The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-10-23

Carton County interviewed by Cur
Correspondent.
astonishing Growth in tbs PopuIl-
ton Since 1870.
Great ReEd, the County Sea, OF
Barton County.
ifs Water Supply of ii, Cou ,'y -
Timb.r, &c.
a Letter of Purely Sistist csl
Nsture-Fu!l of Fac,e.
Just What the Land Seeker Wants

ment having been made 10 the yesr 1870
and ISL.
In 1870 the population of the County
numbered only Two persons. On the first
3asof March, 1879, the population had
reached L. 3SS3; certsinly very r,pid ard
satisfactory increase.
/ wish now TO submit some figures which
l think viii be satisfactory to the reader
who is seeking Information relative to the
resources OF the county, than any mere
assertions OF mine. These figures, be il
remembered, are taken from tn, Off :i.l
records Of the county, and from The report
of the State Board Of 4 agriculture, and are
therefore entitled TO consideration.
Area:-The county contains within It's
limits $50 square miles, and consequently
1924 acres. OF this vast body of land
at least 10 per cent is bottom, the balance
being upland. Ole psr cent only is forest,
and 90 per cent prairie. The average
width Of the bottom varies. Along the
Arkansas river, which runs almost through
the centre Of the county, east and west,
they are about seven miles, while along
the creeks hey are two miIes in width.
The bottoms are generally level, while
the uplsnds sre undulating.
Timber-Along the streams some timber
Is to be found; among the varieties may be
mentioned walnut, cottonwood, ash, elm,
box elder and blackberry.
Some attention has teen given to tie
cultivation of timber, and success has
crowned the efforts of those attempting it;
the cottonwood, soft maple, black walnut
and box elder being the varieties that seem
10 DO best.
Streams-The county is well supplied
with stresms, the principal one being the
Arkansas river, which, from the point
where it enters the county, bears northeast
to the center Of the same, and therce bears
of to the south, forming what is known az
the "Great Beud," at which point the
county seat is located and from which its
name ia taken. At Great Bend Walnut
creek flows into the Arkansas river, its
course through the county being from the
northwest to the southeast. The Little
Walnut flows east aud emp:ies into the
Walnut near Great Bead. Ia addition TO
the strssms slready mentioned there are
Blood, Deception srd Cow creeks, all Of
which have southerIy course.
Great Bend, the county SCAT, is located
very ne5r the geographical center Of the
county. -Four miles to the north cf
the city sandstone Is found in great
abundance, while in the western
and northern parts Of the county
limestone Of good quality is found. Good
building stone is also found throughout
that PORTION Of the county lying north Of
Walnut creek.
In the southeast portion or correr Of the
county extensive deposits OF gypsum have
been found. l. il used for plasieriug pur-
poses, and MAKES good cemeat roof for
sod houses.
VALUATION OF TAXATION.
! hint many tAt4tA Guilt u NkAIe,
the taxable properly of Barton county has
increased, rather than diminished, notwi;h-
standing the paraly zing Influences on trade
and general business Interests, of the partial
. allure Of crops the past season.
The assessed valuation for taxation of
all property in the county, for the year
1873, was 81, us 2694O.
For the year 1879 it Amounts to SI,2If,-
l59 %, beirg sn increase over last wear Of
sINTY-FIvE THOUSAND, EIGHT HUNDRED
AND NINETY DOLLARS AND FiFrY.FIyE
CENTS.
RAILROAD ASSESSMENT.
The Aichisou, Topeka & Santa Fe Rail-
road Company pay taxes this year in
Barton County, upon an assessed valuation
OF property, in the sum of TWO HUNDRED
AND FORTY-THEEE TuOUs IND, FOUR HUN
DRIED AND EIGUTY-E IGHT DOLLARS AND
FORTYfIyE CENTS.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS.
During the vears from 1873 10 1873
both icclGsive) there was raised 10 Bar
ton County THREE MILLION, EIGHT HUN.
DRIED AND sixty THOUSAND, FIVE HUN
DRIED ASD THIRTY bushels of grain; OF this
vast product, there was of
Wheat. ...... .G33 $50 bu
Corn...... $50. 800 $50 bu
hye---... 49, $50 bu.
Odts..... .r.-................i1O lG6 bu.
bariey....... .........--... ......--ll1 ,l22 gu.
The average yield per acre was az fol-
lows: Wheat, 20 bu.; corn, 30 bu; rye, -
bu ; oats, IS bu. and barley % bu.
In the fall of 1873 there were sown to
wheat in Barton county 20, $50 acres, and
in the spring of 1879, 1O,i56.
There were also in the spring of 1879, ],
40l acres sown to barley, and 1S,1 O9 acres
10 oats; there were also 39,90l acTes
planted in corn. On the first dsyo of March,
1879, there were 1852 bushels OF old corn
in the county.
LIVE STOCK.
Ga the frs. day of March, 1879, there
were in the county 1923 horsss, 1909 |
mules, > Sc mich cows, 44i other cattle, |
:. 20i sheep, and 7,ly3 swine. The value
of animals slaughtered in the county. or |
sold for slaughter during the year ending
March /, 1879, was Sal 564
Produce OF gardens marketed during the |
same period of time, 1875.
Value of poultry and eggs sold during
the year, ending March /, 1879, 81 547. |
During the same time there were 40 AS |
pounds of butter made in the county.
During the year ending March l, 1879,
there were 500 buildings erected IN the
county, the aggregate cost Of which was
$50. 2ll. Its 10 this item Of statistics that
We are enabled TO account for the taxable
property OF the county this year over that
of last year.
The increase in the population of the
county during the yesr ending March !,
1879, was 1 .0S2, and this number of people
coming into the county in so short re-
Rod CT time must OF necessity build, for be
ii understood that ID no new country would /
there be provision for such sudden influx
CT people. / take it that the $50 build
ings erected during the year we're princi-
ps!iy, il not eatirely. erected by the people
who moved into tie county during the
time mentioned.
Barton county ia ore IN which some pro-
gress has been msde in growing sheep. By |
to the figures submitted, it will |
be seen that there are goodly number OF
sheep in the county. The wool clip for the |
year 1873 amounted to II ,2S4 pounds.
HORTICULTURE.
While the ssme attention has not been |
given to fruit raising in Barton county I
that has in msny counties OF the Slate,
still enough has been done 10 demonstrate
tia; it is a tirst-ra;e fruit producing section.
There are at present in the county |