The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-08-20

river for the first ten or twelve years
after he came here during the months
when there waE no high water was two
to five feet. The river then was 500 to
/, 200 feet wide. The water now has re-
coded, and the river has become narrow
to the extent of one-half Islands and
~sandbars ure larger and more numerous
THAN formerly. This change was first
noticeable about 1890. During the past
ten years, witness said the river fire.
Quently had been so dry that one could
walk across it dry shod with slippers
on. This change came It's
effect on first and second bottom lands
had been to impair its productiveness.
A conviction due to years experience
led the people to believe there was a
subirrigation of the soil. The decrease
in the productiveness of the soil in the
matter of corn raising, which amount
ed to fully one-third had convinced him
| hat this theory was correct. This SUBJ
irrigation was strongest near the river,
but might be seen as far as ten miles
from it. Formerly, corn could be raised
with little rainfall and now it could not.
| Witness said the subirrigation had now
disappeared entirely. He thought the
water had been taken by the people OF
Colorado and never found its way back
! int the river again.
The crop most affected was corn. A
good crop of corn during the first ten
years witness knew the valley was
from so to rs bushels per acre. while
now 40 bushels is as good a yield pro-
portionately as go. s h was ten years
ago. The price of corn during the hrst
ten years varied. Witness had paid an
average of about Is or 16 cents per
bushel. The price of corn has since
been higher. --.4-4z
Witness said the land during the first
ten years produced more corn than
now, although farmers at present gen
orally employ better methods or cultl-
walton. The price of land Is higher pc
| cause of better markets, better trans
| pnrfo tiOn facilities and the demand lOT
land.
The next witness was c. P. Pulling
ton, who said he had lived in wichita
thirteen years. PriorNtO that he had
lived in Kiowa county ten years and
had been engaged in the cattle business.
He owned cattle ranches in Kansas anu
Colorado from 1881 to 1883. He was
we'll acquainted with the
valley from Hutchinson to the Colo
RADIO line, and fairly well acquainted
with the valley between Wichlta ana
Hutchinson. The valley of the Arkan-
sas in Sedgwick county was said by
witness to be in places fifteen to TWEEN
ty miles wide This valley includes
first and second bottom lands In
Reno county h average was ABOUT tne
same as in Sedgwick county. West Of
this it gradually grew narrower until
it was not more than three miles wide
at the Colorado line, though in places
it was often ten miles woe. MltnesS
said the first county of Colorado west
of the Kansas state line was practlcal-
ly arid and that it would not produce
crops without irrigation, satehre was
no rainfall that could be relied upon
for this purpose. In the sos witness
said the average depth of the water i'll
the Arkansas river near the Colorado
line was two to five feet and 500 to
1000 feet wide at Garden City. he
said the flow of water in the river our
ing the past ten years was less than
formerly, and that frequently cattle
men We're compelled to move up or
l---- 4h4 .f~1ann ~ nTOGJ1TR water for
their. cattle.
Witness said there was sheet water
the full extent of the valley and that
twas farther from h surface than
formerly. This injuriously affected
corn, kafir corr and possibly vege-
table and wheat: Alfalfa being a
deeper-rooted plant probably would
not be affected seriously
Witnees was cr-oss-examined by Mr..
Rogers He said the population of
Comanche county where he first To-.