The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1870-11-25
! Tarp ro RurLgR COUNT.


TafP TO RUfLER CGUyTZ.
Ats o'clock OF. Friday morning last,
in company with Max Fawcett, we
started for the Southwest. 1t was a
warn PEASANT day, and, although TIE
road was in part tedious one, leading
over the Chase county bluffs between
Jacobs creek south of Plymouth,
and Bazaar, distance of 10 miles,
and over the Butler county bluffs
between the south FORK of the Cotton
wood aud the Walnut, a distance of 8
miles, the ride was rather delightful
than otherwise. Max is good company,
being full OF stories about hair breadth
escapes from Indians and wild bears
lille on the plains during the late war.
And then the long road was by no
means solitary one with no indications
of travel. 1t was as thiekly covered
with moving caravans as any eastern
thoroughfare leading into some large
city. We were never out of sight of
teams. Before us an interninable line
of vehicles was winding up the billy
road, while behind US as far as the eye
could reach was the same endless pro-
cession. We said tharoad was tedious
one in part; true, but in part only. Be-
tween Bazaar and Mercer Springs it
follows the valley of the south branch
of the Cottonwood, a lovely little dale
eight or ten miles in extent, and dotted
with farm houses from one end to the
other. So also the valley of the Wal
nut, as rich tract of country as can be
found anywhere, but not so thickly set
tied as the former. Darkness overlook
US about miles this side of Chelsea,
Mr.. A. Il. Hubbard, a patron of the
News, and asked leave to stay all night.
1t was granted. NJ. III. was not at home,
but his good lady was very kind and
hospitable and our stay was made very
pleasant. Mr.. Hubbard has a small
farm, containing only 1000 acres, and
embraces some very choice land. He is
dealing quite largely in stock. He has
been in the State but three years, but is
thoroughly in love with Kansas. We
drove on to Chelsea the next morning.
This place has made considerable prog
last six months. 1t is surrounded by a
fertile region of country, we'll watered
and timbered. If there should ever be
a change in the county lines Chelsea
would be very strong candidate for
the county seat. The object of our trip
took US to the farm of VIM. Harrison,
about miles southeast of Chelsea.
Mr.. Harrison is an old friend and sub
scriber to the News, and it took but 1T
tie time to get pretty well acquainted.
] He has a very fine farm on Harrison
creek, but a few miles distant from Ell
dorado and Chelsea. Mr.. Harrison has
the reputation of raising the best steers
that find their way to the St. Louis or
Chicago markets from the Southwest.
On our way home we undertook to
count the teams we met and overlook.
On the afternoon of Saturday, from
II 80 to 80, we met 14l wagons.
They were all with the exception of five
or six heavily loaded, some with gro
ceries, some with dry goods, some with
lumber, some with coal, some with ap-
pies, some with furniture, and some
with men, women and children, and all
bound for the great Southwest, Eldora-
do, Augusta, Arkansas City, Dexter,
Wichita, and Sedgwick City. Besides
these we met men on horseback and
one man on foot driving cows.
These al teams were passed within
5 hours, averaging about % every hour
We travelled about miles an hour, and
hence, on an average passed about ev-
cry mile. Placed in single line al
equal distances apart for the whole %
miles the intervening spaces would mea-
sure about 50 rods. Had we travelled
the whole distance between Eldorado
and Emporia, the number of wagons
counted averaging the same to the mile
as for the % miles for which they were
counted, we should have passed about
375 wagons. We should judge that the
average weight for the al wagons
would not fall short of one ton to each
wagon. This would give $4,000 pounds
Allowing a deduction of 1000 pounds
for the weight of the men, women and
children that were in the train going
south in movers wagons, we shall have
275,000 pounds of merchandise. This
whole amount of merchandise was ia
ken from Emporia within say Il hours
This may furnish some idea of the
amount of business Emporia is doing