The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1867-09-13

Eight miles drive brought US to lola
I county seat of Allen. Il is a nice it'll
village, in nice location, but full sever
miles east of the direct line of our road
} A drive of ten miles more brought US to
: the home of Colonel Goss and to a goo,
dinner with Mr.. Clark, on the left banl
: of the river. After dinner we drove [,
Leroy, reaching there about suu-doWu.
j Leroy is one of the most beautiful, i
T not the most beautiful town sites, We
D have yet seen in the valley. With west
D front upon the clear Neosho, and faukec
r by Crooked Greek on the south. aLC
D Long Greek on the north, each skirtec
with timber. with no bluffs in tine back
r ground, but the prsiries rising in gradua
undulations as far as the eye could reach:
e 1t is a place to look upon and be happy
D The town contains a population of
e about eight hundred persons, number
: of substantial business houses, Que or
Two churches. a good school house, a
newspaper, aud a number of residences
eViucing more than usual good taste.
The site was selected, in prospective.
more than twenty years ago. by General
Scott, then trader with the Sac-and-Fox
Indians. The town was laid out in 1856,
and its proprietors are permanent fixtures
of the place, or its vicinity, and like SEN
si5e men as they are, all firm friends Of
the Southern Branch enterprise.
We received a cordial welcome and en- :
joyed the hospitality of the citizens of
: Leroy for the night. At daylight, on
} Tuesday morning, under the guidance of
Mr.. Robinson. we examined the "ox-
bow" problem from its inneF-sde. The
examination did not result in the discov-
cry OF any formidable, natural obstacle to
bringing the road right up to the town.
The ground over which the road would
pass, lies above high water mark, and is
well adapted to railroad purposes. OF
course 1t IS a question of dollars and cents
with those who construct the road, and
every member of our party was sincere in
the expression Of the hope. and many in
the confident belief, that il would be found
economical to build the road through the
town as to build it any other way. The
people of Leroy appear to be energetic
and wide~awake. At present they are
exerting themselves to induce the Law
renee d Galveston road to strike the val
ley at their place, instead of lola. They
claim that they have better, shorter aud
cheaper route than the one via. Garrett.
They may be right in their theory; at all
events they are in earnest, aud have great
faith IN the potency of determined effort.
Al this point, Mr.. Norton, a director ia
the road, is improving one of the water
powers of the Neosho, by constructing
stone dam across the river, and erecting
hyuering and saw mills. The invest
meut cannot fail of being profitable.
Al eight O'Clock we resumed our wag-
ons and by noon made Ouumwa, another
of the towns of Coffey county. The peo-
pie here are friendly 20 The road, aud vo-
ted Tor the bonds, yet are respondent.
They are located several miles east of the
direct line of the route, and are fearful
that they do not present attractions sufi
Gent to induce a divergence of the road
from its direct course. The village con
tafns a population of one or two hundred
people, one or two business houses, one
hotel, aud as usual, a fine school house.
The town was laid out In 1856 by J. Z.
Cox, who. however, no longer resides
here. Mr.. Cox was one of the original
corporators of our road, and has rendered
it valuable aid in Washington, where he
is now in Government employ. We had
the pleasure of meeting General Kelly,
another early friend of the enterprise.
The General had returned but short
time before, from visit to the Usage res
erva.Io0, whittier he had accompanied
Gov. Crawford.
Stalking through the streets of the viii
lage, in all the dignity of free born ma
live Americans, were a few members OF
the SAGA Fox band Of Indians. Their
diminished reservation lies some fourteen
miles east of this place. They are
quite anxious to leave Kansas, and TO 10
cate nearer the hunting grounds of tine
West Should their treaty now pending
before TIE Senate be approved, their wish
will be gralifed. Their diminished re.
serve lies in the south part of Usage
county. and is nine by fifteen miles 10 ex-
tent. Il occupies for a considerable dis
lance, both branches of the Usage river,
and is most valuable agricultural laGd.
Resum'ng our drive, we made Neosho
Rapids by uightlalI. This is small
place twelve miles below EmToria. /:
lakes its name from fine water power or
TALL of the river, which appears to be well
improved. A this poiut we were within
FIVE miles of the Sac and Fox reserve.
Again taking the road at eight o'clock,
and passing through Forest Hill. and
crossing the NeosGo, we reached Empo-
ria, distance of ten miles, early 10 the
day of the 2Ist.
A meeting of the Beard Of Directors Of
THE Union Pacific Railway, Southern
Branch, Company, had been called to
meet at this place at P. NJ, of the 22d.
The mee,iug vas held. proposals for
building the road from Junction City to
the Usage line. made by the gentlemen
of our party authorized to make them,
the proposals accepted. the contract
agreed to, and signed. OF the proceed
, Iings before the Board of Directors, and
The Contract entered into, ii Is not the OBJ
iect of this running sketch to refer
, These are matters which will come be
! lore the public in due time in more su
= thentic form.
a Early Saturday moroiag the word i
given, to horse and away. We take tn
! back track up The N0osho. We reaches
: the Kaw Agency by ten O'clock. Thu
? time We find Major Slower at home. an
= more, we 6nd large portion of his DUSK
constituents on hand to greet as.