The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1876-02-03
An Interesting LIE ter About Sedg-
wick County.

vestments in the country he so graph
ically describes. We reproduce the
whole letter because we didn't know
where to curtail. The letter is dated
Clearwater, December %, 1875:
| left Chilicothe on the 10th, and ar
rived at Wichita Oh the 18th. l need
not give you any detailed account of
this country, as you may have passed
over it Yourself. [ came on the Rock
Island & Pacific railroad to Atchison,
thence on the Atchison, Topeka II San
ia Fe to Wichita We passed through
where the choppers" had devastated
part of Missouri and Kansas and was
happily surprised to see that the sec
ond crop of corn, put III during July
had made good crop.
Stone is scattered over the prairies.
not over the whole surface, but crop
ping out here aud there, as though
thousands of car loads had been
dumped along IN a straight line. There
seems to be no end to coal from the
Missouri river to the Neoslic Valley.
You would open both your eyes wide
to see the amount of coal handled at
Carbonate. The great lack Of Kan
sas is timber. This is only found in
narrow strips along the streams, and
to those from farther east the timber
seems very poor, mostly soft wood and
knarly. Fires have been very hurtful
to the timber lands. TO man from q
timber country it looks diverting to
see the make-shifts for fences. For
instance, = string of fence will begin
with solid stone wall, then post and
rail, then sticks put in the ground and
wire fence, then perhaps piece of
plank fence or poles nailed on the
posts. But the most of the farms have
no fence whatever, unless perhaps a
corral to yard the stock nor Is it need
full to fence as no stock is allowed to
run at large without being herded.
But nature has made happy provis-
ison for fencing these prairics with
Usage orange hedge, which grows here
wonderfully, 1t will make better
hedge here in three years than in five
in your region. The reasons are, first
the soil is surprising in richness, and
second, the hedge has about six weeks
longer in a season to grow i'll, and 1t
does not get put back by the frost kill
ing the youn. shoots, as is the case i'll
other localities. | think this country
is healthful. The streams are swift
running, the river beds deep and the
bottoms narrow and sandy, having no
bayous or ponds, also the air is very
pure and invigorotiug This climate
is said to cure bad cases of asthma and
rheumatism and is said to be beneficial
to weak lungs. l was SO surprised to
see SO little of this beautiful and fer
tile country settled up and in cultiva-
ton. 1t is true the very best locations
are taken up and improved, but there
is an abundance Of good land to be got
at government rates. A good portion
of the land is in the hands of specnla-
tors. Men came here and put on their
.hanty, or made their dus-outs, stayed
the required time on it, aud then sold
out for little more than was required
of the government, SO that they might
get money to get the patent. When a
stranger comes to Wichita, the agents
swarm around him like bees in buck
wheat patch, each one ready to carry
you all over the surrounding country
to show to the admiring eyes of the
stranger, the beauty of their respect
i've quarters. Many of these have a
few acres broke, aud perhaps a piece of
wheat put in. 1t is difficult to give
you a correct idea Of the prices asked
for these places. In this locality l
think it will average $500 for quarter
section, which is 1915 per acre. Twas
offered a section of land twelve or four
teen miles from Wichita. with pretty
good house and sixty acres of wheat
in the ground for 81 900, or 1925 per
acre. There are few farms which are
held very high by their owners. have
offered 5000 for farm oe Ninnescah,
about eighteen miles from Wichita.tw
miles from the Clearwater post office.
where there is one store, and mile
from the school house. But this is the
most desirable spot l have ever seen.
Were it not too far west, 1t would not
be difficult to make me believe that
here was the happy home the Creator
gave our first parents. This farm con-
tains square quarter section, on one
side of which runs the beautiful Min
nescah, on which there is enough tim
Der for family use and some to sell.
Then lying along the north side, sepa-
rated by the road, is beautiful eigety
acres, 90 ono corner Of which is living
water the year round. There are 400
rods of hedge, from one to four years
old, and much of it will now turn
stock. Ithas about seven acres hedged
in for an orchard and trees set out;
the stock yards are also hedged in,
This land is unusually rich, and every
thing found for convenience. He has
a very fine peach orchard and a grove
planted; $3.50 per acre seems large
sum to pay for land here.
think this is destined to become .
great fruit country. have never seen
such thrifty peach trees as grow here.
A man near Ell Paso, sixteen miles
northeast of here, claims to have sold
this year ST 100 worth Of peaches, off
of about 400 trees. Whether apples
will succeed or not, We do not yet
know. But east of here. i'll latitude |
81 1-2, they do well. The sand plum
is growth peculiar to this country,
and of great value. The sand plum is
an excellent fruit, superior to the wild
plums with you. They grow on a
small bush, not attaining moro than
four feet in height, aud along the
streams and low bottoms. they arc ca
silly gathered, and last about three |
The citizens seem to be good, NOR
n people. and attend religious meet
ngs remarkably well. The floating
population, that shiftless set, are most
y gone. Those here now are perma- !