The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-10-09
NER PUBLIQA THOM,s.

oue is achieving a more extensive or deserved
poDularity than Mr.. Richardson. Long known
., a versatile and fascinating correspondent
Cor many public journals, his first venture
besore the public as an author was in that
work Of thrilling interest, "Field, Dungeon,
and Escape" in which he detailed his ez-
rorionoes as q war correspondent, as pri-
sonar Of war. an occupant Of Rebel prison
bonses and an escaped fugitive, making his
NAV amid hair breadth escapes, through hun
dreds of miles Of Rebel territory, to the Union
lines. That story was well told, and the book
met with an immense sale.
In the work before us, Mr.. Richardson has
gathered up the "reminiscences Of ten years
life "beyond the Mississippi" He gives MS
much Of the early history Of Kansas and
Colorado; accounts Of trips across the CON
tinent; visits of exploration to Idaho, Montana,
Utah, Washington, and Oregon descriptions
OF mines and mining in all our new Territories;
accounts of the conception and progress of the
Pacific Railway; and, in short, a general and
exhaustive history of the most interesting, yet
least known, portions of our great country.
We have dipped into the book at random,
and have clipped here and there an extract for
our readers. Ia the spring of 1857, Mr..
Richardson settled in Kansas, where, even at
that early day, the vanguard OF freedoms
forces was entering upon the great campaign
which soon after shook the whole country.
Governor Walker had just entered upon his
administration, and was busily engaged in
promulgating to the people those fair promises
Of President Buchanan which were destined to
be so speedily and so ruthlessly violated. A
great convention at Topeka, on the 9th of
June, enabled our author to study '"The Free
State Men of Kansas in Council"
1t was held in the open air, and attended by
ave hundred people. Their Intelligence and
culture surprised me. Delegates in blue woollen
skirts slouched hats, and rough boots, with
brOnZed faces and unkempt boards, discussed
freshly'sprung questions with rare huency and
grace. The standard of speaking was higher
than had ever found it in Congress, Begsla-
ture, or national convention.
There was Robinson, the Free State Governor
who had been held O prisoner, for months, by
the pro-slavery authorlties-tall, sneWy and
bald, cold argumentative, and logical-a walk
ing embodiment of serene common sense, the
brake and balance-Wheel of his party.
There was Lane, uncouth and unscrupulous
jealous without convictions pungent, fiery,
magnetic, his keen, eager eye steadfastly fixed
his thin, wlry torn, and uttering bitterest de.
nunciations IN deep, husky guttuFals. He was
once Northumberland of Indiana. After
wards, while representative in Congress from
the same State he voted for the Kansas and
Nebraska bill. dead politician at home, he
came to Kansas to help make it slave State
But has bread never fell on the buttered side; he
was soon anti-slavery leader and major-gene.
raj of Free State forces in the field. If common
report was not a common liar, his domestic life
was shameless. The Border Ruffians declared
hat he them
until the first bogus" Legislature refused to
grant him divorce. He finally obtained the
decree in Court but was afterwards remarked
to his divorced wife, and lived with her until
his death.
A seemingly transparent demagogue, sooner
or later betraylng every cause and every
friend, he invariably claimed to embody some
great principle, and made the sincere, the
honest, and the earnest, his enthusiastic sup
poIters. In spite of his notorious personal
character he was twice elected to the United
States Senate. For years he controlled the
politics OF Kansas; even when penniess carry
ing hls measures against the influence, labor
and money of his united enemies. His personal
magnetism was wonderful, and he manipulated
Men like wax.
Like John wilkes he had a sinister face, plain
10 uginess; like him, too, he could talk
away his face in twenty minutes, nattJlng
every recognized rule of rhetoric and oratory, at
will he made men roar with laughter, or melt
into tears, or clinch their teeth in passion, In
war times the Free State soldiers, halfstarved,
ragged and toot-sore, often grew weary of fight
ing the MissouTians, and the power and the
patronage of the United States Government, and
declaring that they would go home to their suf-
tering families and neglected corndelds, and
IeaVe the great question to settle itself. Then
Lane would mount the nearest barrel or dry
goods box, make a ten-minute speech and con-
elude amid shower Of cheers for free Kansas,
The Topeka Government and "Jim Lane" with
his hearers begging him to lead them against
the enemy,
Repeatedly the United States Marshal from
Lecompton with an armed posse at his heels
Ralloped into Lawrence with a warrant foI
Lane's arrest. But the Lawrence people were
miracles of heroic Teticence. The first person
asked would perhaps reply that he ''never heard
OF any such man. Another would report him
''gOne down South" A third saw him an hour
ago, but thought he was now over upon the
reservation. Then young man with revolver
at his side would step up and demand graVely:
Halo Marshal looking for Jim Lane ?"
eyes; where is he."
'Just left town. / saw him start for Iowa
ten minutes ago with q twelVe-pounder under
his arm,n
Amid the derisive laughter which followed
the angry officer and his posse would ride home
wards. Before they were fairly out of sight,
Lane would come strolling leisurelyup Massa-
chusetts streets, wearing the old black bear-skin
oVercOat which envelOped him winter and sum-
mer, and asking II anybody had heard gentle
man IRON Lecompton inquiring for him
There was Phillips resident Tribune CORES.
pohuehII OF Scolch birth, restless-eyed, agile as
= deer, able TO out-travel any horse In the 'Terri
AOry, an invaluable scout, calm, with snnnressed
eRrnestness, integrity personided whose terse
compact words exploded from his ljns lilyo -