Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-18
THE TEXAS PANHANDLE.

| Ever and anon in the course of human
history some great object is pushed from
the shades of comparative obscurity to
bedazzle the world with its superior
greatness. Comet like, it confounds
nations. Dame Fortune seems, in work
ing on 1.-THE history of the world-to
have hoodwinked herself: to have sought
out some quiet corner, some secluded
| portion, In which to make manifestations
of her great skill. She has exerted her
self in the production of an anomaly, land
various parts of the world have been
held up, in both ancient and modern
times, as the right place-the Eureka,
the Mecca, man long has sought.
Beyond the limpid waters of the Mis-
sissippi and the sandy, sluggish Arkan-
sas, and further still, till one would
think he had reached the ''jumping-eff
place" lies the Panhandle of Texas-the
! Staked Plain-and which until a recent
date has been thought to be vast des-
ert, with only an occasional oasis; where
! the red man was still monarch of all:
where only the buffalo and birds could
live. Here it has lain hidden from time
immemorial, holding its treasures and
constantly adding to them. Now 1t is
not only able but willing to dispense hos
pitahty to hundreds of thousands of
poor laboring men and to tired
women. Here is wide ex-
panse of Goods own make, .
free to all who will come. 1t is an am
bilious country. People who come, now
wonder why it has been hidden SO long.
The cowboy has had his day, in magma
ton we can say:
How has the mighty Cowboy fallen, the
| hero OF yesterday
His once painless domain, when he rode
| With the speed of the wind, on steed
| with his main
| To the winch? without pathway, or route
or rein?"
All that is gone by now:the busysfarm-
er boy sings happy tune as he follows
his pIow.
The Panhandle of Texas lies between
the 3lst and Both parallel of north lati-
| tude; its eastern edge is 1890 feet above
sea level, rising gradually as we go west,
| it is Loo feet. This immense plain con-
tains over $4,000 square miles. The
| Canadian river is It's northern boundary,
| the Pecos its western, the Red its south
ern. On every side this immense plat
eau is lifted far above the surrounding
country. In the southwestern part OF
the plains lies the great sand hills
| they have never been fully explored.
There are deep canyons, countless lakes,
spreading ravines-Otherwise the surface
of the plain is perfectly level; SO level
| that water falling i'll 1t stands till absorb
edit is as level as the ocean in dead
calm.
Ee In riding over the plains, any way you
may look you seem to be going up hill
The soil is from three to SIX feet deep
| and is : covered with the mvskeet
and buffalo grass both being very nutri-
tious. This grass is kept fresh and grow
ing by heavy fall of dew and rains.
whose Frequency is terribly under rat
ed" The soil is fine, black, very sticky,
and after a rain makes wonderful mud
Though entirely devoid of trees these
plains are well watered; dropped as if by
magic are thousands of lakes of all
sizes. Some are fed by springs and these
furnish water most of the year. in some
of the lakes the water is cold, as is also
the Canadian and Red rivers. This oues-
ton of water has been one great draw
back to the Pan Handle, but it need be
so no longer. 1t is the opinion that I'M
DERIVING it Is vast supply OF the purest
water.
This plain is the mother of the noblest
rivers in Texas. The slight tilt to the
plain gives all rivers an easterly direc-
ton. The Pecos flows by its western
edge but receives not one tributary from
the plains. The Capital syndicate found
water in six of the seven wells dug by
them The water question no longer
forms an objection to the Staked plain,
as the universal belief is that under all is
heavy supply Of water having an east
erlY course.
The Staked plain has history unread
-unwritten-for its facts are now be-
yond the reach of the historian. Some
few ACCOMPLISHMENTS and tradi-
tons have come down to us.
This much is known: Shortly after
the conquest of Mexico by Cortez
in 1921 one of his heutenants
(Coronda) was sent out on an expedition
towards California: he wondered over
the sources of the Canadian and finally
caught view OF Llono Estacade near its
lH"SSt wi dltCi a uiSdSeiouS
experience with the Indians returned to
Mexico. It's name, ''Llono Estacade"
(Staked Plain originated as follows: The
Indian who crossed 1t into New Mexico
used neither guides or compass. but
Mexicans who attempted the same thing
in hunting or trading would always get
lost and perish. To avoid this they drove
down a stake estaca"-at the edge of
- L., 4 J.
which the first might be plainly SEEN,
and so on "ad-infiinitum, so they could
retrace their path in case they found no
water. Of course after the trails the
principal water holes became distinctly
worn, and the stake system was aband-
oned, but thename survived.
Not many months have passed since
this immense plateau was regarded as
desolate waste. where the birds of the
air did not dare wing their flight. Long
wears has Llono Estacado been shrouded
in this belief. The noble buffalo roamed
in countless millions over its level waste.
The tough little mustang, stranger 20 bit
and spur, swept III laundering tread
over its measureless green. Here
the graceful antelope bounded
over this. his own home. The
gaunt and shaggy wolf lowered on
the outskirts of the herd, fierce to devour
the fallen. The Indian made the canyon
his dwelling place, the plain his hunting
ground. The great lakes flashed in the
glories of the day like seas of molten sil-
yer, but their virgin shores slept untrod
bf the footsteps of progress: solitude
reigned supreme.
But time swept on and then the trad
ers-Mexicans-ventu out on its vast
and silent waste and hartered with the
Comanche for the fruits OF his foraY
The old