Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-06-07


river and for so to 70 miles west of it,
is the great corn district Of the State.
Corn averages in this district from 40 to
45 bushels per acre. Small grains does
not do so well here as in other parts Of the
State.
West from this district, beginning with
the Medicine Lodge district iu Barbour 20.
and continuing the whole length Of ths
State, is the great grazing district Cat
tie feed here the year round with very lit
tie IL any care at all. Dodge City, on the
AT.&S ST. Fe R. R. is the great cattle
shipping point for this district and North
western Texas. am told that 200, 900
head were shipped from this point last year.
The great wheat belt of the State. 1 learn,
is about 70 to 100 miles wide, running
from east to west through the centre Of the
State, travsrssd throughout its length by
the A. T. & st. Fe and the Kansas Pacific
railroads. The largest crops of wheat have
bsen produced along these rosds. Ed
wards Co., only organized in IA, produced
last wear 35 bu. of winter wheat per acre
as a first crop, having been plowed in the
spring and then replowed and sown in the
fall. Other counties have done equally
well, in some instances Sc bu. of wheat
per acre has been raised. After the first
crop, 80 to 80 bu. per acre is not unusual.
The average yield of several counties in
different parts of the State in '76 was 20
bu. of winter and 10 to 12 bu. of spring
wheat per acre. But it must be borne in
mind that this included all the sod wheat,
which Of course gives light yield, only
10 or 12 bu. of winter, and to 8 bu. OF
spring wheat per acre. When it is proper
ly put IN on ''old ground" that is after
the first crop the general average is about
80 bu. of winter, and 20 bu. OF spring
wheat per acre. Oats, Barley and Rye do
equally well. Spring wheat. as you will
see from the abeve does not do well here,
the rainfall not coming at the right season.
The greatest rainfall here is usually in
June, July and August while spring wheat
requires it ia April and May.
do not like the country Immediately
adjacent to the R. R. between Kansas City
and Topeka. A great deal of it appears
to be low, and is covered with quite an
undsrgrowth of timber that would require
a great deal of labor and expense to clear
of before the pillow could be used, and the
timber would be worthless, as it is too
small for use.
1t will not be necessary for me to make
particular mention of Topeka, the capital
of the State, as it is about as well known
as New York. The main part of the city
lies up on an elevation about one half or
three quarters of mile north Of the A.
T. & st. Fe R. R. Istopped here one day.
1t appears to be quite lively, but they say,
''times are not as they were in days gone
by" even in Topeka. The Office of the
Topeka U. S. Land District is located here.
The State House and part Of the insane
ayslum are the only State institutions 10
Gated here. Coal is mined here sufficient
for home consumption. The repair shops
of the A. T. & St. Fe railroads are located
here.
Emporia, very nice, fourishing little
village of about 1900 inhabitants, situated
sbout So miles southwest of Topeka, at
the crossing of the A. T. & St. Fe and
the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroads is
the next place of Importance. The State
Normal schools are located here.
Newton, the next place of Importance,
also fourishing little village of about
1000 inhabitants is situated about rs miles
southwest of Emporia. From this place
branch road runs south about 80 miles to
Wichita, a lively little village of about
1900 inhabitants, situated at the mouth
of the Little Arkansas, where it empties
into the Arkansas river.
Coal is being mined ali along the A. T.
6 St. Fe railroad as far west as Newton.
The coal is rather ''lean" but it answers
very well for house use. In this county
Harvey-Marion, Mcpherson, Rice, Bar
ton, Ellis and in several other counties,
there are large settlements of Russian
Germans. called Mennonites. These are
a religious sect, their founder, Menno
Simonis, being contemporary of Martin
Luther. They left Russia because of their
being averse to military duty. There are
about 10, 600 now in the State.
Hutchinson, another fourisLing little
village of about 800 inhabitants, situated
about 80 miles west of Newton, is the first
town on the Arkansas river reached by this
road.
l think there can be no objection made
to the lay of the country, or to the land,
by the most fastidious, between Topeka
and this place. 1t is like looking out upon
the mighty ocean after storm, when the
whitecsps have ceased to fly and you can
see nothing but the great swells and de-
pressions, only the swells here are further
apart and the depressionS more extended.
One can get no good idea of it without
seeing it. The lay Of the country about
here is the same, and as far west, as the
west line of the State, and even beyond,
well into Colorado. But the soil from
here on west, differs in different localities.
Between Hutchinson and Great Bend, a
distance of about so miles, there is in the
vicinity of the railroad great
deal of alkali land, great patches may be
seen on either side of the road that look
like a board covered with white frost.
However, all the crops I saw along the
road looked very well.
Great Bend is iourishing little town of
about 1000 inhabitants, situated on the
north side of the great bend of the Ar
kansas river. Here tarried about wesk
and drove ont hoth north and soutb from