphis & Northwestern, which
has q line running from Columbus,
Kas., about fifty miles, to Pierce City,
No., OIL the Atlantic & Pacific, former
" the Southwest Missouri Railroad;
his company also graded several miles
through Parsons and then |
expired. leaving many mourning cred |
tors; there is the TT. Scott & Hum
1oldt Railroad, which graded line |
between these points, two or three |
years ago. But let it be noticed while |
Ill these lines claim Memphis as the
eastern terminus, not mile of road is |
even graded in that direction beyond |
he Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, and |
he projected route in Arkansas is
through very rough country, and no
corporation has ever pro-
posed to construct any one of these
ines. Some one of these roads will |
eventually be completed westward to
Wichita, thus affording the Arkansas
alley anothern eastern outlet, but in
10 sense can any such scheme be called
railroad to the cotton States.
On the other hand, we have great
through line ready to aid our Valley
railroad, not only i'll reaching Mem
,his. but also to reach the Mississippi
ar below Memphis, and which itself
uns through the best timber and coal
ands in the west.
The Valley Railroad will also extend
rom Hutchinson up the broad and
valley of Cow Greek, through
he center of Rice county, via Atlanta.
he county sea-. and by al easy grade
each Ellsworth on the Kansas Pacific
the county seat Of Ellsworth
ounty. The entire line from Hutchin-
on to Ellsworth. distance of about
fty-five miles, is very easily graded,
nd runs through fertile, well wa
cred, cultivated country. Cow Creek
alley, although unknown to fame, is
5 wide and fertile as the Kaw or Kan
as Valley. By thus connecting with
vo through lines to the mountains,
ne proposed Arkansas Valley Rail-
bad actually obtains all the advan-
lges of continuous line from the
to tide water.
Ellsworth, Rice, Reno, Sedgwick, I
owley and Sumner counties, COM
rising by far the finest body of land
euual area in the State stand ready