The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-05-24


An Invitation TO visit this village 10
ZEE something Of the workings of irri-
CATION was accepted. We arrived there
on the 11th before dinner. Teams had
been provided by the enterprisinG PEG
pie 20 take our party out two or three
miles TO see the bitches, and free din
ner, such as reminded US Of the early
celebrations in EmDrOia, was served In
the little frame Congregational church
We found here our old friend NSreus
Carter, with q very good stock of
hardware. pumps, groceries, etc., and he
reported . nonrishing business He
Arst located here four years ago, but was
obliged to be absent IN EmporIa On
business much Of the time. A few
settlements were made in and about
thIs place In 1879. They expected at
arst 20 farm In the usual way, but one
seasons experience taught them that
- have success they must have more
water thaa came from the clouds on the
western plains of Kansas, and so irriga-
tion was introduced. The frst ditch
tapped the Arkansas above the town
and was ave miles long.
Il was . complete success. The
mAiA ditch now commence about thirty
miles west Of the city. It is owned
By Senator Plumb and Griffith g.
Russell, Of Lawrence. The first attempt
NJ dItchlng was slow and imperfect, but
now machines make three miles per
day. The water Is furnished At q CON-
pAritlvely small cost, and thus thous-
Auds Of acres of rich soil
a. made 70 produce splendid
crops Of grain and vegetables. Vegeta-
bles, and especially sweet potatoes and
Onions, have proved to be the most
profitable crops. Irish potatoes, cab
bAge, turnlps, carrots, Indian corn, rice
corn. oats and peanuts have also been
tried with most satisfactory results; and
the market in Colorado and New Mexi-
90 mining towns is easy of access and
constant. The following is careful es-
climate Of the average OF GRIPS Grown
last season in this vicinity: Irish pota-
toss, 400 bushels per scre; sweet pota-
toes, oUo bushels per acre; onions, 600
tushels per acre; cabbaees, 4 600 Leads
melons. 5000; turnips, 1000 bushels
ooks, IS bushels per acre; spring wheat,
- 20 Is bushels per acre. But we Judge
the greatest value OF Finney county Is
IN It's adSpibility to stock raising
There are many valuable ranches al.
ready In that region of the state
The county is as YET IN
organized. The last legisl uure
changed the name from 6equoyah to
Finney. Garden City, Mr.. Carter tell
~, has . population of about 400. Il
will Be the county seat, but some of the
cirizeoa are opposed to organization
claiming that the county machinery
would De . useless expense. The toWr
has several stores, q hotel, and two
newspapers, the Herald and Irrigaior
The manner in which the people enter
{ tanned the 100 members Of the editoria
party shows them ID be full Of that Grl
and enterprise which conquers ali oh
ataeles In town building, and
No have no doubt that Garden City viii
become an important place. At the
time Of our visit the Arkansas was dry
IN many places. and consequently thu
bitches had NO water. This IL q condi
loa that has neEsr occurred before sincS
the settlement of Gsrjsn City. and
when our excursion returned the rive,
had plenty of water.
We have seen nothing more dsary
than . ride over the plains Of western
Kansas and eastern Colorado
host Of the way the prairies
looked a. dead as in win.
Ter. There were herds Of cattle feed
ing on shls grass and doing well. Oc-
casionally there were grtea spots In the
l0WlandA just vest Of Coolidge, S57