Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1868-08-11
ONE HUNDRED ANO SIxTY.FlvE
MILES THROUGH KANSAS.
Observasson. ON the Rontc.

Eos DExscaAr The emigration to
Kansas is some thing astonishing hse'' +
hamlet, county and state, seems 70 oe con-
tributing its proportion TO swe'' the mighty /
tile. aud transform unculfircd WASTES MO 4
productive dads aud thriving villages -
Having seen somewhat OF This far-lamed I
land, II has occurred to Us tia, few orie'
desrr;ptons, and random notes by the 3 Hy- !
al might be VI benefit 10 those Of your |
section vino may be medta,ing move "
this direction. Therefore, without system
and in an Of. hand manner, We propose 70
tell you what ~ have seen, and OF our W.
rious impressions along the route. On the
9th Of July we took our departure ITO"
your goodly city, southwark bound. LUG
most direct route TO Kansas. and the cheap
est, Is by way ofths Hannibal & st. Joseph
Rsslroad. A desire to plough the wavesoi
tho "Big Muddy" however, impslled US to
81 Louis. which We left on the evening. of
the nth, bound for Kansas City. For 1--WE
days we voyaged up that turbid stream,
crammed in alright state rooms or roast
ed IN the sultry cabin, devoured by heat.
mnsketccs, and famine, and surrounded by
as rough a crowd Of travellers as ever gath
cred in motley crew in this vale Of tears.
There were trappsrs, traders, sharks, spec
ulators, thieves and gamblers, bound for
every point in the far West Never take
passage on steamer Of the "Omaha Line"
il you value good provender and the reposs
Of a respectable stomach. Nevertheless.
our hArdships were fully compensated for
by tho variegatcd scenery which adorns
this mighty tributary Of the 'FashsS Of
Waters" We were astonished that such
grand, Wild views exist - close within the
snvirons Of civilization. In some localities
The rocky craiss rise psrpsndlcularly from
the water to the height Of one hundred and
ffty feet. frowning down upon the specta-
tor like the storn. beaten walls II some old
feudal castle. And anon their rugged front
10 broken BY deep, dark glens, At right an
giles with the food. and seemingly formed
by some vast volcanic eruption, whore
"sunless shrubs must wesp," comp stsly
hidden from the light Of day BY impcnstra-
bic foliage. The poet who sighed for
"somc boundlss contiguity Of shade"
might here find noble realization of his
desire. Then succeeded delightful rural
scenes, grit by fertile farms and gathered
harvcsts. where one could almost wish to
pass his days. without . farewell word to
the busting world which pssssss on these
romantic confines. But Missouri is moi
our theme. Alter varied haps "by flood
famine, and sand bars" We reached Kansas
City on the morning Of the 10Th. Not de
string % monopelize too much space, VI
omit description Of this rapid city, with
its crowded avenues aud $40, 900 lots. Or
the morning Of the nth We took tho car,
for Lawrence, 80 miles distant. Wyandotte
two miles above kansas City, on the Mis-
sour. is = beautiful place. nobly situated
and not less nobly constructed, but 10 fas
being overshadowed by its more progress
ivorlval Westward thence, our cours
lay through one hundred thousand acres o
productive lands, owned by the last rem
Z nRnts Of the Delaware Indians, who, lik
. their boundlcss heritages, are fast dissp
, pesrlng before the breath Of far reachin,
CIVILIZATION. Lawrence is the mex. oblec
Of interest. Here, on the banks Of the er
ratio ksw, rises n city not quite the s,zs o
Davenport built upon plain which HEAVIER
: l sssms TO have designed for its present use
and surrounded by a. fertile a stretch o
country as ever gaddened the eye Of homes
toll. Your readers will doubtless rsmsn
J. Der tina, on the 2lst Of August, 1863, j
Was sacked, aud utterly destroyed By fire
4 by tho goddess Qlantrcll, whose barbsri
ties exceeded even those Of the sAvayes o
: the prairies, who heard the tale Of horror
with wonder and astonishment. Yet
. phanix like, it has arisen from its ashes i,
renewed beauty, destined for long career
| OF prosperity aud Importance. Eieganil,
o constructed OF stone, and situated on Nj
. Dread, stands the State University. over
+ looking The fair city 1t ornaments. Its en-
| doNment is forty thousand acres OF lau j
and fifteen thousand dollars in cash Al
Lawrence the Pacific road is crossed BY tn,
) road now being built from Leavenwor,h te
2 Galveston, Texas. Among its prncipa
attractions to the weary traveller is the + d.
ridge House, one of the best hotels west O.
the Mississippi. As we have retired FROM
the editorial profession, and are now pay
ing our bills. the reader can rely on our as
settion.
| On the 18th, after striving in vain to
strike fair bargain with a gang OF horse
jockeys. for tae purchase Of some ponevs.
three OF us hired driver to put us through
to tho line Of the Indian Territory, in =
covered light spring wagon. drawn bv a
pair Of sleek mules. At noon we started
southwark, on 4 trip of one hundred and
sixty five miles over the prairiee Of Kan.
sas, and through what is acknowledged TO
be the best pot tion OF the STATE. We were
everywhere informed that the country west
Of Topeka is troubled with such . dry soil
and climate that agricultural pursuits in
that quarter will soon be admitted As al
most out Of the question.
The lauds advertised SO extensively bv
this branch of the Pacific railroad are Of
such . character that VIC would adyiee no
resident OF Iowa to dispose OF his effects
with = view Of settling in this region until
he has first personally surveyed the f1eld
A ride Of . fcw miles brought Us TO Wacar.
usa rivo.r, where coal has been siissovered IN
thin veins. but where no profitable MINING
can ever be done, assertions to the contra
~ twithstandng By the word river. .
when applied to Kansas streams, the read.
Or must not understand that We mean q
lordly body Of water, "whsreon q thous.
and ksels might ride but . rushing.
} raging Hood one quarter Of the year, and .
succession Of sickly looking goose ponds
the balance Of the period. Just now resi-
dents complain Of having had no rain for
nearly . year past.
Our first camp was looked forward 70
with many fond snticipations, - recalling
. Thousand reminiseesss Of the "tented
tisld," and Of the big wars which make
abolition virtue Of the neishing stsed. the
shrill trump, the spirit stirring drum. tho
ear piercing fife. the royal bsnnsr, and al
quality, pride, pomp, aud circumstance OF
glorious war, with ita mortal engines whose
rude Threats, the immortal Joves dread
clsmours counterfeit" By half past four,
on the following morning We were on our
| way, and At three o'clock IN the afternoon
halted, having passed the line Of Douglas
County, and penetrated to the center of
franklin. The scenery along our route
challenged unbounded admiration, a MAJ.
nihccnt rolling prairie spreadipr on everv