The Leavenworth weekly times., 1879-05-29

any subsequent heavy drain which may b
made upon them and when these Gu.rie
in Russell finally give out, which coulG
hardly be for many years yet, the COUNTIES
to the north and northwest could come for
ward with their supply, which is, to al
practical intents AID purposes, inexhsust
ible
THE KANSAS PACIFIC RAILROAD.
The Kansas Pacific railroad, one OF ths
great trunk lines which tend to make the
iron link across the continent, runs through
the county from east to west, Just below tnt
centre line. This line does an 1mmens<
business in the county, as tie trade in grair
and stock shipments from Russell, ths
county seat, and Ellsworth, is something
immense and hardly to be believed
Hundreds Of thousands of bushels OF cereal:
Of all kinds are sent east from Russell
county every season, the staple, Of course
being wheat, and the principal shipping
point Russell. The Kansas Pacific has &C
far this yesr brought in
HUNDREDS OF IMMIGRANTS
TO the county, and this, added to the other
hundreds who have come in by wagon, has
sweled the ccunty's population considera-
bly,. To tell the truth, the increase in the
population CT the county for the present
year has been greater than was ever antici-
paied, far beyond the most sanguine expec-
tations, a. the figures will show. The pop
ulation OF the county in 1870, all told, was
an even one hundred and fifty-si1; in 1875
it had increased to 1900, and in 1873 to
5 800. while at the present time it Is at
least 5000, and it is probable that when all
the returns, full and complete, are made
from
THE VARIOUS TOWNSHIPS,
larger figures than these latter will be
shown. Suffice il to say that the heaviest
influx OF the year has not begun to come in
yet, and that before the end OF the year it
would be mstter OF no surprise whatever
if the population OF the county reached at
least 5000; and surely the way the settlers
are coming in now the estimate is warrant
ed, and not bit in excess of the possibili-
ties. The taxable acres of the county num-
Der about s. 900, about 50 coo OF which are
now under cultivation. The yearly increase
in the cultivated acreage has been very
marked and rapid in the past, and will be
much more so in the future. All the avail
able land of the county ia going very fast,
and he who wants TO secure unto himself a
tract thereof had better hurry, for soon
there will be none LETT, and the tardy one
will be forced TO move still farther west
ward. Considerable attention is paid 10
the dairy, the manufacture Of cheese last
year having reached 10, 900 pounds, and OF
butter >, 900 pounds, an increase of $4,000
over the manufacture of 1879. The dairy
products are Increasing steadily year by
year, and it viii not be long ere Russell C n
hold her own in that respect with any
county in the State.
THE CROPS OE 1873.
The reports for 1873 show that during
that year there were 8, Isl acres planted IN
winter wheat, 6,9Si in corn, 267 in millei
and Hungarian, and SG2 in spring wheat
As the returns for 1879 have not come in
yet, it is of course an impossibility to even
estimate the acreage for this year; but from
all that can be learned, il will be a matter
of considerable surprise when the figures
show what has really been done.
The wool clip Of 1877 amounted to 81 ).
600, there being as yet, 20 return made ior
the clip of las: year.
Regarding horticulture, the number oi
trees in bearing last year, according 10 the
reports. were "a follows: Peach, 3,9l9
pear, %; plum, 60, aud apple, 2S5.
The total number of rods Of fence in the
county il about , 500, valued at 81, 100. II
will be remembered tina. the building oi
fences naturally proceeds slowly in new
country, and more particularly where the
herd law is in force, and the only fencing
really needed is that enclosing the pasture
where stock is kept.
The total assessed valuation of the prop
erty Of the county is over II 100000, bu
owing TO the incomplete returns as ye
made, the exact figures cannot be given
There has been a wonderful increase sine,
1873, when the returns showed S7Sl ,091 al
the valuation for that year, while the tru'
valuation of all the property in the county
now, real and personal, is 81 100000. Th'
valuation Of the railroad property in th'
county is S272. 600. and that OF the persona
property about $500 900. The indebted
ness CT the county, including township
city and school districts, is small
PERTAINING TO SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
As a matter OF course the immigrant
before making settlement in any county
Is fully awake to the Importance of pro
vidiug for the intellectual and moral vel
fare OF his children; and while good, desira
bic land, we'll located and offered at reason
sonabIe prices forms great attraction AM
may constitute in the majority, the reason
for locating in any special neighborhood
still the matter OF schools and churches pls,
an important part, and where there are no
these concomitants of civilization, the in
telligent immigrant will not 90. Russel
county il supplied with both, and there i
nothing IN which her citizens take create
or more pardonable pride than in he
schools, which are in a splendid condition
and live and ilourishing. There has beel
a very marked increase in the eurOllmen
and attendance siIce last year, and th
good work continues TO go steadily on
None but competent instructors are EN-
ployed, and the selection of text books
made with great care. New school dis
tricts are being formed all the time
new school-houses are going up, and ever
thing possible tending TO the advancement
of the youug is being done. TIE value Q
all the school property in the county
based upon estimates made from incom
plete returns, is So, COO, which, however
falls short rather than goes ahead of III
truth. The school building at Russell, 10
the accommodation OF the pupils OF tn
public school, is a very coed one, and
credit to the enterprise and progress of tn
citizens. Education is the corner stone @
all our institutions, and il also the roc
upon which Russell county Is bnilding
structure which no wind can shake o
storm overwhelm.
RUSSELL CoUNIT's TOWNS.
There are several live and h0urishin
towns in Russell county, which do goo
trade and are building up rapidly, the tw
more prominent of which are Russell, tn
county seat, ard Bunker Hill, both situate
on the line of the Kansas Pacific road
Bgnker Hill il quite an enterprising littl
village, of two hundred inhabitants, an
being surrounded by good country enjoy
profitable md steadily increasing trad,
Bunker is "a yet an infant, fgurativel
speaking, bat is a stalwart, nevertheless
ond stops for nothing, pushing straiet
ahead, and having entered the race is ID
termined to win.
THE COUNTY sEAT.
Russell, the seat of government for Ii
county, is a handsomely built little city {
nine hundred or a thousand inhabitants, o
the Kanssn Pacific road, a short distanc
ives, Of the center line of the county, and
one Of the most successful and promisin