Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1886-05-07
kansss Letter.
LAKE Cry, May 1st, 1886.

moment I utilize it, to tell my old
friends in Adair what I see around
me. This beautiful little town is
situated 35S miles southwest of
Kansas City and 20 miles north
west of Medicine Lodge the pres
ent terminus of the Southern Kan
sas Ry. 1t is an active town with
stores, hotels, livery and feed
stables and live energetic popu-
lation of 800. 1t is surrounded by
fine country and in its vicinity
are many well to do farmers and
stock raisers. A fine brick block
is being erected here, and bank
will soon be started.
This { Barber) county is bordered
on the north by Pratt and King
man counties, on the east by Har-
per, on the south by the Indian
Territory and ON the west by Com
anche county. 1t is 320 miles
southwest of Kansas City and is
the middle county of the southern
tier of the state. 1t is 33 miles
from north to south, and 36 miles
from east to west and contains
l1134 square miles and 725,760
acres. The county is divided into
bottom land 10 per cent; upland 80
! per cent, forest about l per cent,
prairie SO per cent; average width
of bottom, l mile; general surface
of western half of county bluffy,
with narrow bottoms along streams,
eastern half level or gently undu-
lating. The timber is confined to
scattering groves along the
streams. Different varieties are
cottonwood, red cedar, white elm,
blackberry, ash, walnut, etc.
The principal streams are the
Medicine river, Driftwood, Null
berry, Hackbery and Mule creeks,
big and little Mule creeks flow
southeast into the Salt Fork of the
Arkansas; Bear, Monument and
Cedar creeks flow north into the
Medicine river.
| The county is well supplied with
springs; well water is obtained at
a depth of from 10 to so feet and
generally excellent.
The soil of the county will pro-
duce anything that can be grown
anywhere. So far every kind of
grain has been successfully culti-
vated and harvested, and the yield
has surprised even the most san
guine; corn, oats, wheat, rye, mil
let and sorghum are the leading
crops, though the experiments
with barley, buckwheat and all the
tame grasses have been entirely
satisfactory. Fruit and fruit trees
grow remarkably well, and are un-
usually free from the troublesome
worms and flies that too frequent
10 devastate timber. Small fruits
of every description are rich and
luscious, the mild climate protect
ing the bushes and vines in winter
and the sun rejecting from the
italian like sky ripening it into
rich flavor. Most of the popula.
ton of the county is engaged in
farming and stock raising combin.
: ed. There are thousands of acres
) of land uninclosed, and this is usec
by the farmer for grazing his
stock on, while he cultivates his
inclosure or saves the grass therein
for winter range. 1t would be
foolishness to say that every foo
of this county can be cultivated
for not more than three fourths
can be; but the balance can be ant
is grazed by cattle twelve month.
in the year. These same hills art
!, suited for vineyards too and pro
produce a fruit unexcelled il
. flavor.
: The public schools are in
S healthy condition. There are or
!, ganized 70 schools, 1878 pupil:
t enrolled. Average salaries O.
y male teachers s45, female s32
New school houses are being bull
as fast as the communities demand
S them, and these are of modern ane
e substantial styles of architecture
i Barrier county supports churche.
and preachers, as all civilized peo
a pie should. The Christian, Pres
byterians, Methodist and Baptis
predominant, their strength being
about in the order named. Th.
county is nearly evenly divided be
tween the two leading politica
parties, at the last election, thre,
candidates on each, the Democra
tic and Republican ticket being
: elected. The total vote polled il
n November was 2O30. But little il
: said | am told) about politics ex
! cept during one month in the yea
and this is SO much better for tn,
county.
= Speaking of school buildings
- this little town has a finer bricl
g school house than the public schoo
: building in your town. The South
e ern Kansas Ry., will be completed
q to this place this summer or in th,
early fall. To give you some illus
J trations borrowed from individua
: experience, l will refer to Reubel