Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-21
ANOTHER PROTEST.
No Actual Samples but Blazing
Words.


REEDER, kas., Aug. l6, 1885.
To the Editor OF tho Eagle.
| In Q recent communication from "Leon'
it is alleged that no crops have been rsiset
this year in portions of Pratt, Edwards ant
Comsnche counties. We desire to say
that as far as this applies to Comanchs
county the statement is wholly false. 1t il
either malicious lie or the ranting Of an
ignoramus. Some distinction should b.
made between truthful report of facts and
the opinions of an irresponsible scribbler.
The truth is, better crops cannot be found
in southwestern Kansas than here in the
northern portion OF Comanche county, and
the outlook was never better, crops never
more fourishing than now. Despite the
fact that much of it was planted late and
all planted on sod, there is an abundance Of
corn, oats, potatoes. millet, cane and vege-
tables. Nearly every farmer will raise
enough for his own use and many will have
= surplus. Only in the central part Of the
county where the soil is more sandy is there
the least evidence Of injured crops. The
northern portion of this county has had
rain while Kingman and counties farther
east were burning up and the result far ex-
ceeds the expectation Of settlers. Not TO be
that we may be prejudiced and TO
avoid the suspicion that our information
IL based upon the questionable authority
of some tramps, we refer BY permission to
William G. Ray, of Reeder. whose corn
planted on sod and uncultivated will yield
thirty or forty bushels per acre; and to
Clarence King who has thirty eight acres
which will yield thirty-Ave bushels per acre,
or TO r Il. White, postmaster at Reeder, or
to Capt J. N. AcCown or Abraham OAR
roch, county treasurer. These men are
farmers and are responsible for what they
say. For the small expense Of . postage
stamp "Leon" can inform himself of the
truth, IL he cares for 1t, and henceforth not
indulge in any moro such cheap attempts at
blackmail.
We have been In Comanche county Q
year. We thought the delusion of the "rain
belt" and "Grest American Desert" had
persisted generation ago, and we supposed,
in our innocence, that we knew what we
were about 10 coming here; but it seems we
did not. "Leon" rises 70 convict US of error
and from the height Of a superior wisdom TO
contradict US on the very points men have
long regarded as settled. If the altitude Is
too great for raising corn and small grain,
how does it happen that corn and small
grain are raised here successfully and have
been for years. H"Leon" doubts this let
him ask Capt. Peppsrd, proprietor of Pep
pard's ranch, who, now that his magnificent
pasture is parcelled out among settlers, can
have no motive for saying that those coun-
ties are ct only for "grazing purposes"
The statement above the high altitude Is
simply ridiculous although perfectly in
keeping with bis other statements. He
doubles never was told that the altitude
here 10 less than that of the Arkansas river
from LArned TO Dodge.
Consider the number of streams-Mcdi-
cine, Mule creek, Soldier creek, Cavslary
creek, East, Middle, and West Kiowa creeks,
the Cinarron river, the Salt Fork another
Nescatunga rivsr-all in Comanche county.
Water is reached ct fifteen feet and from
that TO sixty and seventy fest and It . mean