Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-07-07
THE 1RKANsAS YILLEY..
Evidence OF Progress Character or the
PeOple-Abundanae or water, PueI,
ana Building Material- Markets, d-c.

Evidence Of Progress-Ch Character or tn,
ReOple-Abundanae er Water, FueI
ana Building Materiai-1larkets, d-c
Els. Tel: Twenty years ago, Chas
Sumner, in an eloquent speech deliv.
cred in the United States Senate
presented the following graphic de-
scription of the. geographical and
natural advantages of Kansas:
''Take down your map, sir, and
you will find that Kansas, more than
any other region, occupies the mid
die spot of North America, equally
distant from the Atlantic on the
east, and the Pacific on the west
from the frozen waters of Hudson's
Bay on the north, and the tepid
Gulf stream on the south, constitut-
ing the exact territorial centre of
the whole vast continent. To sueh
advantages of situation, on the very
highway between two oceans, are
added a soil of unsurpassed richness,
and fascinating, undulating beau
ty of surface, with a health-g giving
climate, calculated to nurture pow
erful and generous people, worthy
to be a central pivot to American
institutions"
Last year Vice President Wilson
said: The valley of the Arkansas
river offers everything that mankind
can ask of Nature"
About five years ago the construe
tion of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railway was commenced at
Atchison, Kansas, and Kansas City,
No., and about the first of last March
was completed to Pueblo, Colorado,
a distance of over six hundred miles,
following the Arkansas valley more
than four hundred miles.
During this time over one million
acres of government land have been
taken as pre-emptions, homesteads
and timber-claims; and more than a
halt million acres Of .raIlrOad lands
have been sold, almost entirely to
actual settlers, and towns like New
ton, of $500, and Wichita with
1900; Hutchinson, of 1000, Great
Bend, with 1900, and Larned, of
b600, and many smaller ones of
from 100 to 600 inhabitants, with
attractive business houses, mills, su-
perior school houses, churches, aud
newspapers, have been built.
PaWnee county, of which Larned
is the capital, three years ago was
not inhabited; it has now a popula-
ton of about 5000. In other coun-
ties the population has increased as
rapidly, and the population of this
great valley is now about $4,000,
west of Emporia.
During these five years, about 300
school houses have been built, some
of which cost $4,000, but generally
costing from $500 TO $500 each; and
during the same time about seventy
churches have been built, represent
ing all denominations of Christians.
The number of Sabbath schools
conducted is about one hundred and
twenty-five, and there are about
twenty weekly newspapers published
here. To the thoughtful, these state
ments will indicate the character of
the people of the Arkansas valley.
The healthfulness of this region
is remarkable, and at this time there
are very few sick. The growing
crops are very promising, and in
some localities the wheat harvest
will begin within few days. Wa
ter, fuel and building material are
plentiful. The climate is delightful
winters mild and short, and govern
ment land from 50 to So per acre.
Altogether, l should say, that the
Arkansas valley is very good place
for farmers and stock raisers, and
almost every other class to go to, ex
cept physicians, and a class found il
all countries, who look upon labor
as degrading.l a & ExAAkINER.
Larned, KS, July l, 1876.