The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-04-10
will try to be more methodical and
also more interesting. Wishing you
success, Yours Truly, A. c. B.
SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS.
KIowA CREEK,

trespasser in offering anything fo
the columns of your paper that are al
ways filled with more interesting read
ing, l will send few notes from thi!
part, hoping it may be interesting t.
those who may contemplate a west
ward move. am in the western edg,
of Comanche county, township 81
south, range 20 west; about 35 miles
south of lola and 230 west. I am neal
Clark county, so the country described
will be part of both counties. The
country Is high and inclined to be
broken, and this part is well watereG
with small streams tributary to the
Kiowa, many of which have theil
source in fine springs of never failing
water. The southern part of Edward:
county does not seem SO well watered
there being no living streams and few
deep wells. But the surface for miles
around Mullensville Edwards county
is gently rolling and the soil seems
rich and sandy, and nearly every quar-
ter section has its sod house, dugout,
or board shanty; and all of these, with
the exception of two houses in Null
lensville. have been erected since Oc-
tober last, l am told.
So much for Edwards county. And
now as you go southwark across the
line into COmanche county, the coun-
try gets more rolling and broken but
the soil remains much the same, ex-
cept on the breaks" where it is most
ly sand with few gravel. L have
seen but few stone either on the high
flats or in the creek bottoms; the
creeks have sandy bottoms. am told
there is fine sand stone, suitable for
building purposes, within few miles
ofhere. There is some timber along
the creeks, mostly cottonwood and
blackberry, but it is being rapidly cut
for fuel by the settlers.
Until within the last year cattle men
had exclusive right here and it was
surely appropriate that they should,
for there is fine growth of "buffalo
grass" on hill and vale that cattle
Craze upon summer and winter, but do
not always live, as this spring is prov
ing. The unusual amount of snow
during the winter kept the grass COW
cred ard cut the pasturage so short
that there are now hundreds of cattle
on the range that are too weak to get
up without help when they lie down.
And worse yet there are numerous
boggs in which the grass starts early
and the cattle going in after it mire
down. 1t is a novel experience for an
Allen county boy to put in his time
pulling cattle out of boggs, lifting up
weak ones and skinning dead ones.
BuI cattle men are fast finding out |
that it pays largely to raise feed for
their cattle. though they seem much |
10 fear that drouth will cut their crops
short. They don't talk as though |
hey thought this would ever make a
country. But settlers are
coming in every day, 'grangers" they
ire called, and seem determined to
make it farming country. And L
confess the fertile soil and growth of
RECITATION look promising, and for two
Tears past those who have tried have
aised good crops, but they only tried
N a small scale.
The land here can only be taken by
as it is Usage land. After
residence on a piece of land for six
months one can "prove up" and pay
or their land cash down at the rate of
l. % per acre, or pay $50 down and the
in annual payments of $50 :
ach till paid up. There are also two
ections of school lands in each town. s
hip which can be purchased at about
$50 per acre. There is surely some ;
six in coming here to get claims f
here the country is not proven; es- i
ecially for men with families. But q
Dung men can. 1 think, do well. /
ill answer any questions asked con-
erning the country, to the best of my
bility. G. w. LAWYER,
Kinsley, Kans.