The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1899-04-07
THE oRLEANs-sr. FRANCIS BRANCH.

Orleans, Neb., April Especial cor
respondence. The Orleans-St. Francis
branch of the Burlington is "strictly in
it" this season. Since the first of the
year there has been a snow storm every
week or ten days. The ground is frozen
to a depth of several feet and full of
moisture. virtually insuring a good gem
eral crop for the coming season.
Last year was a prosperous one. The
branch shipped over 1000 carloads OF
stock and 900 carloads of grain. Will
sonville shipped ont 442 cars of live stock
and sc cars in, a total of 53S loads. In
this respect it leads any other point on
the Burlington in Nebraska, Kansas,
Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming or
Montana. Arapahoe, in the same coun-
ty (Furnas), is the second station on the
Burlington in stock shipments. Hend-
ley and Wilsonville, only eight miles
apart, shipped out about 800 cars of
stock. If the Beaver valley for the 81
miles had been as we'll developed in
stock resources as in the vicinity of Will
sonville and Hendlev and the acreage of
alfalfa in the upper valley were as large,
the shipments of stock could easily reach
5000 carloads annually. Thousands of
acres in Rawlins and Decatur counties,
Kansas, along the Beaver, could be sown
in alfalfa. Experts of national reputa-
ton advance the opinion hat no soil in
the United States is better adapted to
the cultivation of alfalfa than the Beaver
valley. No matter how cheap the land
may be in its wild state, as soon as al
falfa is we'll rooted and a good stand Sc
cured it is worth SIS per acre.
Alfalfa sold this winter at from s. to
81 a tom. Three ton per acre is a conf
mon yield and oftimes four, and three to
four crops per season are harvested. AL
falfa land is invaluable and is not on the
market. Golden opportunities await the
enterprising settlers who will buy the
thousands of acres of alfalfa land. When
the Beaver valley is thoroughly devel-
oped, it will be the most famous alfalfa
belt in the world.
Farmers in Rawlins county. Kansas,
have made fortunes raising wheat dur
ing the last two seasons. Messrs. Dunk
ard and Watruss, north of Ludell, raised
1000 to 5000 bushels of wheat in 1897
and sold it for 81 or more per bushel. In
1898 they raised as many bushels, but
the price was lower. Twenty to thirty
bushels per acre during the last two sea-
sons has been a common yield for win
ter wheat. One field near Herndon
yielded 46H bushels per acre, last year.
In all the east or west. where is the land
that will realize S large a profit from
the investment? For instance, land
worth IS per acre producing $25 worth
of wheat is a common thing in Rawlins
county. 1t is a mystery why eastern
people will pay big rent, when the rent
money and other expenses could start
them on to prosperity in the wheat,
stock and alfalfa belt in Rawlins county.
M. T. Banta, Burlington route immi.
grafton agent, of Charitan, Iowa, has 10,
Gated seventeen families in Rawlins
county. He has charge of the Burling'
ton lands in Southwestern Nebraska and
Northwestern Kansas and is thoroughly
posted. Any contemplating locating
in this section should write him.
Settlers are locating rapidly in the
territory adjacent to the Beaver valley
Carload after carload OF Immigrant
are coming. Buildings are %springing up
corn cribs overlooking with the the king
of grains can be seen at every station
Twelve to fifteen train-loads of cattle ar,
being shipped to Atwood to feed, ant
this place is destined to become anothe
Wilsonville as a stock-shipping point.
Wheat land around Atwood has gon,
up to a premium. The sure cinch for
spring wheat crop creates a strife to Sc
cure rentals of vacant, cultivated lands
The acreage will far surpass that of an,
previous year.
Orleans is having quite a boom. Fou
business buildings will be built Their
this season. Orleans has the most beau
tiful and costly church between Denve
and St. Joseph. For architectural desigl
and artistic finish it would be an orna
ment to any city. The Burlington ha
had a gang of carpenters repairing thu
depot and platforms at this point. Pros
poets for the coming season are very os'
for the Orleans and Atwood country.