Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-06-26
THE NORTHWEST.
Southern Kansas, Railroads, Crops SC.
HARPER. June u. 1891

HARPER, June IL, 1884.
Ed. NORTHWEST THE Southern Kansas railroad
has opened up part Of Kansas which is not sur
passed or even equalled by country west of the
Mississippi. This road starting at Kansas city, is
joined at ottowa by the Lawrence barnch; then 1t
goes almost directly south through the rich and
populous counties of Franklin, Anderson, Allen and
Neosho to the thriving little city of Cherryvale,
whensit turns west and goes on througl -
tiful country of Southern Kansas e
counties of ontgomery. Chautauqua, Elk, Cowley,
Simms aud Harper. These counties form the south
ern tier, Harper being nearly half way across the
state.
From 0ttowa branch Of the road has recently
been built to Emporia, and also to Burlington.
From Chanute u branch runs to Girard, in Craw-
ford county; at Independence the road again
branches, the main branch going on to Harper and
southern branch to Sedan and Elgin in the ex-
treme southern part of the state. AT Wellington o
branch runs directly south to Hunnywell, which
place Is almost on the state line. By tracing the
line of the road, above described, will readily
see that the Southern Kansas is one of the most
important roads in the state, and that its busine
must be very great. The country through which 1t
passes is a rich farming region, well watered and
with very little waste and in fact believe Kansas,
or rather Southern and Eastern Kansas, has as lit
tic waste land as any state in the Union; and even
farther west, where the country is not well adapt
cd 10 farming, it Is we'll adapted to grazing, by far
the larger portion of the stock of the state being
raised there.
The surface of Southern Kansas is high and roll
iug though not broken, except in few places. In
Montgomery and Chautauqua counties there is
some rocky land along the road, and the surface is
somewhat rough, but this soon gives way to the
beautiful green prairie, where one may draw
stright furrow for miles without break.
From the cars the view is one Of the most surpass
ing beauty--farms, farm-houses orchards, grain
fields square miles of natural meadow lands, clumps
and groves of trees along the streams, hedges, Will
ages and towns rapidly passed by. The eye
never wearies, but on the contrary is constantly.
melted to fresh interest by the ever varying pano-
rama spread out before him. The whole country
looks like vast park, or the well cultivated estate
Of come rich farmer or land holder.
And then the crops. Never was there promise of
such an enormous yield of all kinds of farm prod
uce as this year. But heavy crops have become the
rule, not the exception, in Kansas. I never saw
such fine fields of wheat, as on my trip through
Southern Kansas. 1 am informed that there are
hundreds of acres that viii yield forty bushels per
acre, and judging from the appearance of the fields,
that estimate is not too high the southern part of
the state at least three weeks ahead of the north
ern and middle portions, in the earliness of the
season. but about four weeks behind what 1t usually
is. Fruit of all kinds is plenty and promises almost
as big yield as every thing else. But must leave
much unsaid for another letter. in particular a
description of Harper, the best town of its age in
Southern Kansas.
Gle.