The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-12
HOW a LAKE cas- sHRINK.
On the North Fork of Red River.
Sept. 6. 1896.


state of Texas; later part OF the United
States. and now lately made county
IN Oklahoma
We reached this part of the territory
at 3 O'Clock this Sunday afternoon.
| The drive down from Cheyenne,
| through Roger Mills county. was
through a country which became less
| and less rolling. The red broken soil
gave way as we progressed to endless
stretches Of yellow buffalo grass.
| Neigbbors are now thirty miles apart.
Even the Indian has disappeared
There are punches of cattle dotting the
hills occasionally and cropped and
branded in all sorts of ways. The ears
of the COWS are jingle-bobbed, quarter
notched. under-bit and half-slit and
the brands range all through the alpha
bet. with half circles, pig-pens, bars,
| frying-pans and saw-bucks. Here and
there is a wooded valley and in it a
| settlement The spirit of community
is strong even here. People get to-
gether as much as possible. There IS
lust enough fencing TO make the ap-
Dearance of fence bring up the emo
lions which accompany the meeting OF
an old friend. From Cheyenne down
we were guided by Mrs. Kean, the wife
Of a cattleman. She drove ahead for
twenty-five miles and brought us to her
| home, which is a substantial house. in
fact as good a dwelling house as have
seen west of Kingfisher. We ate a
good dinner here, meeting Mr. I. ).
Doxev. a cattIeman who lives near
We desired to 90 on and Mr. DoXey
tcld us OF two fine lakes some distance
ahead.
We went ahead. 4 mile farther on
we crossed the North Fork Of the Red
river. and were in Greer county. This
North Fork, L am told, was the river
on which hinged the decision Of the
supreme court, giving Greer county to
the United States. In the cession OF
the land to Texas by Mexico, the Red
river was given as the northern bound
airy. The Texans set up the claim that
the main Red river was the North
Fork: that the South Fork was only
branch. The supreme court said the
| North Fork was only a branch and so
cut Greer county from Texas.
Ills North Fork is not o prepOsSess-
ing stream. At present it has no water
In It 1t is not even damp. Its bed
is a mixture of yellow sand and red
soil. 1t is at this point five hundred
feet in width and its banks are very
low. Beyond a few dead clans, there
is no indication of life in the stream.
1t twists around in confusion after the
manner OF all these western water
courses. There are n few scattering
trees near, all have seen being cotton
woods. For some distance on either
side the sand S very fine and deep, with
rag-weed in profusion. We kept
straight ahead and passed few mud
nuddles. We climbed the hills on the
other side. rising higher and expecting
to find the lakes. As in mountain
climbing the gaining Of one hilltop
only revealed a higher hill in 'front.'
and no lake.
After some reflection we came to the
| conclusion that perhaps the Enghsh
language changed its meaning in Greer
county. 1t became more and more
patent that there were no lakes IN
those high dry hills. This led to the
earnest conclusion that those mud
! puddles miles behind were the lakes"
We were in need Of water. Mr.. DoNey
had given US a jugful of his precious
rain-water, which we wrapped in q wet
gunny-sack, the process OF evapora-
ton keeping it cool. But the horses
were in need OF water sOrely. We
turned back to the mud-puddles.
/ IMAGINATION is a great liar. 1t had
/ pictured to our minds lakes with great
cool surfaces, fringed by giant trees.
/ 1t had made US pass by two small pud-
/ dies with profound contempt. But
+ when we found there was no water but
1 these and came back to them TO sit I'M
/ Ger the only tree in sight and look upon
! the small puddleS, mere dampness be-
I came a sea. We were glad. exceed
/ ingly glad to have even a mud-puddle.
/ And it struck me at the time that one
political party in the United States IS
/ trying TO lead the people onto the high
/ hills to camp beside great lakes of i'm
possible prosperity: and if the people
follow, how surely they must turn back
/ 10 find happiness in the mud-puddles
which they have 6espised-
The question of water is 4 leading
one in this country. How far is it 10
good water?" is the anxiety of all trav-
elers. ''Gyp" is all right for the horses,
but it does not do for men, unless they
are used to il. The people drink rain
/ water. which is as good as gold ''Gyp'
is used to wash in by Us, but il viii not
take soap, neutralizing the latter in
such manner that the water curdles
( like milk Here where we are in camp
/ the water is brine, and we made Il
queer-tssring coffee. Wind-mills are
scarce. I have seen but two since we
left Taloga- While rain-water can be
obtained for drinking ST the houses
/ there is a sort OF etiquette which for
bids the traveller from asking the liquid
for his beasts We have left the cOun-
try Of hotels and for the next week
must camp wherever night overtakes.