The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-27
LETTER FROM LEA VENWORTH.


RAILROADS AND LAND cRANTs-R1cH CORPORA
TIoNs AND vAssALs OF THE soII,-I,EAvEN-
woRTH-HER GROWING BUSINESS INTERESTS,
PRoeRRss, AND DIFFICULTIES.
Correspondence of the Bpening Telegraph
LEAvENwoRTH, Kansas, Aug. 23.-The
question Of most interest to the Western
States is railroad extension. Wherever the
iron band of civilization is laid down, belt
of country twenty miles in width is opened
mp into farms and brought under cultivation.
Millions of acres of fertile lands are now
lying idle because they are remote from rail-
roads, and the produce of the earth beyond
the reach of market. But the
question that is now debated
between man and man is whether it is to
the interest of the settler to promote the
building of railroads by endowing them with
princely land grants, and, by thus setting up
wealthy corporations in our midst, degrade
the honest tiller of the soil to a condition of
vassalage in their hands, or wait until the
progress of settlement shall Justify the con-
struction of railroad lines as a commercial
enterprise. The recent prodigal absorption
of the national domain by profuse grants to
railroads, and the greed manifested by these
corporations in their dealings with the public
have created quite a revulsion in popular
feeling, and we hear cry re-echoed through
the length and breadth of the land
that not another foot of soil must
be given by Congress to aid the con-
struction of railroads. This, of course, can
only be regarded as q violent rebound. There
is no doubt that shameless corruption has
been practised in the legislation in regard to
ha hrop Of Dooi6o Roil
and mammoth fortunes will be realized by a
number who are concerned therein at the
expense of the community whom these gigan-
tic enterprises were intended to benefit; still,
in summing up the balance of profit and loss,
believe it will be admitted that the thou
sands of homes they have opened to settle
ment. the increase of business they have
created, and the immense value they have
conferred upon hitherto waste land, will fully
equipoise all the evil that can be charged
against them, and then leave wide margin
Of usefulness to be set to their future credit.
In this city we find railroad extension
prime necessity of our future development.
On all hands new towns are springing up,
diversified industries coming into life, and
fresh avenues of business being opened.
Leavenworth, as the commercial emporium
of the State, must stretch out her iron arms
to supply the wants thus developed, or rival
cities will step in and provide facilities which
will leave our merchants out of the market
Our railroad bridge now building across the
Missouri at this point (of which I spoke in
previous letter. is designed to give us direct
communication with the eastern lines of
travel, and afford passage to the trains of the
Chicago and Southwestern Railroad,
now in active progress of construction,
which will have its western terminus
in this city. An important project in con-
nection with this road is to carry branch
from Leavenworth to Topeka, distance of
fifty miles, to connect at that city with the
Atchisou, Topeka and Santa Fe Road. Local
aid to the amount of $400, 900 has already
been pledged to carry out this useful enter
prise. This last named road is now running
from Topeka to Emporia and it is the inten-
tion of the management to carry it on to the
Arkansas river (most probably at Wichita, in
Sedgwick county, within a year from the
present time.
Then another important business interest
is rapidly growing up on the southern border
of the State, at Baxter Springs, in the vast
tion to the markets further east. The Mis-
souri, River, Fort Scott and Gulf Road runs
from Kansas City, Mo-, along the eastern tier
of counties in Kansas to Baxter Springs,
lying on the edge of the Indian Territory, 167
miles distant. But three months have elapsed
since the whistle of the locomotive first
sounded at this border town, and already a
cattle trade has concentrated there which
promises TO grow to immense proportions.
Extensive cattle pens have been
built there, from which upwards of
10000 boeves have been shipped; and accord
ing to the Cherokee Sentinel, published at
Baxter, the number now on the way to this
shipping point may be estimated at 10000
more. In addition to this, 10000 cattle are
grazing on the Indian lands and within q
radius of twenty-five miles, and if we allow q
margin of 10000 head for the business that
will naturally find its way there during the
fall, we have, all told, fully 100,0 head which
will be shipped from that market for the
Northern and Eastern cities by the 2st of De
cember next.
Now it is important to Leavenworth tc
divert portion of this lucrative business
from its present channel. With the compile
tion of our bridge, which is promised to bt
ready for the transportation of trains by tht
4th of July next, and the finishing of the
Chicago and Southwestern Road, upon which
I work is now being prosecuted at both ends
A.