New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-02

herd of cattle Just from Texas had been grazing
several yards from the road but at the last moment
they suddenly stampeded and tried to cross in front
of the locomotive The result was eleren killed and
wounded cattle six out of seven coaches thrown
from the track and three of them-baggage and ex-
s-cars-upsde down in the ditch, utterly wrecked
Until then l never comprehcnded the force of the
injunction Keep OIL the platform" The platforms
of all but the Pullman cars-which are unusually
strong-had shattered into fine splinters. Had the
Incident oyertaken us while we sat upon them STUDY
ing the scenery it is doubtful whether one OF inc
party would have escaped death or mutilatlon'
In ten minutes a locomotive and caboose arrived
from Laramie four miles distant, ana We Io"e
thher and took quarters in the large wellappolntcu
hotel of the railway company. The young LOW n.'
1900 people, and daily newspaper ino
is loycy-a green prairie Natered Dy INC DiB''
annie river and commanding fine views OF inc u.o
60 Mountains These great Laramie plains IoOO
feet above sea level really give good agriCui"iI -
Dro,nise 7 fouud an old Kansas frend-DI. H.
Latham Surgeon in charge OF the Union aCu0 iiC'
pital-epgaged in farming experiments. nc n"' IL
ric,ted a little tract and is raising caDDages, pOta
Toes onions, Spring and Winter wheat ana Oariey;
and TINS far they all thrive. In his Enclosure
stands n relic ofpast days, monument 1--we or slXteet
high Of white buffalo skulls with the horns still
ON The hospital yard is exceptionally pleasant
with growing trees and a fountain of clear mountain
water. In little pool young beaver dspOrts him
self and a coop hard by imprisOns two sDOw-white
eaglets What with pets patients, vegetables, de-
bahtful mountain air. and his Daily TRIBUNE,
which costs him IS cents week, Latham takes the
goods the gods provide him. Just across the street
n barefooted urChin showed us two infant cinnamon
bears, which play like monkeys, but when angered
already begin to give savage hints of teeth when
are to come.
BY midnight the wrecks had been cleared
avav and our one car which had not
left the track, came forward. Our demJohns re-
appeared with their contents at low tide The
smashed boxes of California fruit, too, had been
podsend to the Laramtes l wonder when they had
seen fresh apricOts peaches and cherries before!
This was the end of our ornamental travelling. We
attached our solitary sleepng-car to the rear OF
regular train, and came on to Omaha with lowered
plumes. Friends who went up the road to meet us
afterward reported that they found the most quiet
excursion party which had ever returned from the
plains The next morning woke with an aching
wrist which was unable to for three days; and
several other gentlemen felt similar indications Of
premature old age.
From Omaha l diverged southwark, via Council
Bluffs to Atchison. The Mississippi, running north
and south has few parallel railways in its immediate
vicinity But the Missouri, following the course OF
travel east and west already boasts one line on the
north bank up to Sioux City, nearly 500 miles
above ITS mouth; and another on the south bank, to
LeavenwOrth 800 miles The latter will soon be
completed to this place. and within year or two to
Nebraska City, hundred miles further.
Atchison has nearly 7,OOOpeOple, and aheavy trade
st will be a railway point of considerable import
ance Besides the two east and west lines along the
Missouri it has the Atchson, Topeka, and Santa F6.
which enjoys a valuable land grant, and upon which
south of Topeka 20 miles are already finished. The
Central Branch of the Union Pacific, too,
is completed to WaterUlle bund-
red miles west. There it was to con-
meet with the Kansas Pacific, but that road,
instead OF turning northward to Fort Kearney as
originally contemplated, continues due west to Den
vcr leaving the AtchisOn line with no outlet. The
Achison road received subsidy of $4,000 per mile;
and its managers claim that as they
have fulfilled their part of the contract
tile Government is bound, in good faith,
TO give them Western connection by continuing
the endowment for $50 miles further to Fort kear-
ney where they can connect with the Union Pacific
They aTere that the road is so well built that not
even Kansas freshets have ever destroyed single
Culvert The leading officers are Ralph NJ. Pome
ROW. President; William C. WetmOre VcePresdent
f. H. Nichols, Treasurer; and Thomas NJ Sother
Secretary all in the East and Col. o. B. Gunn
Superintendent and Major W. T. Downs, Land Com
missioner, both in AtchisOn. The local business Is
already large, and will ultimately become very
heavy Northern Kansas consists chiefly of high
n praries not so well tmbered perhaps as the south
ern counties, but exceedingly rich. For wheat
they can hardly be surpassed p bushels to the acre
is a frequent yield In regions just opened alons
the line of the road there wheat fields OF $50 an'
Us acres The market is westward to supply new
frontier settlers When potatoes sell in Atchson TO
40 cents bushel they may command 81 at Water
Vile The Company has just put $4,000 acres O
land into the market at from 81 80 to go per acre
payable in installments running through ten years
Immigrants are pouring in Illinois, perhaps II
sending more than any other State her people com
plain of being fenced in. and push westward fol
moro elbow room. They select high prairie instead
of bottom lands, as it is favorable for fruit.
With Col Martin. editor Of The Champion,
rode out to visit some friends ten miles west
Of Atchison Along the Missouri and smaller
streams vegetation is almost tropical. On the
praries the most popular fence is of Usage
orange hedge will turn cattle in three years.
NUSerymen set ont the young plants and take
care of them until fully grown; one in Atchi
son has enough already coming forward to pay him
$4,000 when they are matured FarmhOuses here,
throughout Kansas, are nearly all white in Cali
fornia. they are almost invariably dark! Why is
this thusW
The Kansans speak of a mans quarter rather
than has farm quarter sectlOu-lGO acres-is Just
half mile square. Hound my friends upon their
quarter" which is fenced in upon all sides. and
co1monds snlendid svyeen ~ green TnlIino
prairie with dark belts Of timber along the
streams. IL is so uniformly good that there are
not probably in a body half dozen square feet
of unprOductive soil They living in their large
Barrymore comfortable than many houses in the
new country,-lmtil their dwelling shall be com
peted; and their children wax ruddy and robust m
the pure air Of the praries Breaking the virgin SOL
costs g per acre. If this is done in Summer, corn
may be planted upon the sod, the next Spring. The
mil bas mi oi aeT III their