The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-01-24
ON The Wing.

Rock Springs, Kansas, january 18th. 1873
EDIToRs JoURNAL.-I Tins time we are sur
rounding some OF the big wheat IeIuS oil the
upands from Two To four miles south OF tie
above place. On cur way up IN company
With Billy McCord. former well known
citizen OF Salina ESPECIALLY known to the little
bows who well remember the many OMNIBUS
rides he gave then,) We called upon Mr. D 1.
Bascom, living near the statiOni whom We
found genial and en!erprSlng cltZtn.
having a very interesting iamlly-so much
so. that we asked and obtained leave to make
his place our head quarters while III that
vicinity. We We're treated with all the
kindness and hospitality we could wish, tor
which we extend many thanks. Before lcaV-
inc here. we will remark that Mr.. BascOm
is not only railroad man, blt quite cat
tie man. and makes cattle raising speciality,
and is well situated for the business. n
small creek coming in from the south gives
him great advantages, Viz. Water, range
and corral. The latter situated on one right uil-
der high sand ledge. makes line pro-
tection on the north and west from the
storms He has over $50 head OF cattle, do
ing and looking well, and stlll upon the
range We noticed two very fine animals
from the celebrated Durham stock farm OF
| Marion county. One other remarkable fea-
ture of Mr.. Bascom's locality, is the many
| good springs issuing from the sand hedges.
| He has his house built on sand ledge, dug
down. and has good well In his house tqulte
| convenience TO the women folks. OH another
| he has a small feed mill run by an over shot
water-wheel We did not learn its capacity,
but should. think it would more than equal
one we knew of many years ago in the old
| "Hoosier" State. on q corn stile branch, which
| when 1t cracked one grain, hoped over on
another. We saw no mysterious buildings,
as though he might be engaged in the ''illcit
trade We however admired the enterprise
/ !, - hof no
Our next place was the Donegan-C repen
rancho and wheat fields. We found Dan las
he is familiarity called and known at home.
and received hearty welcome FROM him aud
his lady. and also enjoyed the hospitality OF
his table; after which we took in the Sitla-
| ton of his surroundings. We find 1t adj
mirably located for what it is intended for
the'raising and feeding of stock, taking adj
vantage of the deep and well watered and
sheltered rayine, cut through the sand Lodges
from which numerous springs break out every
few hundred yards on each side. lie has a
good stone corral. large enough 10 hold a
! thousand head OF cattle; with plenty OF water,
all kinds of buildings and still! extending his
sheds for stock His herd consists OF over
$50 head of cattle, some 90 head If hogs. Two
| large rIcks OF miiet we're stacked near by,
and n granarv of some zoo bushels OF mil
let seed. We learn they harvested over 500
tons of millet, and threshed out over 100
bushels of seed: all raised on sod We will
here remark that last September we put up
samples ofthis mllet and sent them with sam
pies of tie various products from Central Kan
sas 70 nine different state fairs and also 10 Ger
many and Scotland, for the Kansas Pacific
Land Department In view of that fact. we
visited the ground, and found il raised upon
the highest upland In the county.
We next visited the wheat fields, and
found them quite extensive. One piece eX'
tends two miles long north and south; near
800 acres; there were several other detaci ed
pieces from 30 10 50 acres; making in all near
500 in wheat and some two hundred acres
. more broke for spring crop. We regard this
as quite an enterprise, considering that less
than one year ago not a sod had been
turned. The question is .often aired: do
the uplands produce anywhere near like IN g
bottom landss the answeris here demonstrated;
the upland has produced the finest and best
yield Of millet IN the west, and now can be
seen the best or as good wiuter wheat as any
: In the country, on these much abused table
or uplands. TRE6o.