Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-02-20
Total. 81, $40, $40

In addition to the above list of lands
for which we are indebted to Register
Hanna, we quote, as fol ows, from cir.
cular issued by him and Receiver Pilken.
ton a few months ago, for the benefit OF
land seekers!
The surface of the country is gener-
ally level, or gently undulating or rolling
prairie, with occasional small hills, all
covered with buffalo grass. There is no
timber, except in very small patches OF
strips along some of the streams. The
streams are mostly small, fed by springs.
and the water is pure. Plenty of good
well water can be had in most localities,
but not all. Good building stone can be
quarried on or near almost every section.
X K X K K x
Stock farming is the principal and most
profitable industry. The range is excel
lent, end cattle, horses and sheep thrive
on it well the year round, requiring very
little feed, except while the buffalo grass
is covered with snow. The climate is
mild, pleasant and remarkably healthy
in all localities alike. There are no
swamps, marshes, or disease breeding
spots anywhere in western Kansas.
Chills, ague and intermittent fevers are
almost entirely unknown, and the alti-
tude is SO high, and the air so pure, con-
sumption can not originate here.
1.-The prices of lumber, coal, farm i'm
plements and machinery and general
merchandise, range about the same as in
the eastern markets, with freight added.
Western Kansas is no paradise for
drones, in which fortunes are easily and
quickly made; but persevering industry
and economy will win success. Those
who are willing to work and live plain,
can do we'll here: those who love a Life of
elegant ease had better not come.
STREAMs.-The maps of such counties
as we furnish in this issue will afford an
idea of the number and general course of
our streams. Some of them are skirted
lightly with timber; others are destitute
of timber. The species of timber are, for
the most part, cotton wood, box elder,
hack berry, ash, elm, and shrubbery of
different kinds. The opinion seems to
be general that, but for rapidly recurring
fires, which used to sweep over nearly
the whole face of the country, timber
would have fourished at least fairly in
this region. In fact the present scarcity
of the material along the streams is due
largely to its destruction many years ago
by o. S. troops and hunters.
ARTISAN Neutrality-suspicious. have
been made at Russell, Kansas, and Chey-
enne Wells, just beyond the Kansas line,
in Colorado, in boring for artesian water.
In both cases work was abandoned be-
fore success was reached. Opinion is
divided as to whether artesian water un-
deries this section of the state. Doubt
less, other Investigations will be made at
an early date. If artesian water is found,
it will render our uplands more valuable,
if possible, than the bottom lands. It
will render easy the irrigation of garden
spots or small farming tracts, and add to
the convenience of furnishing water for
live stock.
SoIL.-The soil of this section of Kan
sas, in point of fertility, is not placed by
careful observers below the soils of the
central and eastern portions of the state.
The alkali feature, which is developed, to
some extent, east of the central portion of
the state, offers no annoyance to agricul-
ture here. The soil here is a clayey
loan. In some places, considerable sand
is found in the soil The subsoil is of
clay. Beneath this, at various depths,
is a limestone formation. As you dig
downward in the highlands, or divides,
the following is the order of the strata:
Soil, 10 inches to feet; then subsoil
from to feet thick, composed Oh lefty
Of mixture of loan, sand and lime; con-
glomerate, or hard, rock Of various thick
nesses; quicksand containing the sheet
water, this being the water supply OF this
region, the springs also receiving their
supply from this stratum; yellow clay
from to Is feet; natural lime from a
few inches to feet; magnesia from 5
to 40 feet; blue shale, or blue rock-un-
known depth. The strata underlying
the valleys are the same as in the divides,
with the omission Of conglomerate rock
and quicksand, and difference in thick
men.