Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-08-30
From a Travelling Correspondent.
PARSONS, LABETTE Co., KANSAS,
August "a, 1871.

august "a 1of1s
EDITOR CHRONICLE Passing Indi-
annapolis last Friday morning, on the
indianapolis and st. Louis Railroad, we
had a hot, dusty ride Of twelve hours to
st. Louis. After leaving Nation, ILL.,
nois, L saw my first prairie. From that
town to st. Louis you can see scarcely
anything but corn, corn, corn. At st.
Louis, rs we cross the river, we see the
piers Of the great railroad bridge over
the Mississippi, which it will take an
other year to complete. 1t will be a
great thing for st. Louis. The June
Scribner tells all about 1t. That city, so
far as my observation goes, is noted for
its fine hotels, with high charges and
nothing to eat. Saturday, taking the
Missouri Pacific Railroad, we passed
through the most abundant fruit re-
gion I ever saw. At every station the
train was boarded by boys offering you
peaches two inches in diameter for five
cents a dozen; and if you did not like
that, you might take a basketful for the
same money.
Notwithstanding all I had heard about
Kansas City, I was not prepared for its
complete perpendicularity. You cannot
possibly go from one street to another
without going up n hill and down
another, or Viee versa. It is not uncom
mon to see four story brick buildings
with a mound Of dirt rising vertically to
the third story windows, within three
feet Of the building. The soil is Of such
a nature that the rain does not wash
away the bank. Every one is still conf
dent that Kansas City will be the great
city west OF st. Louis. The Pacific
Hotel is a good place to stop over Sun
day. Here I learned that an excursion
would start on Tuesday morning, the
I'D, for Denver, and return any time in
thirty days, for thirty-ive dollars. If I
had the thirty days to spare, the tempta-
ton would be strong to see the buffalo
ranges and the mines. As it was, I took
the Missouri River and Gulf Road south.
johnson county, Kansas, the county
seat Of which is Olathe, and Miami
county, with county seat at Paola, are
both rich counties. The fine rolling
prairie, is interspersed continually with
wooded streams. At PRola I stopped
from Monday noon until Tuesday Right.
Paola, like many other Of the towns in
eastern Kansas, is already larger than
the trade of the surrounding country
will justify, though they still hold their
heads up, and think that the new rail-
road which they are to have to Sedalis,
will give them a new growth. Psols
has good buildings-several three story
brick stores and a three story brick hotel,
which is, not half so well kept as the
proprietor thinks.
Yesterday wednesday, morning we
came through Fort Scott to this place.
Fort Scott, as the Dutchman said Of his
wife, "oh, she's dead again." I am
sure that she will come to life again, for
there III enterprising people there, and
they are now turning their attention to
bringing in manufacturers. They are
paving the streets, and have a better
daily paper than Kansas City. Fort
Scott has a population Of six or seven
thousand
OF Parsons, the junction Of the Soda
liza and junction City branches of the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, I
will write another time.
Yours, &c, X. Y. z.