Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-05-11
Letter from southern Kansas.
lola, KAN, 3Oth, Apr, IS

lola, KAN, 3Oth, Apr, 1870.
EDITOR w. r. CHRONICLE. Having
just returned from a short trip to Ghetto
pa, u frontier town on the line of the
Indian Territory, it occurred to me that
you might like TO review our uncom-
pleted journey of the last Summer.
With a n team of ponies and a covered
wagon, covered from the heat, not the
wet, ourparty consisting of Rev. Col. Jas.
Lewis of Humboldt, Hon. Jacob S. Far
rand of Detroit, Mich, and the subscriber,
left Humboldt at 9 A. NJ. of the Goth inst,
Our road for several miles ran nearly
parallel with the Missouri, Kansas and
Texas Railway, nov in process of con-
struction. You are aware that the road
is in running order from Junction City,
as far as Humboldt. The track is nearly
graded to the Labbette, or within half a
dozen miles of the state line. The ma
son work, as we saw 1t, vas of the most
thorough and substantial character.
Ties, such as the country affords, were
being deposited along the line, and it is
expected Tint the rodd -ffff50 m FuITnInE
order in course of the Summer. An
other thing, in this connection, is wor-
thy of mention. At short intervals,
along the line of the road, were opened
fine quarries of rock, as the Jay Hawkers
phrase it, for the construction of Gull
verts, abutments, &c. In one instance
we found a quarry of sandstone, lying
lust at the surface, and a dozen teams
loading with rocks from 20 to "a inches
in thickness, no tools were needed but
crowbars, for getting out the stone. In
another instance, within 20 feet of where
the stone was needed for two heavy abut-
ments, was an extensive quarry of excel
lent lime stone in layers of good thick
ness. Once more, the road was excava-
- L,-, $4,000 .- ~-.--
through 3 orc feet of a black, soft, shelly
slate, with traces of coal, came to
quarry of fine grained blue slate, that
will work almost as smooth as marble.
1t has to be blasted, and when worked,
.hardens upon exposure to the weather.
The finest mason work we saw on the
road was constructed of this blue slate.
But L have allowed the railroad to take
me on in advance of the party. We cross
ed the Neosho about 6 miles south of
Humboldt. After passing through a
belt of timber, considerable more than
from 2 to 4 rods wide-I am certain
from a quarter to half a mile would be
much nearer an dUerdqe-I have repeat
edly ridden through timber a mile oil
more in width both at lola and points
below ; with reference TO quality, see
Bro. Campbell. 1 have seen furniture
comparable with that made of native
lumber in any country. Our church,
that at Garnett and various others, are
finished in walnut which will equal
buildings of their cost anywhere. On the
other hand, tits a common thing to make
doors and window frames, castings, base
and even shingles and weather boarding
of walnut, for the most ordinary houses,
and even stabling. One advantage of
this practice is, the ease with which the
inside of a room can be kept clean.
After oiling, a fresh coat of varnish will
cover up any ordinary thickness of dirt,
and sweeten things up until the next
4 periodical house cleaning, We made
our first halt TO corn the ponies-they
took it from the ear, not the glass-and
to dispose of divers and sundry sand
witches, sardines, lemons, electra, just
before reaching Austin. This town as
vet is mostly on paper, nevertheless lots
are held at 500 and over. The proprie-
tor of the Hotel, tries to feed the travel
| ers, but sleeping accommodations have
to be sought by hay stacks, &c. The
! town company hope to secure the juno
ton of the NJ. K. & 7. r. r. and the l..
L. & G.. at this point, but at present
writing this is not at all certain. After
a drive of so miles, we reached LAHORE,
| formerly Fort Roach. We found fair ac-
\ co~mmodations at the Kentucky House.
| AS All lluSLTdLlOu VI Nlt WAY SlCcDluR Is
done in these towns, there were only s
beds in the room we occupied, with just
one window that could be raised, the
balance of the ventilation was secured
through the various crevices of the I'M
plastered room. A ride of 20 miles the
next day brought US to Oswego, 10 miles
above and the rival of Chetopa. Oswego
at the present is growing with the great
est rapidity, SO houses being in process
of construction. Some very good bust
ness blocks are going up, and other very
fair buildings. The only church edihce
belongs to the Congregaionalists; is as
vet unfinished. The NJ. K. & T. r. r.
is being built within a mile of town, and
several OTHERS are of course expected.
In fact, as a rule, every town in south
ern Kansas, that is anything, or expects
to be, has one road, sure, and others in
prospect. It is needless to say, that the
country we passed over was indescriba-
bly, fine, or that the adjectives by which
the descriptions were expressed were al
most extravagent. With n it was
splendid, another grand, a third gorge
GUS. but the climax was reached when
the old Frenchman was quoted :" Splen-
did, magnafne! pretty fair " At one
point on the journey, a point was made
on me, which was the occasion of almost
inextinguishable shouts of laughter. We
had been intercepted a la Joy lands, and
turned off the trail by the recent i'm
provements, and had been riding on and
on trying to get round the fences, until
like the old deacon who said he felt like
expressing his sentiments, when a furi-
GUS tornado blew the roof off his barn
and soaked the hay which had been
dryed and wet repeatedly. At last we
came TO a couple of men who were still
stretching out the fence eastward. After
the civil questions had been asked and
answered, 1 enquired if his " fence went
out to the state line? ?" Prompt as an
Irishmsn, came the reply, "No, We