Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1885-06-12
MEDICINE LODGE. BARBER co. KANs. JUNE42 1885
Drouthy Kansas.
Correspondence Chicago Tribune.


DODGE Cry, May 20.-Less than one
year ago the tide of settlement began to
enter the portion of Kansas which lies
south of the Arkansas river and west
OF the ninety-ninth degree of longitude,
and now the hOmesteads of the pioneer
stretch to the western line of Kansas,
and, if not now, will soon cross the line
into Colorado. As showing the rapidity
of settlement, the IrrigatOr, published
at Garden City, where the United States
Land Office for this district Is located,
stated few weeks since that the
amount of land located between the Ist
and lSthIOf April was near Do 900 acres,
If my memory is not at fault. which
means a solid body of land more than
townships square, or about five-eighths
of al ordinary-siZed county in Eastern
Kansas-mOre than twice the size of
Wyandotte county. In the track of
land above noted, somewhere near six
ty miles north and south by more than
one hundred east and west, less than
one year ago there were not 500 people,
while to-day there Is estimated,
by persons quite we'll acquainted with
the rush of settlement, to be more than
10000 people. And these people have
come from all parts of the west-many
from Indiana and Illinois-yOung men
anxious to secure piece of land for
either Sl.25 per acre or for simply the
settlement upon it for five years, or
both, with now and then a tract for tim
ber claim; middle-aged men with their
families seeking also to better their
fortunes by obtainig more land for their
growing families, while even old men
are found among their numbers, pro-
posing here to make their final settle
ment. OF course, the town site specu-
latOr is here, and the towns on every
hand are cOntending for the honor and
the profit of being the county-seat of
the new counties soon 10 be organized
1t goes without saying that the bulk
OF these people are In moderate circum-
stances and must be sheltered i'm quite
frail structures-whereby may hang a
woful tale, when the cold winter winds
come, if following a summer not fruit
ful in crops. The world may ask: what
is this country apparently just discov-
cred, and what the hope of its future?
The soil seems rich and looks as though
it ought to be fertile; and so it would
be if assured of in in properquanties.
But the eastern portion of this same
section was we'll spotted over with set
e in 1877 and 1878, who were forced
to withdraw poorer, if not wiser, in the
ensuing years Of 1879 and 1850, because
they could not raise crop. Possibly
your readers may not have forgotten
the cry of ''drOuthy Kansas" which
rang out over the land in 1879, from this
same section of the state. Win the same
cry come again, and then? cannot say,
but fear it is inevitable and soon, either
this or next year; and when it comes let
it be remembered that the railroads did
not bring it here as in 1877 and 1878, for
they do not own any land in most of this
tract; and the AtchisoD, Topeka Il San
tn Fe railroad, which was much blamed
for the suffering of 1879, has steadily
advertised its large body of land lying
west of the Goth degree of longitude. as
only fit for grazing and irrigation. Nor
should the blame be laid at the door of
Kansas for our state press, while possi-
bly, not discouraging this emigration,
has not held up this part of the state as
desirable for settlement or safe to set
tie in. 1t has noted the facts and been
non-committal. The town lot specula-
tor may have been in some measure to
blame.
1t may be asked upon what do base
my gloomy forbodings; for that this
settlement will be sorely disappointed,
and probably brought to suffer not only
in pocket largely, but also possibly for
even the necessities of life,as many from
their limited means must do, believe
TO lie inevitable. Dodge City is located
very close to the Tooth degree of lOngi
tude and on the Arkansas river, where
the rainfall is usually greater than away
from the river, and the record of the
rainfall kept by the signal service shows
that, fro IN 1875 to 1884, inclusive, the
average annual fall was 2l.1 inches, but
for six of these ten years it was an av-
erage of 1912 inches. Dodge City has
an elevation of 2,492 ft., while the west
line of the state, at Coolidge, on the
AtchisOn, Topeka s. Santa Fe road has
an elevation of 1856 feet. Probably the
slope from Dodge City to the south line
of the state, some fifty-One miles,is 100
and possibly 200 feet; but then the ele-
vation is so great as to require more
rainfall than the lower attitudes of CEN
trail or southern Kansas. As compared
with Lawrence, Kan, which is only
thirty miles from the Missouri river,
and hence its rainfall is affected some
what by the large volume of water that
flows down that stream, the record
shows the average from 1875 to 1884,
inclusive, to be l5.2 less year at Dodge
City. Is it not the part of wisdom for
the settlers TO go more cautiously into
so doubtful an agricultural region?
E. r. NJ.
Chicago Times: Water is used as