The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-01-10
What {, Eru,es CcrrcsPonGent saw in

eaten at Col. Whitneys, dinner that
brought back memories from the far, distant
East. yonr correspondent started for hlr-
win, in company with Mr.. Garrigins, with
whom ! ad the pleasure OF travelling.
Our route, as We had planned it, led up
the south fork OF the Solomon, by the way
OF Osborne City; thence to Bull City,
stockton and thence to Kirwin. One who
never Travelled over the western praries, can
form but fain, idea OF the great purity
aud clearness of the atmosphere. Every
breath that you inhale, seems TO give you
another lease Of life You feel your blood
leap. your ewes sparkle and glow with an
unwonted enthusiasm. The day was cool,
but not cool enough to make our drive I'M
pleasant.
1T u SURPRISING
to see how rapid has been the growth
of this country, since its first settle
ment five wears ago. Herds OF cattle
have now taken the place OF those
countless herds Of buffalo, that but short
tim. since, were the only occupants OF all
this vast domain. Nearly all the buildings
are of stone; large farm houses being the
rule rather than the exception. Many OF
! these five year old farms are well hedsed
the Usage orange is doing remarkably we'll
even this lar west. Almost the entire pop
ulation of this district were forced TO leave
during the grasshopper raid in the summer
OF 1874 and the spring OF 1879, but with
true western pluck that seems to be inner
ont. they returned determined TO succeed
and they have succeeded beyond all their
expectaiions. About half way between
Cawker and Osborne City the road turns
! and leaves the highland and follows the
valley from there westward. All the streams
| in this section are well timbered, much oil
il being oak. About dark We arrived al
the honrishing little city OF Osborne, one
I OF the solid towns Of the upper Solomon.
| There seems TO be a spirit OF progr' IS IN
these far western towns that are, in many
| instances. remote from the railroad that you
do not find in any OF those more favored by
means of direct communication Osborn,
CITY is town Of about two hundred inhab.
i,au Is and the county seat of Osborne county
| THEIR NEAREST RAILROAD
point is at Russell, distance of fifty miles
MANY will think that this must seriousl,
interfere with the growth and prosperity o
the country, but on the contrary it seems Il
have exactly the opposite effect. All kind
of merchandise sells as cheaply here rs oil
The line of railroad Their freights ar
no more when allowance is made for th'
tifty miles that they have to be drawn oil
WAGONS. 1t is beautiful farming country
Within its black loan lies the gold OF com
merce. Here fortunes may be made ~ tn
raising of stock. Osborne City has SOM
very fine business houses, prominent anon
which il the firm OF Hays 4 Wilson. Thes
gentlemen carry a very heavy stock o
hardware. iinware and agriculture
implements. The firm does a splendi'
business and is very popular. Watson Gil
lette 4 Co, carry large stock Of dry goods
, groceries and general merchandise, iron
what | saw Of their trade they have N
. reason to complain of hard times. L. Hei
zog Il Co., are also doing a very heay
, business. This is the pion er house in tn
town and is deservedly popular. X. \
Fritchey is engaged in the general incl
t camille trade, is a genial wholesouled MAJ
/ and is doing we'll Messrs. Reed x Wilso
, have a very heavy stock Of furniture, an
, are doing we'll. they are both first-class ger
tlemen and deserve the liberal patronas
, they receive. Mr.. Garrigues also is quit
extensively engaged in the manuiactur
: and sale of furniture, he also has WACO
, shop, he is one OF the live business men an
: is bound to succeed.
E THERE ARE SOME THINGS
that Osborne vet needs, among others
good Touring mill and better hotel accom-
modations. There is large scope OF cour
| try living ad iacent to the town which undo
. , present circumstances is obliged to 60 a Ion
distance to get their milling done. kno
of no better opening in the west for this bu
: mess as il is in the midst OF one OF the line
h | wheat growing sections in the northwes
There are in this one county about 20,Ot
head of stock of Various kinds representa-
L a value OF 100000. Not a bad showing I,
y a county that has only been organized ior
4 | wears or less. This year there was raise
about 100000 bushels of grain. l am ii
debted To Mr. Blake, one of Osbornes ente
prising merchants and also county ccmmi
II sioner. for much valuable information; al,
> to the county clerk whose name l have III
fortunately forgotten. There still remain
quite large amount of government lar
subject to homestead entry in this count
and no portion of our great state is the SC
l. richer or more productive. Mr.. Barnhal
e the genial and enterprising editor OF Il
l. Farmer has, with true western enterpris
n Just issued a guide to Osborne county tn
Is all should read. From Osborne we dro
+ thirty-two miles up this
HAPPY VALLEY
l. to the hourishing little city of Stockto
l. the county seat of Rocks county. Here
/ found that | had reached the great sto
IS country OF the future. Millions of acres
IS the finest grazing land in the world extel
p throughout the northwest. The extent
it this great domain is boundless, as is its C
II liabilities. Already there are thousands
e, cattle scattered over its whole exter
IS Many are skeLtical in regard to the graziI
e of cattle here the whole year around, yet
v is done, and with complete success. AT q
lime | was there there were not less tn;
100 600 head of cattle in various lOcatio
adiacant to Stockton, that will b(Hinter
= entirely on the range. Stockton n at pre-
O. ent nearly the Eastern limit of the buffa
: grass. From here westward it is the mo
arch Of the prairie holding absolute and u
l. disputed sway. / did not expect to fl
e upon the outskirts of civilization so mark
st signs of prosperity. 1t is safe to say III
d there is more money per capita in Roo
county than any other in the state. I
county has only been organized about u
Y wears. and has labored under the disadvs
1, tace Of a common idea that this was beyo
a the point where farming could be carri
on successfully. But the past two yes
tb.s s1oa to hn n rnvt
There are in Rocks county
! FIvEHUNDREpA AND sEvENTY-sIx THoUsA,
acr.s of land of this amount there is he
'e by actual settlers 5000 acres, lands own
n. by the X. p. X. r., 5000 acres. Ian
J. under cultivation @, $50 acres. Amount
% taxable property in the county, S25O,Ot
The population in August "a, was 2,Ot
The county was first settled in the fall
D. 70. Also the town of Stockton, which "
,r organized BY company composed of
=, following gentlemen: The McNulty Bro
, ise in number and Messrs. Marvin & l.
man Randall, Geo. Beebe. l.. c. Smith a
John Russell. Nearly all of these gent
men are still here and doing we'll. AT t
time of the Indian raids there were no -
Is tiers as far west as this point, consequent
d thew did no damage here. But the gra
II hopper raids of 1874 and .. were as $,
:, ious set back to the young county, Al
II forced many TO leave, though the maiori
e. of them returned, and as the following ST
r tistics show, are fast making the wild,
,s ness 10 bloom. There was raised in Il
county during the past year POO. 900 bush'
: of winter grain; and Of corn 100000 bus
ii els. Not bad showing for new coun
Stockton received its name from the sto
| men Who frst called il Stock Town, b