The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-09-30
Letter from Kansas.
LEAvENwoRTH, KANSAS, |
September oath, 1870,
70 The VReellNg MteVlgmeer:

AS the progress making in this western
country is q subject In which all tOke al
interest, l thought few items Of new
from this tlourishing city might not b'
unacceptable to yourreaders. The census
shows the population Of LeavCnwOrth Il
be trillc less than 81 900 persons. Thil
makes it the largest city in four adjoining
States Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Ne
braska-with the single exception Of St
Louis. The causes Of this prc.emtnencC
in growth may be attributed, first to the
proximity Of Fort LeavGnwOrth, the mos
considerable military post west Of the
Mississippi river, where the commanding
General, PopC), has his headquarters
and where the principal purchases Of sup
plies are made for the forts further west
and for distribution among the Indians
This fort received its name from Col
LcavenwOrth of the U. s. Army, who
being instructed to select n site for mill
tary fort to form IL general rendezvous fol
troops destined for service on the plains
and 10 serve us Il depot for Nll the forts in
the department, in 1897 made choice Of a
bold pigtenu Of land overlooking the Mis-
souri, river, admirably adapted for fortitl-
cation and defence, and lying 25 miles
west Of the Missouri border. Its dis
tanCe from st. Louis by river is 40G miles,
and It is two miles north Of LcavenwOrth
city. The extensive buildings which com.
prise IN arsenal, barracks for 5000
troops, a hospital three stories high, conf
modious storc.hOuses and stNbling Ior s, 600
horses and $4,000 mules, are surrounded
by reservation G00O acres in extent, II
portion Of which is laid out in paved
streets and OrnRmCntcd grounds, and
the remainder in cultivated farms. This
post is very popular with officers and
men serving in the department Of Missouri,
us it is considered the most desirable quar-
tiers in the whole West, ind the beauty OF
the grounds and the surroundings is no
where surpassed. The business brought
10 this city by government purchases is
quite considerable, the 1st National Bank
Of LcavGnwOrth having disbursed more
than $90,O000O0 over Its counter on
government drafts alone.
Another cause of this Ctty's rapid
growth Is lis admirable geographical po'
sition. Situated upon the Missouri river,
il commands the advantages Of ten
thousand miles of uninterrupted In
land navigation, connecting and travers
ing twenty States and Territories, and
reaching to the Gull Of Mexico. tits also
the centre Of un extensive railroad system,
r0miIying in every direction, which
enables its wholesale merchants to distrl'
butte goods to every town within circuit
Of several hundred miles. This impOr.
tant branch OF business Is the principal
source ofwcalth to Leavcnworth, and the
records nt' the revenue office show that
there are sixty Wholesale dealers in the
city whose aggregate sales Snm0unt to S"O,'
OOOOOO Il year.
4 want long felt in l4caycnwOrtl is Il
bridge across the Missouri 10 afford moro
direct connection with the Eastern lines
of travel, and TO form the western termi-
nus Of the Chicago and Southwestern
Railroad now in course of COnstruc-
tiOn. This want is soon 10 be
supplied by u substantial wrought'iron
structure resting upon cNst.irOn piers
formed Of pneumatic piles sunk 10 IL bcNr-
ing on solid rock. The work on this
bridge is now fur advanced, and II is eX-
pcctCd to be completed by next 4th OF
July. The cost will be S750,O0O
liz view Of the fact TINT Kansas is hut
IN its infancy, and that every dollar that
can be spared is required to transform
wild land into cultivated farms, to build
up our towns and cities, and aid in the
construction Of railroads, it Is s0mcw hat
astonishing 10 sec tho number of indus
trinl establishments in the State TINT fig
urc on the census returns. In LeNven-
worth we have 10G such establishments
tone Of them employing $50 mem which
last year rcporlCd m aggregate product
exceeding $2,OO0,O00. A number Of
Counties-Wyandotte, DOniplan, Doug
las, Shawnee, Riley, und some others, re-
port from so 10 70 industrial establish
inents each; and the rate at which these
mills and workshops arc multiplying them
selves, in Nll directions, would make u
British chancellor Of tho eXchcquCr sing
comic songs In excess Of glec. To aid
this manufacturing activity, valuable
coal mine was opened last spring on the
southern edge Of the Military Reserve,
Just on the outskirts of the city. Geo
logical investigations have demonstrated
the fact that u bOundless coal field under
lies large portion Of this State, stretch.
ing for hundreds of miles, and dceming
these datas reliable, Coal Mining Com
pany was formed, who, after sinking
SHAFT TO feet, reached layer Of excellent
bituminous coal over two feet thick,
which is now being extensively mined for
manufacturing anil housekeeping pur'
pOscs, .EfI. ..r RILEY.