The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-30
OSWEGO, KANSAS,
And the Beautiful Neosho Valley.

Since it has grown fashionable to talk and write about Kansas, permit me to join the procession with my little story about Oswego and the beautiful Neosho valley. A dozen years ago, and more, Jim Brown, the garrulous, gallant and incomparable general passenger agent of the Mis- souri, Kansas x Texas railway, turned the heads of half the young men of the older states with graphic and glowing pen and pencil sketches of the "Osage Coded Lands," the "Wonderful Neosho Valleys" the Beautiful Indian Territory" and the free range, perennial grazing and "semi- tropical climate" of Texas. Brown and the M., K. < T. railroad were the greatest boomers in the south- west in those days, and between them, brought we'll onto half million peo- ple into southern Kansas and north Texas. Milt Reynolds came early into the situation with his Parsons Sun, and between the three-Jim Brown, Milt Reynolds and the M, K. X T. railroad-Denison, the "magic city, and Parsons, the "infant wonder" i" grew into fame and fortune in day. The "great southwest" also the crea- tion of this royal advertising trinity, was born about this same time, Brown and Reynolds standing godfathers at the christening. Fort Scott, Sedalia and Moberly each got big send-off at the same time and in much the same way, for Brown;with the M., K. & T., was behind them, and his genius was equal to the occasion. 1 always had liking for Jim Brown and Milt Reynolds-though I never saw them for they were daring, dashing, dauntless young fellows, somewhat imaginative, it is true, yet with quite enough practical sense and tact for the boom business, and, withal, touch of chivalry and gallantry and generous enthusiasm that appealed strongly to my woman's nature. Other men blazed the early ways of travel through woods and broke the first furrows in the virgin green sward of
 THE NEOsHO VALLEY,
 but these men made 1t luminous to the world with such practical and ideal colorings that thousands of good peo- pie were irresistibly drawn hither by their descriptions of the climate, soils, scenic charms and possibilities of the country. A school-g girl away down in Yankee land, in those days, with a strong love of romance and adventure, I naturally located my Utopia in this very valley, hard by the Beautiful Indian Territory" and only last month made my first visit to
 oswEGo
 in search of my own. Of all the bright and growing towns in south eastern Kansas, the garden spot of the Sunfiower state, none is more fortun- ate in location or richer in present prosperity and future promise than Oswego, the beautiful capital of La- bette county. It has 1000 intelligent and public spirited people, Is the richest city of its class in Kansas and has within and around 1t the social, mental and material forces that are destined to place 1t in the front rank among the educational, commercial and industrial cities of the most pros- porous and progressive state in the Union. Among the things that es- pecially commend this solid and at- tractive city to the visitor, settler or investor is its
 ADMIRABLE LOCATION
 upon the crown of tbe grand bluff, 125 feet above the Neosho river, in the very heart of the beautiful Neosho valley, with picturesque hills, cliffs, glens, canyons, the clear rapid river and magnificent valley woodlands on the one hand and on the other, suc- cession of suburban orchards, vine- yards, fruit and vegetable gardens and drives that remind one of the more at- tractive fruit centres of Ohio, Michi- gan and New York. It represents a tributary farm region, essentially iti own, rich as garden, incomparably fair and productive and capable oi supporting city of ten thousand. Ii is the solid representative city of $ county with thirty thousand enter prising people and 150 miles of rail. way, a county that grows more wheat than all New England and more corr than Maine, Rhode Island and Colo rado combined; county with ont hundred free public schools, clever weekly and three daily newspapers sixteen railway stations, seventy churches, nine banks, ten fourine mills, three thousand miles of fence S