Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-26

Der and brush. Both the bottom lands and
the praires offer ideal conditions for the
practically unlimited production OF corn.
the ridges and divides the land Is not so
well adapted to agriculture. but the for
est growth is slight they furnish splendid
grazing pastures for sheep and cattle, be-
Ing profusely clothed with succulent bunch
grass" Owing to this self-cured bunch
grass" and to the mildness Of the climate
and the abundance OF water, the hiiiy re-
gions are claimed by old sheep growers
to afford the best sheep country in the
world
An Early Description.
The earliest white traveller in this Land Of
Canaan was Don Diego Dionisio de Penal
osa, who went from Santa Fe to the Ar
kansas river and thence to the Mississippi
in 1862. He thus describes It:
I'VE passed through fields the like of
which in all the Indies. of Peru and New
Spain, and even in Europe. have not been
seen so peaceful and fruitful. so pleasant
and delightful, covered with buffalo or
cows of Cibola, which caused notable ad-
miration. The further We entered the
country the greater was the number of
these. with many and very beautiful rivers.
marshes and springs. studded with luxur-
liant forests and fruit trees of all kinds,
which produce most palatable plums. large
and fine grapes in great clusters and of
extremely good flavor like those of Spain.
and even better. Many mulberry trees to
raise silk. oak. evergreen oak, elm ash and
poplar trees. with other kinds of trees.
with useful and fragrant plants, clover,
fax. hemp. marjoram high enough to hide
man on horseback, abundance of roses,
Strawberries without end. small but saw
DRY, many excellent cartridges, Quails, tur-
keys, sandpipers, pheasants, deer. stays or
elk IN very great numbers, and even one
kind of them as large and developed as our
horses. Through these pleasant and most
fruitful fields we marched during the
months of March, April, May and the ka-
lends Of June and arrived at river which
Barring the buffaloes, the picture drawn
by the quaint old Spanish rhapsodist is in
all essential respects faithful and accurate
to this day.
Extensive Salt Marshes.
In the northwestern part Of the strip are
extensive salt marshes. and to the east of
them is the great salt plain. on the Salt
fork of the Arkansas river, comprising
thousands Of acres. In some tracts the salt
Is formed on the surface of the ground
and along the edges Of the streams. There
are also vast telds of salt beautifully
traveller long distance before he reaches
them. 1t would appear that here is salt
enough to supply the whole country, and
it can be had merely for the cost of hand
ling. Hitherto it has been extensively used
on the neighboring cattle ranches and has
been hauled to towns in southern Kansas
and sold. All the Indians Of the territory
have had free access to it for their supplies.
In wet weather and high water there is
little or no salt to be seen, but after three
or four dry days it appears again on the
surface. as before described, from six to
twelve inches thick. On September e. 17I9
Lieut.. Du Tisne. from the French garrison
these salt plains and took possession in the
name of his king He was the first white
settler to enter the strip from the east, as
Dionisio had been from the west.
Railroads and Streams.
The strip is already traversed by four
lines of railroad with several other lines
just little outside. Two of the strip lines
are branches Of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe. one running obliQuely through
the western end in a southwesterly Glrec-
ton and the other running southwark from
Kansas through the Chiiocco Indian In
dustrial School reservation into Oklahoma
at the eastern side. third, the Chicago,
through the center of the strip, ana the
fourth, the Kansas and Arkansas Valley
road. cuts through the northwestern cor
ner.
In the western portion, along the line of
the Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
road. are the settlements Of Warren. Alva,
ton. Griffin. Warwick. Woodward, Orland.
Norris, Gage, Stockton and Goodwin In
the eastern side, on the other branch of the
Magnolia, besides number Of settlements
on what were formerly the reservations
Of the Tonkawas, Kansas Pawnee and
Usage Indians Or the northern border,
upon reservation Of $50 acres, is the
Chilocco School By the terms of the law
opening the strip it will be continued in
operation and the reservation made per-
manent. In the western part Of the strip
is the establishment known as Camp Sup
ply Military Reservation.
Besides the big Cimarron river in the
west and the Arkansas in the east, there
are these creeks: Beaver. Buffalo. Wolf,
Sand, Sleeping Bear, Skeleton, Mulberry,
Indian. Traders. Turkey. Bull Bear. Ewers,
Skull and Eagle Chief. all IN the western