The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-08
The Great Valley
Big Boost for Kansps
Nile in New York,


The correspondent who wrote the article
is little behind the times. His report
that houses were being moved into this
city from the outlying additions was true
of four years ago, but it is not true today
of course. The article in the Evening
Post is as follows:
wichita, Kan, March 26.-'The Ameri-
can Nile is a favorite name for the Ar
kansas river, and in many respects it is
apt. The same sluggish movement, the
same shifting sands are here; but most
OF all the wide, fertile valley, reaching
for hundreds of miles 10 the mountains
10 the Mississippi, makes it a fit image
Of its Egyptian model. Like the Nile
it furnishes sustenance TO the people who
reside along its banks and the trip along
side its bed over the course of the old
Santa Fe trail gives a marvellous picture
of western thrift and advancement
From the point where the ice-cold wa
ters come rushing from the mountain
gulches and begin their long, slow jour
ney across the plains there begins the
agricultural development Of the wide val
ley. The population of eastern Colorado
Is principally in the vicinity Of the Ar
kansas. The irrigatlng bitches begin their
theft Of the welcome waters soon after
1t passes busy Pueblo. At Rocky Ford
are the watermelon and canteloupe farms.
The farmers make large profits out Of this
product, as there has not yet been found
another combination Of sun. soil and
weather that will give such results. The
melon farmers almost mOno9olize this
district. and are extending their lands
each year as the demand for Rocky Ford
melons increases. Here, as in other parts
of the west, was an unnecessary boom in
the SOS, and the towns show the effects
OF it. The lesson Of steady growth had
TO Re learned. The ditch experiments
have proved generally satisfactory, and
along the river bottoms are well-tilled
farms. But back OF the bluffs on the
unwatered prairie is a blank, hopeless,
and homeless waste. with its surface un-
broken by sand dunes and odd hillocks-
the first outcroppings of the Rocky noun
talns, whose snowy peaks are lifted above
the western horizon.
Cattle and sheep are in evidence far
ther to the eastward. The form taken
by these investments is somewhat unique
pend on the wool. Indeed. wool is a sec
ondary consideration, and the shepherd
gives his best attention to putting on the
market choice spring lambs. which shall
bring fancy prices. 1t is no uncommon
thing to have the offspring pay for a flock
in single year when fortune favors.
Then there is the wool as a resource. and
always a few culls from the flock to add
few dollars. The breeding is for COM
bination Of mutton and wool that brings
quick and generous returns. The cattle
men also give much attention to feeding,
raising grain and 'roughness' in abund-
aEce, and shipping cattle from the prair-
les to be fattened. The winters are gem
orally mild, cattle usually running on the
prairie all through the year. When the
Billiards come great loss follows, but the
stockmen are learning to make provision
Long sheds may be seen alongside the
ranch houses, and on the southern edges
of breaks are placed shelters OF hay and
straw that keep out the fierce bitterness
Of the north wind. Several large cattle
companies, backed by eastern capital, are
operating in this way, and find the 1oca-
ton an excellent one.
Tit farther one goes down the river
the less is the volume of water-a peculiar
condition and one Of the uaryels Of the
Arkansas. IN fact, the Arkansas is a
two-story river one on the surface and
one oozing along far beneath amid the
sands. The lower river is the much-dis-
cussed underfow.' on it have spectators
based hopes, and in its deception have
fortunes been sunk. The entire body of
the river disappears into the under world
at times. TO reapDear again a few miles
below IL is theory that the bitches
only use the water temporarily, and that
1t finds its way back to the bed of the
stream again. Just now one can almost
walk across the bed of the stream in
We tern Kansas or eastern Colorado. A
half mile OF level sand, with the narrow
ribbon of the stream winding irregularly
across il is all that lies beneath the few
long brides that span the Arkansas.
Along next June, when the snow melts
in the mountains faster than the bitches
can or need use it, the nigh water viii
come d wall as of tidal wave. ushins
It's way down the long course and the
river viii be q tossing. muddy flood from
bank To bank. One of the favorite the
ofias of the underfi0w enthusiasts has
has been that by digging a ditch far
enough into the surface of The valley
alongside the river he'd there would be
secured a steady flow supply Of water.
The big irrigation companies of west
eru Kansas are nearly all in the hands Of
receivers. They have proved a losing ven
lures for the eastern investors. largely
because Of the lack OF water. The Colo
RADIO irrIgators robbed the stream, aud
only in time of freshet-usualy at the
time water was needed lasst-GiJ the
bitches Of the lower levels fill Much
work has been expended and all sorts
Of inducements have been offered 10 set
tiers. but The problem is an solved. II gh
winds drift the bitches full. and the tum-
BILE weeds make merry chase over The
farms Only a limited amount of land
can be supplied with water and this fact
IS becoming recognized. Windmill irri-
gators are numerous. and big jumbo mills
axe thickly scattered over the surface @.
the valley. These consist Of a tight board
fence around the well. perhaps ten feet
high Swung between opposite sides IS
q f1ur-fan. rough wood windmill, one-halt
It's surface being above the SOD of the
fence: the remainder. being below, is pro-
tected from the wind. The never-ceasins
breeze turns the upper fans. and the
pump IS steadily going. \ good mill can
he made for $, hence farmers are easily
supplied with sufficient water for STOCK
ana garden regardless Of the rivers su2-
Fly.
stock raising, with only grain enough
70, food IS the tendency IF tba west ar