The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-04-17
CLOUD COUNTY.
The Lay of the Land -.Incresas Of
Population. .Water Courcss
Timber.
The immigration lnflux-.-Soil---
Building Stone-.-Wster-
Power...CoaI.
Climate -Acgeage---Soms Statistics
The Famous Salt Wells
Pottery Clay and Manufactures
General Notss---SchooIs.
Conc Or dis, the County Sest--.One OF
the Finest Cities of the Whole
Northwest.
Her Business, Railroad Come ct:ons
and Ant cipation.
The Extension of the Kansas :Pac fic
| Acknowledgment Busy
Little Burg.
THE COUNTY OF CLOUD

Little Burg.
THE COUNTY OF CLOUD
CorresI ondence TO the TINES
CoNCoRDIA, April l2.-Cloud county lies
in the second tier Of counties from the north |
line of the State, and is the seventh county
in the tier west from Leavenworth. Ii was
organized in 1866, under the name OF shir-
ley, but it was afterward changed to Cloud,
in honor OF Col. W. F. Cloud, of the Second
Kansas Cavalry. Cloud county has been
the scene OF many conflict between the
pioneer settler and the redskin, and the at
rocities committed By the latter would fill
many closely written page; but this was
too fair 8 country to be given up TO the
aborigine and the fret Corners held stoutly
on until SO strongly reinforced by civilizi-
ton that the savage was compelled to CO.
In 1870 the population was = 1913, in 1879
it has increased to 40, while at the pre-
sent time it il estimated to be not less than
$4,000. The locust raid OF lS74-'15 had
the effect OF retarding immigration some-
what, but since that time
THE INFLUX HAS BEEN STEADY
and reasonably rapid, and what ia better,
composed OF the very best OF immigrants,
who have come with means and who are
the very kind wanted in the development OF
the resources Of the country. The surface
of the country il undulsting, with runner
Gus and beautiful water courses, the timber
being situated along the banks OF the latter.
The forest land Of the county ia about three
per cent, bottom land about len per cent,
with little waste land to speak OF. In fact,
il nav be saij that there il not an acre Of
land in the county but which can be utilized.
About ninety seven per cent. Of the county
ia rolling prairie, and ii il upon the prairie
that
THE WONDERFUL CROPS
with vielis which have msde the world
stare, ard Tor which ksnsas has become
famous. have been raised the soil OF the
county l. fine, rich loan in some locsli-
ties yery black, in Others of a lighter color,
and having 4 considerable infusion OF sand
il is deep and strong, generally, more par
ticulariv upoa the highlands, aTersging
dspth OF three feet or more, and III the bot
toms, upon the creeks and rivers, reaching
a depth OF from four to fifteen feet. Much
of the soil has a
UNDERLYING STRATA OF LINE AND SAND
STONE,
the former being largely predominant, ard
which i. supposed to impart a strong fertll
iziug quality to the earth. In general de-
scription the bottom soil ia a sort of an al
luvial deposit and the upland a vegetable
mold, both very rich in quality and being
capable of producing almnst everything al
a vegetable character. The alluvium OF
the bottoms seems much the better adapted
to the successful production of corn, while
il il held by those upon The upl.nds that
the high prairies are the best wheat lands,
but as vet there has not been the experience
to demonstrate or fix n linit to the produc
tive possibilities of either. As TO drainage,
the -Juuty
l. FAN RED AND BLESSED
in that respect 18th most thorough sys-
TEN. Tie lie, blican river, the largest
str =, M IL rhs G, unity, runs in southeast
eriy direc ion 1; rough the northern par. of
the county, living from the north the
Elk, Uator, Sa.., Hay snd Camp creeks,
and from tie sOu'h the Mulberry. Beaver,
Elm Plum, Oak, Lost, Wolf and Buffalo
Greet TIE Sal1mon river, which, with
the x pull can, is ore of the principal trib-
ute Of the Ka1sss river, runs through
the .uuihw.sS.era past OF the county, drain |
ing Il; { .-0-,Bsrp .Iore OF the divide" by
me- ,f a. tTiouta- les, Fisher, Cries, Nor
Tim, r. Jockey rDd Pike creeks. Some OF
the liter have er in them
ALLTI Z EAR ARoUED,
whiie -oiue Of them are dry or nearly so,
uutit lie anisheG by a rain. In addition
10 the au, . nameA water courses there are
numerous =. raws" IT depressions, which |
Garry off 10 the rreeks and rivers the sur
plus water which molstens and fertilizes |
the country. As result, there are no
FOOLS of standing water to stagnate and
breed malaria. The climate of this region
is most salubrious, and while there ale
portions of the summer which are very |
warm, and short period during the win |
ter when an overcoat is q very necessary |
and essential article OF clothing, it is |
neither too hot nor cold TO stand; and TAX |
ing the weather as We find it, ii is about az
prime and choice an article rs one could |
wish for. The altitude is
FIFTEEN HUNDRED FEET ABOVE THE SEA
LEVEL,
and the air being rare and dry, ia very |
healthful, and regarded as peculiarly |
favorable for those afflicted with pulmon-
airy complaints or asthmatic difficulty.
The county has total of AGO, 500 acres, OF
which eighteen sections, including III $50
acres, belong to the Emporis normal
school, and nearly ten sections, or about
6. 800 acres, are owned by the Missouri,
Kansas and Texas Railroad company, in
addition 10 which there are about $50 600
acres of decided land. The total Of un-
decided lands amount 10 upwards Of 2.5,-
600 acres, the mos: of ii, however, being In
the hands of homesteaders who have not
yet proved upon it at the local land ofice.
THE HOMESTEAD AND PRE-EMPTIoN LAWS
have been taken advantage of so rapidly
thst but a comparatively small portion OF
the county is still subject to entry under
those laws, although there are some tracts
of good land, principally in the southern
part of the county, subject &c homestead
entry by those who wish 10 make actual
settlement. The price OF land varies ac-
cording to location and quality, from So to
s. for unimproved and from - to SIS for
improved, and there is an increasing de-
mand, farmers of large capital and expert
eUCe IrOIn the Edst NlsnlnS W ecSUtc III |
ves,ments and settlement here. Wheaf,
corn, rye, oats, barley and potatoes are the
staple products, and all yield we'll, while
sorghum, castor beans, fax, tobacco, broom
corn, nille,, Hungarian, timothy and
clover are susceptible of
MOST SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION,
which fact is no longer experimental, but
established. Cotton can slso be successful
ly grown. Fruit culture is annually re-
ceiving increase attention, and in q very
few yesrs every township will have large
and productive orchards. The live stock ,
interests OF the country are also carefully ,
attended to, and the report Of 1878, made
to the State department of Agriculture,
showed as follows: Horses in the county, {
4, sol mules and asses, 422; milch COVE, !.
4 ,l0i; other cattle. $3.50; sheep $40; i.
swine, 2i,792 The herd Law has teen in
force in thia county since 1872 The wool ,
clip Of lS77-no report for 1878 having !;
yet been m.de-was 22,919 pounds. while ,,
no agricultural report was made, although
there il tT
HONEY MANUFACTURED. C
The cost of the fencss of Cloud county ID Q
about SIS, GEO. The county has an indebted e
nep of $9l 900. railroad: an aseeeaed valua-