Wichita eagle., 1888-04-29
SOUTHWESTERN KANSAS.
A Wat Territory and It's Marvellous
Transformation.

Transformation.
There are few people who have stop
ped to think of the extent OF territory
and Importance of southwestern Kansas.
1t is generally believed that the main
line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
railroad in western Kansas runs well to
the south line of the state. Yet 1t Is never
theless true that west of the east line OF
Butler and Cowley counties and south OF
Great Bend, there are no less than thirty
counties. The two above named and
Harvey, Sedgwick. Summer, Reno,
Kingman, Harper, Barber, Pratt, Stat
ford, Pawnee, Edwards, klowa,
Commando, Hodgmau, Ford,
Clark. Meade, Gray, Garfield
Finney, Haskell, Seward, Stephens,
Grant, Kearney, Hamilton. Stanton and
Morton. :Also part of Grant, Wichita,
Scott, Lane, Ness, Rush, Barton, Rice,
Mcpherson, Marion and Chase counties
are within the boundaries named.
Within the boundaries of this territory
are eight hundred and sixteen congress
sional townships or very nearly nineteen
million acres of land that for beauty and
fertility is not surpassed anywhere on
earth. Through this magnificent expanse
of territory flow the clear waters of the
Great and Little Arkansas, the Cimmar-
ron and the Minnesota rivers with their
thousands of tributary creeks and river
lets, in whose waters shaded by forest
trees, innumerable herds and fiocks Stake
their thirst. Through green pastures.
and by rich farms covered with growing
crops, promising beautiful harvest,
and by busy cities and happy villages,
many in number, these waters flow on
forever on their journey to the sea.
Within these boundaries and where SIX
teen years ago the buffalo sleek and fat
grazed in peace until the huge bulls
on the confines of vast herds
scented the enemy, when thousands of
these great monsters in mass hundred
down valley and across swelling prairie,
hotly pursued by savage huntsmen today
dwell more than half million of people.
These people have their splendidly i'm
proved farms, their cities and villages
are supplied with factories, small and
great; and stocks of merchandise, and
fruits of every cline with which the
markets of these cities and villages are
supplied tell their own story of the pros
perity of the people in this sunny land.
The thousands of school houses,
churches and colleges with which this
land is dotted tell the stranger in Ian
guage that will not be misunderstood
that the inhabitants of this God favored
land are in the front ranks of the con-
Quering host Of this century, who are
winning victories for Christianity and
advanced civilization.
When we come to realize what this
new part of Kansas has accomplished in
SO short time, it is not strange that our
people have an unbounded faith in the
future. No state was ever blessed with
more loyal sons than Kansas. There is
of course an interest on the part of each
in his own section, but at the same
time those who succeeded best are cor
respondingly happy that they have been
able to contribute to the sum total OF
Kansas greatness. This state pride and
loyalty comes Of faith in the future, be-
gotten of success in the past. There is a
something in the bright sunshine and
beautiful landscape in Kansas that
charms and lures the stranger, but it is
the people who have been Kansans long
est who have an mistaken, abiding faith
in her future greatness.
There are eastern men investing money
in Wichita with the hope of future prof
its, but they are less sanguine Of Wichi-
ia S future than the old settler. There
are people settling up the newer coun-
ties west of here from other states who
believe in western Kansas, but they have
not the abiding faith of the old Kansan
in those new counties and new county
seat towns. The new settlers like this
state and are loyal to her interest, but it
can be truthfully said to the glory of this
sunny Kansas that those who love her
best have longest been her loyal sons.