The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-08
THE GHOST OF A RIVER.

This is not poStoffice, or town. 1t
is the home of Mr.. Mcdonald, one Of
the finest men in the territory and one
of the most prominent. This lies on
the wooded banks of the Little Robe,
and is one of the prettiest hooks in the
county 1t was picked as a residence
on account of politics. 1t was in this
way-for Mr.. Mcdonald told me to-
night himself. He was living in FL
Reno in 1892. Before that he had
been pioneer. He was an early set
tier of Allen county, Kansas, and
knows the SCOTS, the Funstons. the
Stovers and the others over there.
Then he went to Kiowa during the
days of the range, and mingled with
the Flynns, Leahys, Overstreets, Nc
Meals and all the men Of Barber, who
have scattered over the nation in order
not to conflict with one another in
running for congress. But avoiding
divergence, in 1892 Mr.. Mcdonald was
in Ell Reno. He is a Republican. In
tha. year the government passed solely
into the hands Of the Democratic party,
and he felt In his bones that trouble
was coming for the nation. He cross
ed 1be Cheyenne and Arapahoe cOun-
try, and although it had been some time
before opened to settlement he found
here a beautiful tract of land, where
he has settled down in perfect comfort,
safe from the gripes and horrors of
contracting times.
At sunup this morning we left Blaine
county. The level prairie rises in the
west, undulates and finally breaks into
great rugged hills, very nearly noun
tains. AS we travelled westward
through the sand which draped the
spokes of the wheels with a yellow
mist in hollow and on hill, we could see
these great hills to the west cushioned
in the hazy, languorous blue of an in
definite horizon. The wind swept
across the rusSet prairie, and, away
out and up against the dim blue hills
winding mists of sand arose, twirled,
turned slowly, lifted and sank again,
like steam from a lazy pot over a low
fire. For hours l watched this singu-
lar scene. This dance of the ghosts
of a dead river extended for miles.
Later when we came up TO the South
Canadian river, and watched the wind
wheel and career along its arid, parch
ed bed Of bleached sand, l realized
what a majestic dampneSs there is
about Wichita's despised raging Ar
kansaw, if it is only properly contrast
ed with other streams.
Everybody fears the South Cana
dian" This is what I heard from
''Kes' as l looked on its desolate sur
face. This river is five times as wide
as the Arkansas is at Wichita, and in
it there is no evidence of present, FL
ture or past humidity. 1t is absolute
ly river of sand, so fine that it almost
moves of itself like water down grade.
1t is Quicksand, very very light and
the wind Sits it ceaselessly day and
night.
And yet Everybody fears the South
Canadian" For at times, without
warning, of undiscoyerable origin, Of
unparalleled ferocity, a great wall Of
water will rush down this bed of sand
and swell the river 10 its full course.
1t is not bridged, of course. But woe
betide the traveller who is caught on
the wrong side of this stream after n
"wave," and has to trust his horse to
its insubstantial hungry sands.
The Flynn campaign is guided care
fully over the territory. DR.. McGin-
mis-. of TalOga, drove fifty miles out Of
town to greet Flynn and show him the
way into d county. DR.. McGinnis
used TO be register of deeds and MEM
Der of the legislature in Butler county,
Kansas. McGinniS led the way and
Flynn followed At noon we found
Maxwells. We drove in for dinner.
The Maxwell family is from Mt Hope,
Sedgwick county. They have the first
copy of the Wichita Eagle ever print
ed They have taken the paper TWEEN
ty-four years. 1t is a fine family.
Three splendid young men, Mrs. Max
we'll and Mr.. Samuel Maxwell gave US
a warm welcome. While the dinner
was being served, one of the boys play
ed the violin and the other the organ.
Mrs. Maxwell is finely educated, and
has written much poetry for the Eagle,
under the name of "Memosa." Mr..
Maxwell is a hearty old gentleman,
who having put by a pile for his old
age, lost it all in a Wichita bank, has
come out here cheerfully TO start in
again.
The boys all seem to enjoy it. They
drive twenty miles often 10 make an
evening call. and while, as Mrs. Max
well remarked. love will find a way,
it is TO the destruction of the Maxwell
horses. The Maxwells are very happy.
Mrs. Maxwe,fS principal objection TO
the country is its poisonous insects. the
cenripede and the scorpion. Neither