Page:Kansas A Cyclopedia of State History vol 1.djvu/106

 Kansas, or at least that portion of it, is situated over a subterranean body of water possessing all the qualifications mentioned by Hilgard for producing artesian wells.

With the knowledge that flowing wells could be obtained in western Kansas came a request for state aid in developing the field, and on Jan. 30, 1908, Gov. Hoch approved an act passed by the special session of the legislature, authorizing the county commissioners of Stevens, Morton, Grant and Stanton counties to appropriate from the general revenue funds of said counties not exceeding $5,000 in each county for the purpose of prospecting for and developing artesian wells. However, no money was to be so appropriated and expended until 160 acres of land had been donated to the county, and upon this 160 acres one or more wells might be sunk, such wells to be under the control of the county commissioners. No reports of wells sunk under the provisions of this act are obtainable.

Recent developments tend to show that the early experiments in artesian wells in Kansas were only comparatively successful or altogether failures because the drillers did not go deep enough. Most of the wells have gone no further than the first pervious stratum. Somewhere there is a source of pressure sufficiently strong to furnish an abundant supply of water if the stratum connected with it can be reached. In 1910 Ernest C. Wilson, formerly editor of the Richfield Monitor, in Morton county, developed an 8-inch well, over 500 feet in depth, which flows 2,000 gallons per minute and supplies enough water to irrigate a half section of land. If the same conditions hold good throughout the western part of the state, it is only a question of a few years until that section will be well supplied with moisture, the treeless plains will be sheltered by timber, and the "Great American Desert" will be a thing of the past.

 Arvoni, a little hamlet of Osage county, is in the township of same name, on the Marais des Cygnes river and about 12 miles southwest of Lyndon, the county seat. The people of Arvonia receive their mail by rural free delivery from Reading, which is the most convenient railroad station.

Ashcroft, a hamlet of Jefferson county, is near the northern boundary on the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe R. R., about 4 miles from Valley Falls, and 12 miles from Oskaloosa, the county seat. It is supplied with mail by rural route from Nortonville.

Asherville, one of the thriving little towns of Mitchell county, is located on the Solomon river and on the Union Pacific R. R. in Asherville township, 10 miles southeast of Beloit. It has a money order postoffice with one rural route, telegraph and express offices. The population in 1910 was 125. Asherville was the first postoffice in the county and also had the first store, established in 1867, by Hon. John Rees.

Ashland, the county seat of Clark county and one of the growing towns of southwest Kansas, is located a little southeast of the geographical center of the county, on Beaver creek and the line of the