The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-09-26
THE FAR WEST.

To The Editor Of The National Era:
DEAR SIR: Here am at last, in what but
few years since was the Far WestD How truly
do all things give indication of the westward ten
dency of the " path of empire But very few
years since, and trip to st. Louis was associated
with all the border tales Of bold adventure, with
q soyags 20 3ndiG, 6r1she circumnsvigatios OF thf>
globe Then if mothers son conceived so bold a
design, while her heart secretly swelled with
pride at this manifestation of q spirit on lSsS1
daring, she wept as she parted from him, and In
imagination saw the dreadful peris of his path
way passing in solemn procession before her.
Non, as the majestic steamer dashes in its path
way of foam through the rapid current of the
Father of Waters" nearing this whilom outpost
of civilization, you discover spread out before you
vast city-vast in its rapidly increasing popula-
tion-vast in its resourcesyast in it's future des-
TIMES "a mighty commercial heart throbbing
with healthful vitality, and apparently receiving
into itself the life blood of all the arteries that
permeate the vast organic system. 7hen, the
place where now write was the wild, unbroken
domain of Nature, where the untutored Red Man
roamed in his savage and primitive sovereignty,
monarch Of all he surveyed
Whose rights there was none to dispute"
NOM | find myself in fourishing young city,
containing about two thousand inhabitants, in
stinct with life and business the eastern outpost of
the vast {" Far West" through which population
is continually pouring itself into the plains and
mountains and gorges of New Mexico, Utah, and
California. All this westward flow Of these vast
life-streams of population, and industry, and en-
terprise, marks the occidental path of empire.
Yesterday morning, about two o'clock, the
peaceful slumbers of the inhabitants of this place
were broken by the cry of fre-a cry always
startling in village or country town, where such
- 90 k.xf thn anro
terrible in the present instance from its contigui-
ty to a still more dreadful element. The build
ing discovered to be on fire contained q consider
able lot of gunpowder, which ignited and explo-
ded with most terrific conclusion, shaking the
earth for several miles round, like the ground
swell Of an earthquake, ana startling mspy from
their beds in the greatest CONSERVATION. The
building itself was blown to atoms, scarcely leav
ing "a wreck behindo Many others in the Vi
cinity were seriously damaged in their walls, and
brick church, belonging to the new school Pres
byterians was shattered that it will have to be
taken down. One poor unfortunate, Mr.. Keen,
who imprudently went upon the roof, thinking he
could arrest the flames, was blown up with the
building, and, though shockingly mangled, sur
vved till about sunrise Fortunately, the pow
der was in the upper story Of the house. and hence
did not meet with any great resistance in explo-
ding ITSELF yet even as it was, three or four
buildings were almost totally demolished, num-
Der of others seriously damaged, and almost the
whole city bears some marks Of the terrible wrath
of the destroyer Fortunately, too, at the time Of
the explosion there were but few persons upon
the ground so that there no other loss Of life
but that of Mr. Keen.
The Santa Fee mail arrived last Tuesday. The
following summary Of news abstract from the
q Occdental Messenger of this place:
company Of the United States dragons had
had skirmish with the Apache Indians, at Khan,
in which one dragon and seven Of the Indians
were killed The Indians had had frequent
skirmishes with the Mexican hunters, but no
bloodshed The Pueblo Indians report that
they have seen the child of Mr.. and Mrs White,
in the hands of the Apaches They have been
by the authorities and citizens Of Santa
Fe to trade for it, at any price that may be de-
manded
From recent developments, it is believed that
Messrs Flournoy, Shaw, and others, who were
few months ago were murdered by
band of Mexicans and Pueblo Indians. The proof
is said TO be quite conclusive.
The August mail was met at the crossing of the
Arkansas river, a company of soldiers at Council
Grove, Aubry's train ~ miles beyond the lower
Cimerone springs, Colonel Dsvy's miles beyond
Los Vegos and DIR. Conelly's ~ miles from Sand
creek. Bufaloes quite numerous from Fort Mann
to Pawnee Fork. The weather had been dry, and
on many parts of the road q scarcity of water and
grass, not so great, however, as to produce much
suffering among the trains
The complete election returns for this State
give as the result