The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-18
TmROUGHTHE FAR WEST
".
THE TRIANGLE OF CITIES.
Kansas city, Lawrence and Leaye1-
Woftb-Thcir Rivalry, population,
Business and Prospects.
Editorial Correspondence
LEAVENW0RTH. Kansas, |
Sept. II. 1859. :

Sept. II, 1859.
The junction of the two branches
or the Kansas Pacific Railway with
the Missouri Pacific makes railroad
triangle. with sides nearly equal in
length. At each point Of the triangle
is situated an ambitious and rival
city. These three cities = Leayen-
worth, Kansas City and Lawrence
are oontending for the trade of Kan
sas, and aspiringto be the Commercial
Centre of this portion of the growing
West. The Missouri Pacific Road
passes from Kansas City, its last sta
ton in Missouri, along up the valley
Of the Missouri River to LeaVen-
worth. From Leavenworth and from
Kansas City, or rather State Line
just adjoining, the Kansas Pacific
sends out two branches to the west.
which unite at Lawrence, and thence
constitute the main trunk through
the centre of the State four hundred
miles to its boundary. A notice OF
these cities may not be without inter
est, and aid in better understanding
of locations and business in this re-
gion.
Kansas City, situated just across
the line in Missouri, was a eonsidera-
BILE river landing and business place
before the war. Since the close of
the war it has rapidly increased in
population and business, especially
during the past two years. Its citi-
zens make large estimates of its
enumeration, but it viii not number,
upon o faithful census, more than
twenty thousand people, aud will per
haps fall below that. 1t has q con-
siderable wholesale trade. Its rail-
road advantages are now greater than
those of either of the other places,
having good connections, East aud
West, Northeast and North, and q
road through the border tier of Kan
sas counties Is being rapidly pushed
South to Fort Scott and beyond. The
completion of the railroad bridge
across the Missouri River, Is counted
on largely by its citizens as a benefit
to the city. The site is very rugged,
aud a city can only be built at great
expense. The fact of its location in
another State will always operate
against it in securing trade from Kan
sas. If there were no commercial
reasons for it, political Influences and
legislation will always incline to build
up LeaYenworth to its injury.
Lawrence is beautifully situated on
the south side of the Kansas River,
in valley, protected and partially
eneircled by high ridge or success
sion of hills. The Pacific Railway
lies on the opposite side of the river,
with which easy connection is had by
means of a substantial pier bridge.
Lawrence is emphatically the Yankee
town of Kansas, being originally set
tied by Massachusetts, colony, and
is made up more largely of New
England people than any other large
place in the State. 1t is neatly built,
more compactly settled than most
Western towns, and its principal
street presents quite an air of bust
ness. 1t Is the seat of the State
University, has good public school
houses and churches, and has every
appearance of intelligence and refine
ment. 1t is pre- eminently the his
toric town of the State. In the days
of bleeding Kansas, when border
ruffianism was rampant, Lawrence
was the centre of free State influence
aud defiance, and was constantly IN
condition Of danger and alarm. Dur
ing the rebellion, in 1868, Quantrell' 5
band of guerrlllas, by a bold and
stealthy march, captured the place,
burned the entire business portion Of
the town, including almost all its best
houses, and perpetrated one of the
most parbarous massacres known
IN any civilized warfare. But
with wonderful recuperatiye power
and CELEBRITY the city has risen from its
ashes in a much moro substantial
manner than before. ItnoW numbers
about ten thousand people, althougb
ITS citizens have the numbers mncb
higher. Its wholesale business Is
very small, and it makes a poor show
ing compared with Kansas CITY and
LeaYenWorth. In addition to the two
branches Of the Kansas Pacific Road
uniting there, it is now building
a railroad south, under the hio6
sounding title of the Lawrence &, Gal
weston (Texas) Railroad, now heinz
operated about thirty miles. and will
doubtless be pushed rapidly forward
but it will be a considerable period
before the cars reach Galveston. II
is projecting other roads, but the only
one giving much promise of early
/ completion is the East, via Olathe
Kansas, to Pleasant Hill, Missouri
on the Missouri Pacific Railway
/ This will make a shorter and more
i direct route to st. Louis, leaving