Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-07-14
NUMBER 3.
From the West.
KANSAS CITY, No., June ii.

KANSAS CTrY, No., June ii.
! Editor Free Press
find myself in one Of the queerest cities that
lever visited. never saw a people labor hard
er to make something out Of nothing with such
good success as this people have in building this
city. No mountain glen need despair of some
day growing to be a metropolis 1t is al the
Junction of the Kansas river with the Missouri
river, on its south bank, in Missouri, but on
the boundary line between Kansas and Missouri.
1t is emphsticslly railroad town, having as
few natural advantages as the high bluff and
swamps in Burlington just north of the once
Fair ground, only here it is a constant success
sion Of bluffs and ravines
This city exists out of spite to Leayenworth
which intended to have this ine iron suspension
bridge over the Missouri river, but being too
oonfien. the citizens Of Leayenworth declined
to contribute 100000 towards the cost Of the
bridge. The railroad came here for terminal
point, and now poor Lsavenworth complains Of
want Of breath. Her wholesale houses are suf-
fering, and the city are building bridge with
a contribution of S250,000.
Landing at the depot here upon a large mead
0w frequently overfowei-the traveller has as
fine view Of the city as be would of Burling-
ton if standing behind C. Blodgett & Sons
planing mill Eight railroads now center here,
and another is being built. Population sc, 900.
There are % churches and one Jewish Synago-
que nine banks sixteen newspapers two
Insurance Companies Good Templsrs, Y. NJ.
C. A. /; Woman's Christian Association, water
house and all the modern hxins
A heavy jobbing and wholesale trade is done.
in supplies Of all kinds Cor Western Missouri,
Kansas, Indian Territory, Northwestern Texas
and Colorado. John Chinsnan, Indian, Jew,
and every nationality under the sun seems to be
here represented. Not long ago the writer was in
city Of 10000 inhabitants that claims to have
more goiliaess than Kansas city, but it was im-
possible 10 find 4 man who could tell me where
the rooms of the Y. NJ. C. A. were, although
the directory insisted there was one Here sew
erAl told me readily; honor to whom honor is
due.
1t would make you laugh, Mr. Editor, to walk
through these streets and see the amount of dirt
that has been removed, and yet to be- Sharp
knolls or hills 20 TO 60 feet high have been cut
through for a street. and the dirt filed into ra-
vines close at hand, Of the same depth. Streets
run INTO bank and stop against 8 perpendlcu- !
lar wall Of hard dirt so or 10 feet high. Here |
are very fine blocks Of stores with fronts of ron,
stone, and brick in three corners (Ehere two |
streets intersee) each three stories high, each |
dug out in full from bank, with perpendicu- |
lar walls Of dirt, standing as high as the top of
each Of the blocks, and not over ten or fifteen /
feet removed from them ! The man that |
builds next adjoining either Of them must re-
move a body OF earth three stories high, and as
large as bis building. This il one Of many in
stances In another place is wooden house on
top Of high bank, and Immediately alongside
Of it, but three stories lower, is brick block /
" hat a splendid chance to do good business
here IN accident insurance
Ottawa, Kansas with 5000 to 1900 inhabi-
iants, ID talking about building graded school
building for 1000 to 1900 scholars, u rooms, to
cost $50 600 to $4,000 Topeka, Lawrence
md LlayenWorth now have fne school build
ings. Respectfully yours,
G.ED.