The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-01-18

comparative desert, is in portions
carpeted with variety of rich grasses
and traversed by long and gentle
swells and depreSsions, somewhat re-
sembling those of the sea when set
ting down after storm. This uni
formity of surface is broken at
intervals by deeper depressions
called draws" having a richer
soil and more luXuriant grasses,
and these, when followed up, lead
to water in the streams, making their
way to the plains below. Extending
far back into the Staked Plain there
are also number of wide, level, deep
and fertile valleys or canonS, hemmed
in on either side by rockey bluffs.
Some of these are of great extent,
notably Goodnight's canon, a level
valley from four to fifteen miles wide,
and reaching back more than sixty
miles into the plain. In some of the
canOns are found considerable bodies
of cedar, and in the gulches, in spots
which have escaped the prairie fires
for few years, a growth of small
blackberry and mesquite trees, and
along many of the small streams, of
low cottonwood, some of the trees
measuring as much as two feet in
diameter.
In 1879 100000 acres of this land was
set apart as the capitol reservation
the proceeds of which are to build the
state-house. The remaining land, it
is now aScertained, will compare IA
vorably in natural fertility with any
upland prairie in the southwest. a
large portion of it is richly coated
with mesquite and gamma grasses,
and other portions with a mixture of
these and larger varieties, to-wit:
sedge, bunch and blue stem. Save
very small percentage, the country COW
cred by these surveys in Deaf Smith,
Palmer, Castro, Bailey, Lamb and
Hockey, seems to possess the elements
OF wheat-bearing soil in high de-
gree. Though there are no running
creeks and few living springs on the
(Staked) Plain proper, yet the surface,
in all sections, is indented with deep
natural basins, in some of which the
rainfall is held through greater por-
ton of the year, thus evincing the
capacity of the soil for the successful
const, mtion of artificial ponds. More
than 49, iSds of the whole area
surveyed is good agricultural land;
manent water, and upon many others
water stands in pools and natural
basins for much of the year, and that
far the larger part of the area is car
peted with blue stem, sedge, bunch
and mesquite grass. On many of
the leagues in Dallam, Hartley and
Oldham there is along the streams a
considerable growth of cottonwood,
- III l,,
much fine building stone, and, on the
streams tributary to the Canadian
river, large deposits of gypsum. Dur
ing last year the same lands were crit
ically examined by Mr.. William Starke
Mabry, the county surveyor of Old
ham county. who found lakes of large
size, one of which was more than
seven miles in circumference, and an
other the size of which was not ascer-
tanned, but which had, in the language
of his report, 1.-The appearance of an
inland gulf" bordered by precipitous
rocky bluffs. 1t is also stated that in
one or more instances where surface
water was not found in sufficient
quantities, the party obtained an
abundant supply by sinking wells
few feet below the surface. Mr.. Ma
bry also says: 1--WE saw no lands but
what could be classed as either graz
ing or agricultural lands" Corn,
! toats, millet, broomcorn, sorghum, all
did well. Better sod crop first years
crop on wild land) has not been
grown in Kansas, and larger and
nicer melons, cushawS and pumpkins
were never grown anywhere. Irish
potatoes do moderately well, sweet
potatoes are excellent; all garden veg
etableS do well to their chance, being
planted in sod. The fertility of the
soil and its capability of producing all
kinds Of grain and vegetables
is established beyond all doubt.
The rich grazing qualities of
the grasses is also beyond question.
Cattle, sheep and horses live through
the winter without feed and get very
fat in the summer. In wet seasons
the surface lakes furnish abundant
water for stock; in dry seasons it is
only found in the canOns and deep
lakes. Water is found here in abund-
ance in wells at from fifty to eighty
feet deep; further west they do not
have to dig SO deep. What is said of
one portion of the Staked Plain is true
of all, as they are nearly uniform.
The climate is above the malarial line
and is very healthy. Building mate
rial is plenty, of sand rock and mag
neSia lime rock. Coal has been found
in the brakes of the Staked Plain in
abundance. Wild fruit, in some por-
tions, is plentiful, such as currants,
five kinds of plumbs and three varie-
ties of grapes.
In all the counties of the Panhandle
section, except those in which are locat-
ed the capitol reservation lands, there
are large areas owned by the several
railway corporations of the state, one
or more counties being covered by
such locations. Each alternate sec
tion (640 acreS) of these railway sur
veys belongs to the state common
school fund, and are held at 81 and 81
per acre, according to the water sup
ply, payable in twenty annual Install
ments with 8 per cent interest. All
the unappropriated public lands lying
within the limits above stated are set
apart for the payment of the public
debt; and are held at 90 cents per acre
in tracts of GAO acress or less. This
remarkable territory has been so long
separated from the outside world that
III ID oil dlulOSI uuhnOWu ldnu lIlC
Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe railway,
534 miles of completed road, is pro-
jected to pass diagonally, and almost
centrally, through the Panhandle,
from southeast to northwest. The
Fort Worth and Denver City railway,
already in operation to Wichita Falls,
in Wichita county, is also projected
to run nearly parallel with the first
named road to a crossing on the
Canadian river, sixteen miles west Of
Tascosa, in Oldham county, it's OBJ
jective point, and to be met there by
the Denver and Orleans railway,
coming into the state from the north
west. These roads will open one of
the most wonderful unknown sec
tions in the. Union.
Mr.. Talmage on Short Life.
New York Tribune.