Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-10-31
EVENING STAR.
FROM WASHINGTON TO THE FAR WET

~. Jo'' to TsPeka-The Union P-,c;s;c
Railway. Eastern Divisiea-Matts r. and
things ia hansas-Leavenwortb -
renee. Topeka, Kansas City,
Editorial Corr spondence of tho S,,r1
TOPEKA, kansas, Sept. 25. IeeS.-ws I.f,
st. Joseph, or rather "St 10 - IIissonr, 80
60 this morning for tais plaes.. coming nv
railroad VIA Leayenworth A. Iesva,yo,,n
we hrst made the acqsaintancs. of the Kansas
"Unlon Pacihc Railway, Eastern Division
The Union Pacific Railway, Eastern HI
vision.
tbs Toad runs due West from the Missouri
river, aEd following the vs,Iey of the ..kausas,'
Nav, or Smoky Hill" (Which are three
hailes 'or the sarse riyeT,) reaches its present
ermihation near she site of the military n,st
Oh Fort Wallace, 3S5 miles from IN. Missouri
TNer. As explained In a former letter. il is the
present plaa of the Company to CHANCE the
CrectlOn OF teeIr line 10 the Pacific II the
southwest, through Colorado, New Mexico.
Arizona, and Southern California 10 San
Francisco. II is cl,Imed for this route tn tho
Pacific that 1t goes around rhe mountains in
stead Of over them, as in the case eff the
Nebraska Pacific Railroad, and that that the
hlghest pont crossed (sbost 30 miles south of
Santa FD, is bu> 7,l36 feet above the level of
the sea. Also, Tlat the places where the max.
mum --ade PERMITTED by law tor the Pacific
Railroads (10S feet TO the mile) are not mora
thah Two or three, and of no great extent 1t
Is msntaneS, also, that this route will avoid
ootn the figh mountain grades and the
heavy SHOWS of the Northern line by vav
OF Salt Lake City and across the Sierra
Nevada; hat the road will develop the
large resources of New Mexico and Arizona
and Will touch the tide-water of the Pacific at
at least tvo important points before San Fran
cisco is reaehed-the head of the Gulf of Cali.
fornia, and San Diego, on the coast OF south rn
California, four hundred mules south of San
Francisco.
Inat this road will ultimately be built there
can % little doubt, but that it will get Govern
mem alu ioi scme Yeas to come question
aoie' Ihe manfrer in which the Union Pacific,
and Central Pacific roads are presenting their
DIS 10 Uncle SAM in items OF half a dozen
mllIIons clip is rather a staggerer to that inst
no" raiher inpecunioas gentleman, and he Is
not granting railroad subsidies so much as no
was Congress Will probably wait awhile
anu see new ITS protese, the Northern Pacific
IOau' pFOspers- Should il prove TO be imprac-
heaoIe 10 work that road during the winter
h'Ohihs Al consequence OF the SHOWS, the Kan
sas compely will be able TO put IN a stronp
claim IL behalf of their line TO the Pacific over
route lEat can be run with certainty every
day in me year.
That Government VIII surely and speedilv
money advanced to either and both the Pacific
reads, there can be no manner of doubt Yet
these big items Of millions for railroad sub
sidies make the Public Debt Statement monthly
mount up 10 such cures that the sum reauIred
10 put this road through TO the Pacific will be
apt 10 Tighten members.
character of the Road.
The read does net strike exc as IayoretIy AL
togethe- as the UniOn Pacific road. The re-
maIkably smooth running of that road is
missed The cars are by means equal TO those
on the Northern PaCInC, and the polite uni
formed conductors OF the other road are want
IHg. BHt the Iocal5usiness of the road up 10 this
point tTOpekal al least. l. much superior 10
that upon the more sparseIy settled Union Pa
eihc read. The country here is quite thickIy
settled, The railroad stations are villages of con-
siderable size, and the road passes Ii rough
cities Of the size OF LeavenwOrth claiming
3oGyO population, Kansas Gig 2O.GOO and Law
renee 5000. The cars are filled with passeug-rs
and there seems 10 be- good deal of freight
The marks upon the goods show, however
that ChIcagOIs here ahead of S. Louis, although
TINS line was intended Is a feeder for 81. Louis
Bui Chicago gets up exceedingly early wien
on the lockout tor trade. We met here a dis.
gusted runner for =. Louis book concern
who complained that he was completely TN
derbid by he Chicago runners, and that unless
he Was allowed more margin by his old-fogyish
house Ne might a. Well say home. This rs
about sample OF the way he competition runs
between the two cities.
The look Of Our passengers shows that We
baye got into "a country settled by New Eng
landers. The women wear spectacIes and read
the AtGHtic Anbiy- the men have the keen.
wiry look that marks the New Erglander the
world over.
Leayenworth
This city. situated on plateau we'll above
the turbulent Missouri, strikes US favorabIy IN
the hasty glance We able to give It, It's
well buIlt, mainly of brick, and has a whole.
some. stirring business look. As at st joe"
the amount OF wholesale business done here
rather surprises the stranger. The river bank
at LsayenwOrth is rocky, and therefore the
Missouri is not likely 70 play such pranks with
tts foundations As Al has wflh some other am.
bItiOus localities Its course. But Leaven.
worth must have bridge, she will not be
able 10 contend with her active down-riyer
neIgh5Or, Kansas City, which has a fine stone
bridge IN course ~ construction. and is thus
putting herself IN the direct line of the eonnec.
tiOn of the Kansas Pacific Railway and the
railroad connections east of the Missouri
Appearance of the Country.
leaving Ieavenworth for this point we pass
out at ORee upon the rolling prairie with its
rich black soil. The farm houses are the most
home-like and comfortable We have seen in
the far West. And Kansas strikes me on the
whole as the most desirable point for settlers
that have met thus far. The prairie is rich
but sufficiently rolling 10 save it from the tire.
some monosOny OF the level prairie The water
Is good, and the country in the vicinity Of It's
water courses. which are frequent, is we'll
wooded. The appearance of the people indi-
Gates that II is healthy State. and It Is claimed
that there Is not miasnauc swamp in its
BORDERS. The magnificent bottoms Of the Kan
sas rver seem 10 me the perfection Of farming
Ianoi ana WIN abundant and easily worked
stone magnetism iImestone) Al hand for fsuc.
ing and building purposes. When the 7siIs
square miles of this large and fertile Stats are
hIled up il needs no prophet to tell that il will
hgnre in the front rank Of our AgrieulturaI
States.
Kansas City.
Near Lawrence the Kansas Pacific Railway
forks, toward the Missouri river, one branch
(that upon which came up) running to
Lsayenworth, the other TO Kansas City. This
place (Kan sas C!ty) is in Missouri, just across
the Kansas line, and is situated on the south
hank Of the Missouri which here makes a great