The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1863-01-03

barren sands serves 10 eDcuWDer t0e travels
er and to break down his animals,
and the presence of hostile Indians" &c.
These would be good arguments against the
route. if they were true; but, unfortunate.
y. for onr neighbours logic, they are all
false. The route runs along the Smoky
Hill bottom only about fifty ihiles-fromS
Fort Riley to Salua-where it strikes of
on to Spring Creek, and. follows DIP that
stream to within few miles Of the crossing
of the Smoky Hill; after crossing the
latter stream, it runs near to Cow Creek,
until it reaches within few miles of Bio
Walnut, when it crosses over to that stream
and follows it up to within eight miles of
Pawpee Rock, at which latter point it unites
with the road from Kansas City; within
four miles of the Arkansas river.
All the streams we have named are fed
by springs, and contain water the year
round. The bed Of the Smoky Hill con.
tains large supply of water at the cross
ing, and is running Stream all the year
round for more than one hundred and fifty
miles farther west. For full ten out of the
past twelve months. the buffalo has been
seen, daily, on each side Of the road, in
countless thousands, from the Solomon to
the head of Walnut, and the editor would
find some difficulty in convincing these fat
beasts that the country which they possess
was destitute of grass and water. Up tc
Salina, the country is settled and well i'm
proved. Settlements also extend beyond
Salina, sparsely, to Smoky Hill crossing
There is not single mile Of continuous
sand road upon the whole route. The only
Indians met with on the whole route are
the Cheyennes, and although some of them
are inclined to steal, they are far less hostile
or dangerous to white men than the guer.
rillas who hang about Kansas City ans
infest Missouri.
A ID objection to the new route to Santa
Fe is, that " it runs along the alluvial bot
toms of the Smoky Hill and Kansas rivers
=" the Smoky Hill has to be forded twice
the Kansas once, both subject to sudden
freshets, characterized by mud, whilst the
various small streams north of the Kansas
river are crossed on toll bridges" We
quote from the Journal, and we ask the
reader to contrast these objections with
those first given. Here sandy, grassless,
woodless, waterlsss bottoms become "al-
luvial," the vaterless stream has to be
"forded," and the route destitute Of
water" is interected by "various streams"
which have to be crossed on bridges. This
is convenient. Those who do not fancy
our neighbor's dry logic can take his wet.
His argument is equal to any exigency
demanded By his case. His facts, however,
in this instance, are nearly IS fanciful as in
the first. The distance b. this route TO
Fort Larned is 275 miles-l0O miles Of
this, from Indianola to Salina, is over Kan.
sas river bottom land from three to seven
miles wide; the remainder of the road is
upon second bottom or upland. The Smoky
Hill river is fogdcd once, the Kansas river =
is not crossed at all-nary time. The soil
is " alluyial not sand-and like all we'll;
watered soil of that kind is prolific in gra|.
es of the best quality. The rivers aud
smaller streams are well supplied With
wood.
The third objection which our neighbor
has to the new route is its great length
that, it thinks. gives the old route decided
advantage. Let US look at this a moment.
The Journal admits the distance from that
place TO Fort Larned-the place where both
routes meet-to be two hundred and ninety
six miles. Now as the mail, and nearly all
the stage travel, and most Of the freight
taking that ronte, have to pass. at this
time, from the Hannibal & St. Joe Rail!
road, by way of Leavenworth, to reach the
starting point at Kansas City-the distance
between Leavenworsh and Kansas City
say thirty miles-may properly be added,
which makes the total distance 326 miles.
The distance from here to Fort Riley is
130 miles; thence to Fort Larned, 145
miles; total, 275 miles. Our road is
twenty .oue miles shorter than the old road,
and is a saving of full forty three miles to
three efourths tho freight and travel now
seeking New Mexico.
At this time there is q line Of mail
coaches running from this city to Fort
Larned, and line from Kansas City to the
same point. They start from the respec-
tive places on the same hour of the same
day. The coaches up the Kansas Valley
reach Fort Larned, every trip, from i've to
ten hours ahead of its rival. SomeEs% or
other, the mail is divided between them.
The mail is made up at St. Joseph daily.
The mail made up Thursdays at st. 20.
seph is started from here, reaches Larned
the next Sunday. If sent from Kansas
City, it reaches Larned just one year later:
The traveller who leaves Larned on We'd
nesday, by the Leavenworth coach, takes
the cars from this city on Saturday. The
traveller who leaves Larued on the same
d.v nv tbe Kansas CITY coach, takes the