The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-07-23


About two o'clock Friday, we were
on again. At six we crossed the Kan
sas City bridge OH one of the fine cars
of the Hannibal & St. Joseph road.
There is no use of any eul0gy on the
Kansas City bridge. II is a fine struc-
tnre, and don't look much like it would
fall down, as many Leavenworth iien
have said. The uncomfortable nuisance.
tile ferry boat, is among the things that
were. The bridge is a thing OF beauty
and a joy to every Traveller. We have
a sort of a notion that Kansas City
can never repay the efforts of Con-
gresham Van Horn and others. in her
behalf. That bridge will stand as a
monument to the enterprise and indie
fatigable energy of the leading men OF
Kansas City. Other towns. with much
better chances five wears ago. have not
got bridges across the Missouri. We
don't care If Kansas City is in Mis-
souri,, we are bound to wish her pros
perity. Let other towns turn their
eyes to Kansas City and see which
pays the best. quarrcling the year
round over whose friend shall be
City Marshall, or uniting ia the
kind Ofcflort that builds towns. There
are some men in Leavenw Orth who had
rather see the town sunk to the bottom
less pit than 10 see man friendly Ia
one of their enemies elected Justice of
the Peace. For several years Leaven-
worth has been quarreling over who
should have the little offices. and Kan
sas City has been building bridges and
railroads. LeavenwOrth is squirming.
If she can't do anything else, let her
squirm.
The ride over the Hannibal & st. 10.
road was mostly made in the night. The
road is smooth and in excellent order in
every respect. After leaving the river
a mile or so. we struck heavy rain and
travelled in it all night and most of the
next day. The crops III that portion of
Missouri which we saw are only toler-
able. There has been entirely too much
rain. Some of the wheat in the shock
will soon be ruined If it don't stop rain
ing. They tell US it has raincd here al
most constantly for n month. The
streams wdee all swollen.
We forgot to say, in the proper place,
that they have had much more rain in
the Kaw bottom than we have had on
the NeOshO. There is danger that much
damage will be done to crops. Below
Lawrence considerable of the track of
the road stands under water. I.cnape
looked like town i'm a lake. All the
houses were surrounded. and trestlc
work had to be built TO get to them.
One fellow was riding about the street
with the water over knee-deep to his
horse. y delightful place for a resi-
dence! Just after passing this town we
came to the scene of the late terrible dis
aster. The only wonder is that it was
not mach more destructive TO life. Two
cars were thrown down a considerable
cInbankment, and turned completely
upside down. We saw several of the
party at the Eidrige House, in Law
renee. They seemed to be very thank
full to get off so well. We understand
the accident was caused by the washing
out of a miserably constructed wooden
culvert, or bridge.
A little after daylight Saturday morn
ing we arrived at the Mississippi river,
Quincy. 1t was grand sight.
1t was within three feet of the high
water mark of 1851. and looked like a
vast sea. In fact for two or three miles
back the country over which we travel
ed was flooded. All the smaller streams
were OvcrfiOwn. The Quincy bridge is
Il ''hig thing" but big things sometimes
gin eout." and we could not help think
ing what a pretty fix we should be in if
we were let gently down" into the
mad waves below, amidst bridge tim
beers, broken ears. RATS of logs nearly as
big rs the EmpOria town site. DRIFT
wood, and thousands of big fish, for
which we would undoubtedly make a
desirable breakfast. Ugh! Excuse us
from much water. We don't want a
great deal of it ''in Ourn." We prefer
the dirt-sOncthing we can stand on.
Taking breakfast at Quincy, for which
we paid % cts, (tley don't know US
along this road, aud always collect be-
fore we leave the rOom), we mounted
one OF the excellent cars of the Chicago
Burlington & Quincy Railroad for a ride
of two hundred aud sixty five miles, to
Chicago. This Is. without doubt, the
best road in the West. The time made
is the quickest, and the comfort of pas
Scngcrs is looked after by all connected
with the road. The road bed is perhaps
the best in the West. 1t is made solid
with gravel and stone all the way. On
this trip we passed hundreds of wheat
corn, oat and clover fields, and can say
that il the fields of any considerable
portion of Kansas were in the same UNI
favorable condition, the Chicago, st
Louis aud other city papers would be
tccming sensation letters from reliable
predicting the starva-
ton and desOlation of Kansas. saw
thousands of acres Of corn not over four
to six inches high, with the weeds
choking its prccariOus existence, and
the water standing in the burrows Civ
ing it the dcatlf-like yellow tinge.
saw very few pieces between Quincy
and Chicago that will make over half a
crop. and certainly the great majority
of them will not make One-fourth of a
crop. The wheat is low la stature. and
has been badly blown down. The rains
have been SO incessant as tO prevent its
beim. cut. The little that is in the shock
is no better off apparently than that
standing. 1)ry weather would yet save
great deal of il. Whether this will
he granted by an all-wise Providence re-
mains tn liz Spnk Ii Nrns Sfill ,.ai,,in,r