The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-12-08
q Oh the Haas
EMPORIA.

Correspondence of the Kansas City Times.l
EMPORIA.
Natural Advantages of LOcatiOn-Steady
Increase Of Observation-Disclosures and
COmmOdiOus Misunderstanding Bust
ness Men-COI. Robinson.
EMPoRIA, KAs., Nov. %, 1871.
In the south the Cottonwood's clear,
running waters create life and power in
mans mechanism, and the broad, fer
tile valley yields its wealth of agricul-
ture. On the north flows the potent
Neosho, its steady current turning
many a ponderous wheel that trans
forms the products of the beautiful
valley into that which gives life and
strength to man and beast. Between
these rivers and valleys so situated as
to reap rich harvests from both, lies
EMPoRIA,
one of the most fiourishing and rapid
lv growing towns in all Kansas. First
settled in February, 1857, its progress
was slow but steady. December, '69
witnessed the entrance of the Missouri,
Kansas s. Texas railroad, and the 500
people who then comprised the popu-
lation, realizing the importance of yet
another road, at once set about to secure
it. Emporia's ...
NATURAL ADVANTAGES
of location, together with the class of
people that had already settled in the
| town, formed alluring attractions to
many, and in September, 1870, the date
of completion to this point of the
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad,
| the population numbered fully 1,500.
Very many of the new corners leaving
| Skofn 20. ho fhaY
fields of Kansas.
! During the past fourteen months the
| growth III population has been remark
ably steady. Having
MORE THAN DOUBLED,
the present number being upwards of
5000.
| In many respects Emporia has not an
equal in the State, and but few towns
of her size anywhere in the whole
country can boast of more marked bus
buildings, or higher moral standing.
AS regards the latter characteristic, ]
know of no place in all my travels that
can equal this. There has never been
a murder committed here. or. for that
matter, in the whole county. Such a
/ document as license to sell liquor has
| never been known here, and but two
hours experience with a gambling house
tells the story of all in that line.
Houses of ill-repute are unknown, and
there has not been a street fight or o
drunken brawl of any kind in the past
four or five months. Very rarely in
deed is there an occasion for arrest, and
at times the calaboose remains empty
week after week. The citizens of EN-
| poria are men, very emphatically, and
| are above the brute in yerything.
Remember tho Sabbath day and keep
| it holyR will never become obsolete
here, the interest in religious matters
ever keeping pace with the increase in
population, as is evinced by the num-
Der of churches already completed and
those in course of erection. There are
THIRTEEN CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS
here, and, what is quite remarkable in
this connection, none of them are Ro-
man Catholic, and it is stated that there
| Is not a solitary individual of that be-
| lief in the whole town. The Presbyte-
rian, Methodist, Episcopal, Baptist,
Congregational, Welsh Congregational,
! Christian and Quaker denominations
| all have convenient and comfortable
church edifices, the most noticeable of
which is the new structure just COM
pieted for the .Presbyterians. 1t is of
but the interior is q perfect gem, being
fitted up in elegant style, oak pews with
black walnut trimmings, crimson cush-
ions, floor of the isles handsomely car
peted, and oyer all falls the rich-hued
light that Sits its way through the
gothic windows of stained glass. The
| edifice is of brick, and cost $1,000. The
| Welsh Prssby terians, who suffered the
loss of their church building by fire q
| few weeks since, are preparing to erect
new edifice, far superior in every way
| to the one destroyed.
Emporia, outside of the deserted
village" has
FINER GLASS OF BUILDINGS
devoted to business purposes than any
other town in the State. Lawrence
has perhaps three times the number Of
buildings, but there three story strue-
lures are few and far between, while
here they are numerous. Commercial
street bears quite metropolitan look,
and il rs many fine buildings are erect
ed during the coming year as have been
| in the past, Emporia's main thorough
fare will take decided lead over Law
renee, Topeka and other large towns.
Emporia's growth and prosperity are
the fruits Of Industry and energy, and
| from the first she has numbered among
her people men of much enterprise,
iiberality and refinement. These men
take great pride in the progress Of the
town, and are bull ding It up to lsst and
at the same time adorning 1t with