Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-07-26

but not until recently did I put much
confidence in the reports. When l
located in Harper county eight years
ago friends told me the people would
soon starve out, and l believed myself
[ was on the extreme western border
of the tillable land of the state.
Last Tuesday morning paid $3.50
for seat in the Meade Center stage,
at Dodge City. and before dark was
at the Center, forty-five miles distant.
For fifteen miles out from Dodge,
along the cattle trail the soil is deep
and rich in appearance, with very lit
tie sand in it, but is supposed to be
underlaid with hard pan, which will
forever render it inferior, but here
and there is spot under cultivation
and the crops look remarkably well.
Wells, however, range from IS to $50
feet in depth. South of that the rest
of the way, the road goes through
country apparently as rich as Sedg-
wick, Sumner or Harper, and the
crops of corn, oats, millet, ETC., are as
good as in any of those coun-
ties. Water is obtained at from twen-
ty to seventy-five feet in great abund-
ance and of good quality.
The first town is Pcrlette, in Meade
county. the driver informs passengers
when he arrives at that point, the
town had small newspaper, the
s'Perlette CALI in 1879 and fourteen
or more sod and frame houses, but
now it contains but two, q half dug
out general store and postoffice and
one residence. A genuine Indian
scare several years ago depopulated it
for period.
A few miles east is Fowler City
with. about twenty-five houses, good
hotel, a first-class newspaper, and
several general stores. 1t is beauti-
fully located in the center of as rich
and beautiful body of land as ! know
of in the state. The country is quite
thickly settled and many good farms
are being opened. The town is not
depending on or expecting the county
seat, being in the northeast corner OF
the county, but it stands good show
for the first railroad built south from
Dodge and will be good trading
point. Water is obtained at twenty
five and thirty feet.
On the fourteen mile drive from
Fowler to Meade Center, rich coun-
try, with many substantial improve
ments and good crops are passed.
Meade Center is only two months
old but has over sixty business houses
and forty residences. Lots have never
been sold there but given to actual
builders. The town is laid out in the
old fashioned style around an open
square reserved for a court house.
Lots on the square, with houses worth
from two to four hundred dollars are
held at from five hundred to one
thousand dollars. Plenty of good
business lots can be obtained however
at very reasonable prices. Two news
papers. the Globe and Press, two hO-
tells, and all branches of business are
carried on, water plentiful at from
forty-fivc to sixty feet. Meade Cen
ter expects the county seat and GER
tainly her prospects are good-thc
town is two and one half miles from
the geographical center.
Four miles west of Meade Center i:
Carthage, which is also a prominent
candidate for the county seattle
fight will be between these two towns
Carthage has about forty houses
some good bu ldiDgs, good stores ant
newspaper; plenty of water at III
| feet. The town has a small lake ant
can be seen at distance of twenty
miles on the Dodge City road.
The land around all these towns anC
all over the north half of the county
at least. is certainly unsurpassed any
where in Kansas and the prediction
that Meade county will some day b'
the best farming county in the STATE
should not be too hastily denied oil
sncered at.
| One and oLchaif miles
southeast OF Meade Center i:
the famous salt well, where tho
ground sank out of measuring distance
a few years ago and the strongest OF
salt water rose IN the hole $50 feet il
diameter, TO within fourteen feet OF
the surface. The well is visited by
most visitors to the town.
In the northern part of the count,
lives one of the earliest settlers, Mrs
Coffee, wife of the founder of Coffey
vile, Humboldt and several Other