The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-07-13
ON THE Arkansas rRAsA.

fVkBLo, OOi.s Moy O.-nASinX
summers vacation. / decided 10 trsvsl
from Gy psum Creek. K.ns.s. 10 Colsr-
ado in my Own wagon. / did %, and
today arrived st Pusbio.
think it but right 10 tell the truth
about tbs ArkansAs Valley; to sst the
minds Of young men in the Eastern
States Who long 10 Taass cattle and
sheep oo the Colorado plains at sase.
From the little station 1eAr the Kan
sss State line TO Pueblo there 10 not Any
grass in the valley. excepting little bite
Of so-callsd meedev lasd. The cattle
,s~n. taking advsotage Of the ho@s-
stead lsss. hsve secured almost ell of
this mesdov land snd sselosed ie with
wire fsoc-s. To such a. extsat hes
this Lssn done that Tor nilss on -
southsrn bank Of the Siv~ The eai-
giant cannot get 70 the river fos wstse.
Hay is sold eli slong TIE rod q high
pr.ce-: firm City css,s ~ 100 Poanaas
in Kausss 4. tl.2S per 100 poands In
Col..rnde. From 0ssst Bend il Kaa.
sss 10 the States western lire. KaasAs
is being sbADdonsd By many settlers.
Thsss. has bsep NO rain, for tse .orslsvsn
months. Honessssds are. leet. the
owners fleeing 70 the mountains In
search VI silver. or returning East.
Daily | met from three to ten wagons
loaded with \ scanty supply of food
and few articles Of household furni-
,urs. rLs families OF these discsur-
aged men we're centrally in the wsg-
ons, q we besoos set Of sad people.
r,.t ;he p,, nf western Kansas 10 OF
exce:lsn, qa.lity cannot bs tru'hfully
denied. The trouble With it i the lack
Of rain. l .uet many men from Ness
County. They sll told me that they
had net made any crops in two years.
West Of ths Tooth meridian the land i
baked as hard as . rock. u is nnfit for
agricultural purpos.s unless irrigated.
At one psint. Garden City. irrigation
bitches are b.ing dug on ~ extspsivs
scale. The settlsrs told me thst they
gave one tenth Of the crop 10 the rail-
way company for the use Of .ths water.
Uf course. the r.ilw.y builds the ditch.
1t 10 . move. ia ths right direction
Western Kansas apd eastern Colorado
must be irrigated or abandoned ~ an
agricultural county
| met many wagons, ullsd With
householi goods and wo,nsu and chit
dr-n who were returning tn The East
EN- States. These told ne that they
had bc~n farming in south western Col.
Grade east II this mountains. aud that
they had been forced to abandon their
land by the long g-oonsinusd dry weath.
er. Asking these ,nsn why they did
not try the mountains. they answered:
We have bsen there. You young
chaps who are SO hopefully going into
L<xdviile AID the dnnnison to pros
pect, will be E-oting 1t eastward 10
your homes over this railroad next fell.
Your feet will be sore. and you will
carry your boots over your shoulders.
You will have nothing else TO carry
l inferred that this persen Was disgust
ed with Colorado
For years have longsd To escape
tron Kansas and engage in breeding
cattle in Montans, where tho buffalo
aud bunch grass thrive. This trip mp
the Arkansae Valley has shown me that
the wild grasaes will not stand the gras.
ing of domestic cattle. The bnffAlo
grazed over the Land bot opos. year.
They moved up and down this vast sx-
panss Of grass land. and much OF the
grass was not eaten. The plants had
ohsAce u recover. to ripsn their seeds.
10 propagate. The buffalo when mi.
grating did not care for water. No
dry divide vss % wide that they hssi-
tated - crese IL Ths faGe that the
great SouthetA lesd q boz 6Des fed o.
thsss plsius & tie basis ok the args-
msnt that they ere 6t for cattle and
shsep raising on IN extensive scale.
Never WAS . greater mistake made.
Cattle will not range more than six or
eight niles for water. II they range
70 thss dietapps Il pacsQitq0sdSa daaly
v.lk of twslss = st1tssS iii q 81
water. Cattle canso6 Icy o. e while
taxing this amount of exercise.
The grass in the Arkansas Valley
whore large herds have been held v
dead. It,n trsuped out. No amount
Of rain can restore this range to its for.
mer excellence. For mile aftsr mile
there 10. not any moro sign Of living
xrsss. than there j. on the cover Of .
dry goods box. Three or 1our oilss
from the river the grass, theughsoetsa
close to the grpund. j. lalivss bss it
cAuaot grow uutii thege hos b6en .
heavy SOAKING rain.
Abandoned houses. some built Of m
burnt brick. some Of logs, oshers slight
irams STRUCTURES. abound in The valley.
Claims Of 160 soxss cAn b boagAt fer
. ssog. / heard ef ho0ssseads esiag