The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-01-27
FROM ARKANSAS CITY.
ARKANSAS CITY, KAN,
January 10Th, 1870.


EDS. EMPoRIA News Your readers
may feel some interest in few lines
sent you from this new and rapidly
settling region OF our State. This City,
or rather an enterprising settler, built
the first house last April. Having to
wagon all the lumber from Emporia,
120 miles, until a saw could be started
on the ground, one would infer that
building must progress slowly. But
from various causes, chiefly the favOra-
BILE climate, soil, water and timber, en-
igrants rushed in at such rate, and de-
manded so much lumber as scarcely to
appreciate the quantity sawed out by
that one mill. OF course the drawing
continued, indeed increased, from En-
poria. at length second mill was
put to work, and now q third is on the
way, and still Emporia sells lumber to
our people. There are now near so
houses inhabited, and 8 or 10 building.
The country is fast coming up to the
city in the cheerful work of settling.
n good woman five miles northeast
told me lately that when they built their
house, six weeks before, she could see
but two more house, and she could
now count fifteen. Even the inhospit-
able weather of this unusually hard
winter, stops neither the tide of emf
grafton, nor the erection ofhouses. The
corps of surveyors now in this vicinity
will rather facilitate all this progress,
since men would rather settle by the
lines than risk guessing out their
claims. Besides there is now a vigor-
Gus movement on foot, and indeed be-
fore our Legislature, to open up great
highway from this point through the
Indian Territory to Texas for stages,
wagons, horsemen, cattle and rail-
road. Congress will be asked to neu-
traiize strip 10 miles in width,
more especially for the accommodation
of Texas herds. The distance will be
shortened as compared to the old trail,
while the annoyance of Indians will be
much less, if not entirely avoided. Be-
sides the Atchison, Topeka 81 Santa Fe
Railroad will be completed to Florence
at the mouth of Doyle, and ready to
transport beeves to the Eastern markets
decidedly cheaper than they have been
going over the Abeline route. There
being strip of high unsettled land be-
tween this place and Florence, an act
will be passed by our Legislature al
lowing herds to be driven along it. All
this must make Arkansas City the
largest town in Southwestern Kansas.
One week ago Is or Is men with 8
teams started in the inildest weather
West for buffalo. On Tuesday the
wind stormed down from the North
and continued till Saturday night.
Travellers, and teamsters of all kinds,
were driven into the best attainable
shelter. The Woolsey House and sta
BILE were made more than full. The
new City Hotel is warm, neat and lux
urious in all its appointments. A more
coy or better conducted house is not
found in Kansas. Mr.. and Mrs. Miegs,
proprietors, leave nothing undone to
promote the comfort of their guests,
even their neat bed chambers are so ar
ranged as be warmed from the fires be-
low. Two schools and two churches,
Methodist and Presbyterian, are doing
much to aid to the happiness of the peo-
pie, and soon will all this region, as l
am fully persuaded, be behind none in
all that makes life desirable.