The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1883-08-22
THE FAR WEST.
Our Correspondent in the Mountains
Tells Another Tale.
Special Correspondent Butler TINES.
COLORADO, SPRINGS,

COLORADO, SPRINGS,
COL, Aug. 8. 1883, {
An interval OF several weeks has
interviewed since my last letter to the
TIMES, and many tedious miles have
been encompassed by our party since
1t, was written. From Hutchison,
Kansas, westward to Pueblo and
Colorado Springs, the traveller
finds but little to amuse his thoughts
or engage his attention. A small
village about every twenty or thirty
miles and section house every nine
miles, comprise the chief settlements
from Larned west. The industrious
husbandman has gradually encroach-
ed upon what, for many years was
considered the untillable portion of
western Kansas, till now the entire
country along the Atchison Topeka
g. Santa Fe railroad as far west as
Larned is almost continual section
of farmes. Away from the railroad
ten or fifteen miles there are no set
Elements at all, and the Antelope,
with now and then stray Buffalo,
grazes undesturbed on the wild
prairie.
But ''the plains" are not what they
used to be when the "old Santa Fe
trailer" gave life and interest to their
wild, weary nature. The bands of
steel that bind the land from ocean
to ocean have robbed them OF their
originality, and what was once the
american desert is now becom-
ing the home of the farmer and the
ranchman. The old "trair" has its
interesting associations though the
grass and weeds have in places OBJ
liberated it from view. There are
thousands of people living. in the
west who could relate interesting re-
miniscences OF their experience in
crossing the plains quarter of CEN
tury ago when the Indians and Buff
falo were far more plentiful than the
herds of cattle and sheep that Craze
upon its prairies to-day. Such is the
past, and no history of the Great
West will be complete without ex-
tended reference to the "Old Santa
Fe trail" and the numerous inter-
esting features that are associated
with it.
A system of irrigation is being
operated in western Kansas and
eastern Colorado which promises, if
successful, to bring manv thousands
of acres OF lands into cultivation.
Large bitches, embracing many miles
of territory, have been dug by COM
panies as an experiment and the
trial thus far has been successful.
stock raising, however, is the chief
business of this section of the coun-
try. Cattle and sheep live on the
plains and the Arkansas valley the
year round with no other feed than
they find. The stranger universally
wonders how stock subsist through
the winter on such grass as he sees.
But we have evidence that they do 1t,
and that's enough.
The A. T. s. S. Fe. railroad first
touches the Arkansas river at Hutch
inson, and follows it the entire dis
tance from there to Pueblo. This
is one of the best railroad lines IN the
west and carries on large business.
The wagon road follows it almost
from one end to the other and scarce.
ly were we out of hearing of a tram.
The road bed is a most excellent
one, and though verv fast time is
made. accidents seldom occur. Par
ties travelling by wagon across this
country find abundance of excellent
we'll water all along the line. The
muddy Arkansaw is no longer re-
sorted too to quench the pilgrims
thirst or mix his norsel of bread. A
more generous and accommodating
set of people never lived than those
who have cast their fortunes on the
plans. And quite reasonably