Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-11-28
AN UNEMPLOYED REGION.

| A New Opening to enthusiastically COun-
ty, its Water sourcee, Fertile Soil, and
Prospective Resources.
Your Occasional" having recently
passed through large region of compar.
atively unexplored country, thinks your
readers might be interested in hearing
FROM that remote region,
GREELEY COUNTY.
This county borders on the state OF
Colorado, and lies in the center of the
state north and south. 1t has practically
| no streams, because the two water courses
have no running water in them.
LADDER CREEK,
as it is on the maps, but Beaver, as it is
spoken Of by the few inhabitants of
Wichita county, runs through the north
east corner of Greeley into Wichita, and
has some pools of water, showing that
| water rises and sinks in it. This fact l
learn from others; but of the other stream
1 speak personally, having followed its
course for over twenty miles direct, and
crossed it at various other points to its
mouth, if water course without water
can have either a stream or a mouth.
Still it has stream at lines, and empties
its water, if it has no mouth. That
stream is
THE WHITE WOMAN.
On the maps of the state board of ag-
| riculture it is called Poison creek-why,
your correspondent will not tell, because
be does not know, but certain it is that
it is called the White Woman from it's
source to its mouth, by the Oldest in
habitants. 1t heads in Greeley and
ends near the centre of Scott county.
The reason for its name was thus
explained to us by John Sim, an intelli-
gent raIchero. near the east line OF
Greeley. Several years ago a white
woman was murdered by Indians on its
banks, and afterwards the "noble red"
who committed the murder, lost his
precious life, and his comrades disposed
of his remains with all the "pomp and
circumstance" of Indian barbarity by
cutting hole in the soft magnetism rock
and placing the corpse in the cavity,
where it was found, with the long hair,
and scalp Of the victim of Indian bar
barity. The gallant paleface who made
this discovery exhibited the disgusting
spectacle for a short period, Indian
scalp, hair and all-but what disposition
was finally made of it we know not
OUR TRIP AND COURSE.
We started out in two horse wagon,
from Lakin on the Santa Fe railroad,
facing strong, severe cold, northwest
wind. The first night out was as dreary
a one as we ever experienced in our
thirty years of pioneering from the east
ern limits of Kansas to its extreme west
ern border. We placed our wagon broad
side to the wind, and having some lrm-
Der on board, we set two pieces of boards
put the ends in the
ground, leaned them against the wagon
and sided them up with other boards,
and with ample bedding, deied the
howlings of the "pitiiess storm" which
passed over us. The next morning was
quite cold, but the wind fell and the sun
soon shone out in all the genial warmth
which Kansas November sun can give
when the high mountain storm turns to
he gentle zephyrs from the sunny
outh. Near noon, we struck the White
Woman, ESQ to speak and passed over
Ter shining sands some thirty feet in
width. On the heights north we discov-
red the first human habitations in a
rip of over forty miles, which We had
ollowed along a cattle trail Northwestern
Y. Here was presented the view OF
lalf a dozen houses, with several others
arther east in a cluster, looking, in the
istance, like ranch with its corrals
nd outhouses, but this we ascertained
, be Leoti, the center of Wichita county.
tut we were bound west, and wanted {
no city life in ours" and getting our
earrings by finding the section, town.
nip and range from Mr.. Chafin
esiding on the White Woman, we per
laded him to accompany US, and aid US
, finding out where we were. Getting 6
ne center line of Wichita county, we
,llowed westward, finding each of the !,
overnment corner stones, except in !,
ngle instance, to the geographical CEN /,
sr of Greeley county. In this county
here are but few inhabitants. Near
ne center we found eight or nine hui
ian habitations, but in nearly twenty :
lilies no human voice marred the mon
tony of the silence of the vast prsiries
efore and behind and all around US.
he night, however, was made hideous
Y the howlings, growlings and snap
ings of the coyote, which, though I'M :
cen in the daytime, seemed to mu}-
DIV into scores as we '1aid us down to
Ieep." I
TOWN IN THE DISTANCE.
As we pursued our journey, one hold 4
,g compass and driving the team, and
ne other counting the revolutions OF !;
ne wagon wheel to compute distances, !;
here we're two of us, our eyes caught :
be glimpse of objects in the distance, but
hat they were We could not discern.
g distance between us lessened, we dis
overed two fine carriages, and to our
1rprise we were hailed by name, and
,und they contained three gentlemen, !
Iessrs. Gerard, of Indiana, Campbell I
nd vallandigham, of Harper, the latter Q