The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1881-04-08
THE WESTERN FRONTIER.
Some Suggestions by a Lyon County
Man for Developing the Resourc-
a. of the Arkansas Valley

Some Suggestions by n Lyon County
Man for Developing the Resourc-
IS OF the Arkansas Valley.
EDIToRs NEWS: With the advance
of emigration to our western border, the
question arises in the minds of many of
our thinking men, as to whether the dry
district lying between US and the Rocky
mountains can ever be relied upon as an
agricultural region, in connection with
the grazing facilities that have for ages
past maintained the vast herds of buffalo,
now almost extinct.
In journeying westward not long
since, the writer, looking back, through
the vista of many years, to the early
settlement of the United States, and con-
templating the immense country that
has been occupied In making homes for
our people, within the past fifty years,
and noting how little, comparatively, is
left, tina: has the same practical value
to the poor man, does not wonder much
at the jealousy which is steadily gaining
ground with the masses, by reason of
the threads made by the emigrants, from
who are fast closing up the avenues of
success that have been open for gen.
ali look forward to the own
ership of home of their
own, and with fairly good reasons think
their future is growing darker every
day. Americans wheeled the mud"
that made this country what it is, and
when, in my wanderings among the peo-
pie find can not understand half that
is is said to me, fear that America is
fast ceasing to be America. But excuse
the depression. The difficulties attending
the reclamation of what, in my boyhood,
was known as the "great American des-
ert," leads us to grumble.
Many have given this portion of our
state up as "bad job" as far as agricul-
ture is concerned, and have turned it
over to the Texas cattle man." who is
but little in advance of the Kiowa and
buffalo, as far as habits are concerned.
Even they, during the past winter, have
felt the need of feed. After having seen
the extent of the valley of the Arkansas.
its fertility of soil, the natural value
| of this section to us as a state,
I can not silently sit by and see
the great wealth wrapped up
here, lie dormant, for the want of
Here we have land unsurpassed by any
in our state in quality, enriched by the
natural salts furnished by the disinte-
grafton of the rocks of the great
| mountain chain farther west, with her
supply of water and natural fertilizers
by the melting of the SHOWS, insured to
| her for all time to come, through re-
liable stream of sufficient capacity to
place every acre of land adjacent to the
stream under irrigation. generous eli
| mate, suiting this country to the highest
state of cultivation and improvement, and
here assert, can be had vast farms,
conducive to the comfort OF man, water
ed by artificial means. The Aztecs
taught the world lesson in agriculture
and horticulture which we may well
profit by. If they, in their barbarism
could make a barren waste bloom like
rose" we, a nation who claim to be
among the advanced nations of the earth
could at least master this not at all diff
cult problem.
The plans and details of this enter
prise will require some thought, carefully
prepared laws governing the issue of
water charters, under which the canals
are to be built, regulating everything in
a manner that would give justice to all.
ODOn tuI5 TIC vi llktS SCI
tion depends. For when we begin, by
law, TO bottle up the air and water of a
land, we place in the hands of those who
gain control OF this latter element an in
stFument of oppression and the incen-
tive to create powerful monopoly with
which to grind the occupant of the soil
for all time. Yet the necessities of the
case are such that we are compelled to
tiust the matter in the hands of men who
have capital and brains, under the prop
er guards.
II will require the investment of con-
siderable sums of money, judiciously
expended, 10 insure, in this day and age,
the success OF this effort; for at a time
when many men of energy and means
are casting about for places of perma-
neut investment of money, in considera-
bic amounts that promise remunera io1,
if they could be made to see this matter
in its proper light an opening would be
offered for the investment of their
capital, such as come to but few of the
land. When we consider the end to be
gained both tn the stale and people, the
sum is small compared with the profits
to be realized. We know that large per
tion OF the earth's surface Is not sup
piled with natural humidity sufficient to
insure to the planter his annual return
for his iabors, and the importance al
tached by governments both ancient and
modern, or building acqueducts for the
supply of water, when individual means
we're inadequate. the remains of which /
in many instances stand as monuments
of their enterprise. dwarf IN magnitude
any effort in this direction yet entered
upon within the United States, and full /
~ demonstrate the feasibility of this, 3
much smaller undertaking. There are
III.
surveys, the exercise of good Judgment
in tn beginning, and the application of
certain quantity of muscle, and the
thing is done. II strikfs the writer that
the railroad interest mi ght be cultivated
so as TO facilitate matters. The large in
ere s. of local traff1 ;, the Increase in
value Of their property in every direc-
ton, would be an incentive to induce
them 70 take some interest in the matter.
They have competent engineers at their
command, facilities for obtaining facts in
relation to the amount of water necessary