Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1898-09-21
The West on a Wheel.

SON~ y" " hSOOihS AtAAO
as the train hurries by, a carriage is
too slow a mode of travel for the
average nineteenth century man, but
the wheel, the happy medium of the
two, affords the most pleasant means
OF seeing and enjoying a ride over the
country. Having spent a large part
of my summe vacation out West,
will now for the benefit of the readers
of HE REPUBLICAN write a brief &C
count of that country as [ saw it on a
wheel.
Leaving Kansas City, Mo-, early
last July, my route lay along the
Kansas river to Topeka, thence south
west to the Arkansas, and up to the
mountains. Along the Kansas river
l found the country quite billy, but
on leaving it no more hills were en-
countered until the mountains were
reached, where of course the land
again became very unbroken and rug
ged. Western Kansas and Eastern
Colorado have excellent roads for
wheeling. The land is perfectly level,
the roads are hard and smooth, and
is very seldom caught in a rain
storm or obliged to lay over on &C
count of muddy roads. We're it not
for the strong winds which blow there
almost constantly this section of the
country would be the ideal spot for
the Wheelman.
Easterl Kansas is we'll wooded
with various kinds of trees, among
them being the oak and walnut.
Many orchards of apples, peaches,
pears and other small fruits have been
set out; large fields Of corr covering
acres of ground are planted, with some
grain, chiefly wheat, to be seen here
and there, but the large wheat fields
of Kansas lie further to the west in
the central and vest central portions
of the state. Harvesting commences
the latter part of June and lasts for a
period of three or Jour weeks. The
grain is cut with both the binder and
header, some %preferring the former,
others the latter.
In the extreme western part of Kan
sas, reaching from Dodge City to the
state line, but little or nothing is
raised. Wherever water can be OBJ
tanned for irrigation a few farms may
be seen, but that is all. The chief
business Of the people is grazing.
In some places section pastures are
fenced in, but the greater part of the
land is open and the cattle are al
to roam at will over the plains.
Western Kansas was at one time a
part of the Great American Desert"
and it still is in my estimation but
little better. The country is very
populated and away from the
one ees no houses at all. | re-
collect riding a distance of twenty
miles in one place and passing only one
house, the home Of a herdsman. No
trees, no houses, nothing but an I'M
broken tableland covered with buffalo
grass and sage brush until a small
town was reached, where I again well
coined the sight of human beings.
The little town of Coolidge, situated
about two miles from the state line,
was my last stopping place in Kansas. !
A huge pole covered with the initials
and names of people marked the spot
where Kansas ended and Colorado
commenced. Away from the river Colo
RADIO is just as barren or even more so
than western Kansas, but the river bot
which possess a fertile soil and are
under irrigation make a very rich
farming country. The land adjoining
the little town of Rocky Ford is as
pretty a farming country as one
would desire to e Acres and acres
of fragrant alfalfa are grown in the
vicinity, seeming the air for miles
around. This plant, which resembles
sweet clover somewhat, takes the
place of our red clover as feed for the
cattle. It is claimed to be lust as
fattening and yields from three to
four crops in a season. But the Ford
is more famous for it's melons. Some
three thousand acres are planted in it's
vicinity. Both water and musk melons
are grown, but by far the greater acre
age is planted with musk melons or
cantaloupes as they are called. AL
falfa honey is another product of
this region, SO named because the bees
gather their sweet chiefly from the
blossom of the alfalfa.
The uplands of the Arkansas river
are the homes of the little prairie dog.
Some of the villages of these little
animals are miles in width aud contain
thousands of occupants. On my ap-
proach they would scamper for their
holes in whole companies and regi-
ments, and when safe within their
breastworks they would turn about,
stand up on their hind legs and bark
until | was within a few feet of them.
when with a farewell yelp down they
would dodge underneath. Many owls
are to been flying about over the vii
lagos Of the prairie dogs in the even
ing, and | believe that the familiar say
ing that prairie dogs, owls and snakes
are all found living together in the
same hole is no myth.
At night farmers are often dis
turbed by the bowling of the coyote
or prairie wolf. These animals often
raid the poultry yards and sheep pens
and in many counties a bounty is