Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-07
Affairs in Kansas and ThereabOutss
Correspondence of The Star.l

Correspondence of The Star.l
DODGE CITY, KANSAS, July 2sth, 1s7s.-To
gratl1y desire OF several years, packed my
grip-sack at Parsons, Kansas, and took the train
at O'Clock Sunday morning, the 9th instant,
mi es; at the latter place the trains of the Mis-.
souri,, Kansas Texas r. R., running from
Texas, through the Beautiful Indian Terri
connection with the trains of the kansas CITY.
Fort Scott, l. Gulf r. R., for Kansas city. At
O'Clock Id the morning stepped into the union
aep6t OF .ne gfeatS ATM mfetropois OF the west is
was an Insignificant town OF flve or six Thousand
inhabitants, Of not sufficient consequence to be
regarded with feelings OF envy by her elder and
Leavenworth, and St. Joseph. Now these cities
are tributary to the young giant OF the west,
and freely accord her the superiority she merits.
depot on their own tracks, while several
more use the tracks Of others in coming
into into the city: There are now three direct
Kansas City, vk:-The Missouri Pacific, the
North Missouri and the Chicago and Alton.
The last has been completed very recently. A
lines for six weeks or more. The fare from
Kansas City to st. Louis nearly three hundred
miles, is fifty cents; and from Kansas City to
New 9ork, $40, with a prospect Of further d..
east. The tickets can be bought Of scalpers in
st. Louis for Kansas City for s4, so.
The corn and wheat crops OF Kansas are be-
neved to be better than ever before. Col. Ben
simpson, the present .. s. marshal OF Kansas,
told me that Kansas would produce more wheat
this year than any state In the Union, and
would hold henceforth the first rank In the
gratn-producipg states.
GREBLEY'S PROPHECY FULFILLED.
In 1851 Horace Greeley visited Kansas; he
mentioned the fact that morning newspapers
were last seen on the breakfast table at Chi
cago, and that bootblacks and chairs bade him
goodbye at junction City. In $50 he again
visited Kansas, and wrote with glowing enthu-
slasm OF the fertility OF her sou and her capaci
ago, he said 81 predict that the child is born who
will see Kansas the fourth, II not fifth, in pro-
ductlon among the states OF our union" The
child then born is still an infant; yet it has
seen the prediction OF Greeley more than full
t1lled Kansas Is this year II not first, at least
second or third In production among the states
million and half more bushels OF oats than all
New England. The wonderful agricultural re-
sources Of this young state, present and pros.
pectiye, do not apply to the entire state; there
unorganiZed, which are wholly unfit for Guilt
Walton; they are and must forever remain
strangers to the plow; they will be utilized for
grazing. but must be fed by Eastern Kansas
and the future great state of Oklahoma. From
point 100 miles east OF this prairie town to the
western limit of the state In all about 200 miles.
rains, and bIeadstuffs OF all kinds are trans
ported by rail. The great Arkansas river at
this point and for hundreds Of miles further
west Is without timber. funny looking
feet high and hardly shaded by as much as q
willow bush.
THERE Is BELT OF COUNTRY
runs, which is visited by furious rain storms
which swell the river within that belt, and
sweep away raidroad bridges and road-bed; but
these storms do not effect the serenity of the
river at this point; the low banks never over
flow, for the surplus water leaks through the
sandy ground and is lost to sight. Here and
about this region, within mile OF the river,
! fancy this must be the reason why trees can
not grow upon the banks OF the river. You Will
remember that no large trees can be grown at
GacssSn on m fS Of the moist sand IN
ful walnut and elm can 1nd no foundation
Most OF this treeless country Is covered with
buffalo grass, and is excellent for grazing. 1t
City Is the depot OF supplies for the military
posts in the Indian territory, and the Pan-han-
die Of Texas. A stage line Is run from this point
liot, in the Panhandle. Mr.. P. G. Reynolds q
brother Of Major George A. Reynolds, Assistant
Sergeant-at-arms OF the U. s. Senate, is the pro-
We are the guest TOT Of 2P. c. as everybody T calls ans
him; he Is a royal good fellow. A great deal of
wagoniDg is done from Dodge to points In the
territory They cay proySo9s an6
hides and cedar posts, the latter unlawfully
taken from the land OF poor "Lo" There is
prairie dog village only few minutes walk
from where / write. Like ArtemuS Wards
kangkarOO, the prairie dog Is " q amOOZin' cusS !"
A small owl shares the dogs house, and can
always be seen gravely standing by the door,
wfDkfng and blinking at the passer- by. We
pass these villages every few miles on the rail-
road and 1t is too funny to see these little dogs
they look much like squirrel-standfng on
their hind-legs, barking defiance as we speed
by.
ORGANIZING A COUNTY.
said there are some 40 or 30 counties which
are not organized. must tell you of sharp
trick played few years ago In one OF these un-
organized counties. Eight men went to Harper
county, which borders on the Indian territory,
about Is miles east of this town. 1t Is barren
waste, at that time possessing but eight trees
and friend of mine told me to-day his camp
''gOt away with some of these" These eight
men proceeded to organize the county. They
elected county officers, and by false affidavits
made all the showing the law requires in such
cases; then, with patriotic zeal, they proceeded
to vote S250OOO for court house, jail and public
improvements In general. These bonds they
succeeded In placing. Three OF the enterpriS-
ing eight managed to get hold OF the money de-
rived from the sale Of the bonds. or course
they all left the county; and then, by some
smart manipulation, one OF the eight managed
to gobble the whole sum, and got away as far as
Jefferson City, Mo-, where he was oyerhauled
by one of his coLfederates and compelled to di-
vide at the muZZle of six-shooter
Will write again from Denver. whittier on
Tomorrow. E. c. B.