The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1905-07-25
FROMP|TTSBURG
KAS. To Pixies
PEAK.
John Thomas Porter Writes In
tereStingIy of Travels in
Western States.
Editor Pensacnla IonrnaI:

Editor Pensacola Journal
Our next journey lay over the most
southern of the great network OF the
Santa Fe railroad syst ems and will
try to give your readers some idea of
just that part of like area of Kansas.
would suppose the addition, and ex-
tension of our great L. & n. by an
other line from Columbus, Ga, to Jack.
son, Alabama, and four cross roads
from points on the main line in Ala
bama to our four unsurpassed bays at
the gulf, and the map would then re-
semble a like area of the Santa Fe in
Kansas; and the tourist may take the
straight, or most circuitOus of these,
his business or pleasure suggests.
Our quest for men and money, for
West Florida in general, and Grand
Ridge in particular, led us through the
southern tier of counties. and to Medi
cine Lodge. as our first base of opera
tions. This whole section was almost
depopulated when the strip of Okla
hcma was opened up four years ago.
as many as forty families removing
from one church of that town. And
we have laid claim to several more for
Florida.
Good to Move From.
Most of this country seems to us to
be a good country to move from. It
is semi-arid, having less than half the
rainfall of Florida, and a soil so COM
pact and much of the high prairie
underlaid with rock, so chat the heavy,
dashing rains would run of, and could
rot penetrate but little below the sur
face because of the rock strata; and
hence is unfit for any grain crop ex-
cept wheat, which is matured before
the soil and grass is dried up. Here
we found a thermometer of a full one
hundred, and the air when stirring
as warm as the sun, ana the buffalo
grass already dry as in winter. There
are splendid people here and who
could bring money and energy, that
would soon make the hest of homes
for our dear southland. and if one
tenth the effort was being made that
was made to build up Kansas, and is
row being made to take these people
west, was made by us we could get a I
good share of them Ard here, Mr.. /
Editor, We regretted not having a thod-
sand copies of your Panama Edition"
with US. Such illustrations and infor-
nation as It will contain is what is
greatly needed, and that in great guam
titles.
The Arkansas Valley.
We then crossed the south half of
the state to reach the main line from
Chicago to Denver in The northwest
and San Francisco on the Pacific (the
line that "Scottie" made his wild
ride over last week. and from Arkan-
sas City to Pueblo our track followed
the Arkansas river. A beautiful val,
ley, and often stretching as fas as
the eye could reach over bleak. and
blank prairies; with few houses. and
large stock ranges. And often this
same high prairie would show project
ing lodges of rock, dividing the up
lands from the river bottoms: the
former too high for irrigation and less
productive than our most sandy lands
Of West Florida, except in grass. The
river is now nearly dry from the vast
system of irrigation bitches that put /
put to water the valley on each side.
On reaching Rocky Ford-the home (
Of the popular cantaloupe-we had the !
honor, and pleasure, of meeting Hon.
5 W. Cressy, water commissioner forl {
District No. 17-and Mr.. A. C. Conner. {
4 successful farmer and stockman tol !
whom We are indebted for much valu- {
able information.
Irrigation System.
The largest irrigation district of this :
liver head is between Pueblo to La
Iunta pronounced La-Hunta) a dis
.ance Of sixty-three miles and has
.hirteen (13) bitches or canals. the
argest and longest being the Fort
lyon canal, which is fifty-one feet wide
Ind one hundred and thirteen miles y.
eng, and irrigates fifty-five thousand
$4,000 acres of lands;i and besides.
ills the Great Plains reservoir. which
las the capacity of holding and fur. I
lishing water one foot deep. for water I
ng one hundred and sixty thousand (
'cres OF land. and supplies the AmitvI t
anal seventy-five miles long 4
These great irrigatirg canals are f
10 part of the government works so I
ately and largely undertaken. but !
we're built and are maintained bv mr. !
ate capital, and their use has brought !
Useless lands to be now valued ar from
twenty-five up 70 three hundred dol
ars per acre. The fall or decline NJ
he river at these points. is about I
even IN feet m the milo ~, 81, 4