Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-04-19
from an agricultural paradise to


and substantial monument TO the ener-
gy and pluck of Kansas. It is the first
coal field west of the Missouri river,
and its underlying bed of black dia-
monds is so vast in extent that hun
dreds of years could not exhaust the
supply. On every hand forest of
chimneys belching forth their never
ceGsing fires and smoke from the in
Vulnerable smelters and manufactures,
and tall derricks, cranes and hosting
machinery that brings from the depths
of the earth the wealth of oaal: while a
network of railroad tracks is throw n
over the whole face of the country as a
spiders web to catch the dollars of the
investor, and bring them to the great
center of attraction,
PITTsBURG.
The Hotel Stilwell was made head
quarters for the democratic editors, and
here we were welcomed by the Pitts
burg Commercial Club in a manner
second to TIE hospitality of no city that
has ever had the democratic editors on
their hands. A meeting of the associ-
alton was held in the afternoon, and
after dinner the visitors were taken in
carriages by the citizens and shown
the attractions of the city. Pittsburg
has population of some 5000 in her
corporate limits, while on every side of
her, for miles in every direction, are
mining camps with populations rang
ing from 200 to 600 whose source of
supplies and general trading point is
Pittsburg. The city has magnificent
hotels, splendid school and church
buildings, many. handsome residences
and business blocks, and although not
particularly handsome city on account
of the smoke that belches forth from
thousands of cavernous chimneys, it
has every evidence of financial pros
perity. Its men are all gentlemen, its
women all ladies and it's hospitality the
natural outgrowth of spontaneous
good fellowship and love of fellow men.
BOUND FOR ARKANSAS.
Col. Thomas 2. Fulton of the Pitts-
burg Messenger, with sagacity and
winsome SauIvitY only possessed by a
favored few, had succeeded in ar
ranging an excursion for the editors
down into Arkansaw, over the newly
built and splendidly equipped Kansas
City Pittsburg & Gulf r. r. to the
present terminus, Sloan Springs.
fr;vN Io, !,
pleasure by all the editors, as it took
them INFO one of the most picturesque
Localities of the west. The Pittsburg
Commercial Club and large number
and through ihe changes of fit
ting showers and sunshine we were
carried southwark to the land of
the Arkansaw traveller. Down the val
ley of Indian Creeh, made famous by
the experience of Col. Fulton on his
fishing excursions and mountain lion
hunts, we dashed with the speed of a
bird of passage; skirting along beneath
towering cliffs where the overhanging
masses seemed to threaten certain
death; shooting across valleys of rich
farm lands that are already clothed in
soft velvety gleen; darting through for
ests of tall trees that looked as if the
hand of man had never touched their
pride with a blow of developing prog
ress, we soon came to the valley of
the famous Cow River, a tributary of
White River, tarother favorite fishing
ground of Col Fulton's). To dweller
on the level plains of Western Kansas
this country has most wonderful
charms, and it was almost with regret
that we learned we were soon to cease
our southward flight by reaching the
end OF the route,
SLOAN SPRINGS.
The eXcursiOnists were meet at the
depot by the Sloan Springs CONNER
clal Club and taken up town in car
riages, where reception was given in
the town hall. Addresses of welcome,
responses, toasts etc., we're INDUCED in,
and the affable mayor turned over the
keys to the city, at the same time dis
/ CAOSILS S1C VI CSIGdi4 CA
tracts of ''moonshine" and the famous
mineral springs. The guests were
then escorted to the dining hall and
were given an appreciated exhibition
of Arkansas hospitality.
Sloan Springs is city of about
1000 inhabitants, built among the hills
in most wonderful picturesque loca-
ton. Until January of this year it was
thirty miles from railroad; but it has
already began meterial improvement
by reason of the new road. The name,
Sloan Springs, Is taken from the nu-
merous springs of pure and health CIV
ing water that gushes out of the hill
sides and go singing down the valleys.
Many invalids have found prolonged
life and eventual recovery through a
residence in this healthful locality. and
we predict that in the near future one
of the most famous healh resorts of
the west will be at Sloan springs. It