The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1869-11-12
FROM SOUTHERN KANSAS.
Burlingame to EmpOria-EmpOria and Its
SurrOundings-An Incident of 1851
NeOshO and Cottonwood RiyerS-Busi.
neSS-PrOSDectS- (srODS-&c e. &C.


Atchison Cham ptOR, as follows:
DEAR CHAMPION AND PRESS AT
Burlingame we bid adieu to the fast
rail car and take seat in the slow
stage coach and ride about thirty five
cross Onion creek, which is skirted
with heavy growth of oak, and four
miles further we cross Elm creek, a
large stream having rock bottom and
so smooth that wagon can be driven
four miles up and turn round with per-
feet ease. The water is clear as crystal,
and the valley one as beautiful as any in
Kansas.
We reached Waterloo and eat supper
little before dark. Here there is only
one house, a large, two-story building,
in which is kept the postoffice, and
where passengers eat, they can disgOrge
the usual price for meals, ''four bits"
This is half way between Burlingame
and Emporia, and after a change of
stock we are once more seated and
again ION our winding way over the
rich rolling prairies of the southwest.
Two and a-half miles from Waterloo,
we ascend high prairie aud then have
Il nine mile stretch without meeting a
house. The land is good, but as there
are still so many chances for better land
in Kansas this remains at present unoc-
upied, and doubtless will for some time
to come.
Two miles northeast of this place we
cross the Neosho river, the sparkling
water of which we could see by the
light of the moon glimmering through
the heavy timber on the south bank.
1t is larger stream than expected, has
beautiful gravel bottom, and one of
the heaviest timbered of any in Kansas.
was greatly surprised and disap-
pointed at the size of Emporia. Instead
of finding little town of four or five
hundred inhabitants, / find the place
contains population of two thousand,
and is growing as rapidly as any other
small place in the State. The buildings
are nearly all good and substantially
built. There are some forty or fifty bu-
siness houses, and upwards of twenty
more under contract to be completed
early it the spring as soon as brick can be
furnished. The court house, built of
stone, is one of the finest in the State.
1t cost $50, 600 and with its high tower
can be seen ten or twelve miles distant.
The same can be said of the State Nor
NAL school which cost $4,000. The
streets of Emporia are wide, but the
the sidewalks are altogether too mar
row, and the "city dads" will, at ali ear
ly udV, DC COliI pelleu 10 WIueu lhcIlI, 10
accommodate the swarm of pedestrians.
Commercial street, the main thorough
fare, is now being McAdamiZed. There
are four churches here, a good public
school, lodge and chapter of Masons,
lodge of Odd Fellows and a Division
of sons and daughters of Temperance.
There is one important item that rpeaks
more for the growth and prosperity of
Emporia than anything else. There is
not a whisky saloon in the whole town.
neither will one be tolerated. No spir-
| ituous liquors are sold except al the
drug stores and then only for medici-
nal purposes.
Twelve years ago last April ] made
the acquaintance of short, thick set,
f1eshy man in Lawrence, and for a few
| weeks we were engaged, side by side,
| ''sticking type" together in the office OF
the old Her0Id Of FTeedOm. We board
ed at the same house, walked together
to and from the office, slept together
on the same tick filled with sawdust,
and while j turned my face toward the
Missouri river he turned his toward the
southwest, and driving an OK team fl
nally brought up at the spot where now
stands this beautiful and thriving young
city. In the wagon was type and the
necessary fixtures for printing! news
paper, and after the lapse Of a few
| weeks the Eimporia Neics was ushered
into existence. The place at that time
| contained a single shanty, but ever
since the paper started the place has
continued to grow and tile people of
Emporia and the rich valleys Ofthe Ne
osho and Cottonwood owe their sue
cess and prosperity i'll great measure
to the subject of this sketch.
Not having before visited this part OF
the country my prejudices have hither-
to been in favor of Northern Kansas,
| but find this country equally as good
as any part of that north of the Kaw.
1t cannot be denied that the rivers and
streams here are better than those up
North and was astonished after exam
/ lining the Neosho and Cottonwood to
| find them such clear streams and SO well
adapted for water power. The mill OF
w. T. Soden, on the latter stream mile
south of Emporia, is doubtless one of
the largest in Kansas. 1t has three run
of stone, and in q short time will have a
wooden factory running in connection
with it from the same dam. Mr.. Soden
manufactures a large quantity of supe-
rior flour which he has sold some years
at Salina, Fit. Riley, Topeka, Lawrence,
Humboldt, to the Indians in the south
west, and also supplies nearly all points
| in Southern Kansas. He has a good
market at home.
1t is said there is no other portion OF
Kansas so densely populated as that
along the Neosho and Cottonwood.
Every schoolhouse l have noticed in
this county is built of stone and the
county has voted a tax for building
across the two rivers here, two wrought
iron bridges of the latest improved pa
tents. Everything seems to be in a
[ l. FAf
estate commands big figures. Business
lots 25xI30 feet that sold for $500 two
years ago now readily sell for 81 500
Residence lots 50x130 that sold for $5C
now sell for $50 to $3.50. Rents are
high, and not building of any kind can
| be got. People would naturally think
this place ahead of the country, but
am informed by parties in whom / car
place implicit confidence, that such is
not the case, but on the contrary Gict
Cers0. The location of Emporia, be
tween the forks of the Neosho and Cot.
tonwood, and the fact that the Atchison
Topeka 81 Santa Fe Railroad will run
through here, and the Neosho Valley
Railroad is at present graded through
the town, and will have. the cars run
ming here in less than a month, is tho
cause of the rapid advance in all kinds
of property. After looking at the hun
4 dreds of white covered wagons loaded
with immigrants, winding their way in
to these rich and fertile valleys no on'
viii wonder at the present rapid rise il
real estate here. Property of all kind.
has doubled in the past year, and is still
on the increase. Nearly a million Of
brick will soon be burned and building
next spring win doubtless go ahead
faster than ever before. There is strons
faaIinty haso in favor nf tho coFanIefioT
of the northern end of the Atchison
Topeka s. Santa Fe Railroad. This roat
here is regarded of far more importance
: / IL, I'm r,orin than any nfheI road aa 1