The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-01-15
AN OUTSIDE VIEW OF EMPORIA AND
SOUTHWEST KANSAS.

w. b. Stone, correspondent of the
Kansas City Journal Of Commerce, who
visited this section of the State few
weeks since thus records his impressions
in a recent number of that paper:
The country south of Topeka and
around Burlingame is rolling prairie,
most of it underlaid with limestone.
strata of which crop out on the slopes
and render them Valueless except for
grazing. From Burlingame to Empo-I
ria the country is similar, except less
stone as you approach the latter place,
and land better adapted to raising small
grain.
The settlements are considerably sep
arated from each other, there being none
except on the creeks until you near the
Neosho river in the vicinity of Empo-
ria, where there are plenty of FARMS
many of them being large and well Gull
tivated. Who has not noticed that ev-
| cry emigrant 10 the State, whether from
/ New England or Posey county, must
| see the Neosho country before casting
anchor; and many, very many, find
/ their way to Emporia, the thrifty COM
mercial metropolis of Southwestern
/ Kansas. The town is very prettily laid
out on the prairie about one mile south
of the Neosho, and claims population
| There are two first class Touring mills,
one run by steam and the other by wa
| ter. The water privileges on the streams
near here are said to be inferior to none
i'll the east or west.
The county court house is very re-
spectacle stone building, giving ample
mmodations for present uses. There
are four church buildings: two Congre-
gational, one Methodist and one Christ
ian, besides several religious societies
that have not houses of their own. The
National, the principal hotel, is two
story stone building, but not being COM
pleted yet renders it impossible to make
it an inviting home for travellers.
/ In the evening l called at the Office of
The EMPoRIA News, and found friend
Murdoch, editor al interim, an agree
able gentleman to whom [ am indebted
for several courtesies. The NEWS is
a live paper, and radical to the core.
We were pleased also to meet our for
mer fellow townsman, w. NJ. Wicks,
who is gay and happy as ever, and in
partnership with Mr.. Frederick is about
to open an agricultural house there.
Success to them.
EmpOria is destined to become one of
the most important points in South
western Kansas. and already several
railroads are making it point in their
lines. The Atchison, Topeka 81 Santa
Fee railroad, and road from Junction
City both intend to make this point,
but the business men are sharp enough
to know that their only hope is in their
connection with our city. State pride
is very good thing for Leayenw oFth
papers and ancient maiden ladies to
!, talk about. but shrewd business men
will go outside ofth State to buy goods
If there is a better market. All our
merchants have to do, then, is to make
better market, which our superior IA
cilities for sgetting goods enables us to
do, and every Kansas merchant will
come.
Eastward from Emporia, Neosho Rap
ids and Ottumwa come in succession,
with very good settlements around them
and excellent soil, but not improving so
fast as that east or west. Each consid-
ers itself on direct railroad route from
Kansas City to Galveston, Santa Fe, or
some other point, and we could wish
that all could be gratified.