Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-12-11
CORRESPONDENCE FROM KANSAS,

- The Great american Desert" that
tDds-7he GroJOth and Destiny Of
The AtcHiSOn, Topeka and
Santa Fe Rdiirodd-Mvridds Of
Bu6dlO-Hutchinson and The ar
kansas Rirer Valley the Gofrden
Spot of the West.
HUTCHINSON, Kansas, Nov. 26.
ED. CFRONICLE:-When you went
to school, ard filed out to recite with
the first class in geography, Mitchell's,
or any other map, represented that vast
vague and comparatively unexplored
territory west of the Mississippi, dot
ted all over, as the Great American
Deser E" OF late years, if our child.
rem inform us correctly, the geOgra-
pliers say nothing about the Desert.
We happen to be sojourning In the
eastern midst of that formerly SUI
posed sandy waste and see no traces
OF il; but instead, a soil unsurpassed
in fertility on this or, perhaps, any
other continent. We speak from ex
perience, having traversed the greater
portion Of the western country, and
quote the impartial opinion of many
more extensive voyaYers. Since those
school days, overland travellers TO Call
ifornia have informed me that the
Great Desert is only a series of extern
sive, CLASSY plains. Inhabited by the
red man, buffalo. antelope, and rattle
snake. Thus vanishes many favor
ite old time theory before the light Of
progress and investigation.
The feeble and little noticed terri
tory of Kansas, after a hard struggle
for even all embryo existence, sudden
ly was born Stale. Then arose the
great question which shook the nation
from center 10 circumference, and
reused The dormant souls of freemen.
Her hardy border sOls, rallied around
toy a few imuIOrtaliZzd spirits, rose as
one mau and swOre that her fair soil
should never be polluted by the greed
lily encruaching curse of slavery. Their
humble cabins were burned, and their
loved ones buicheTed; but ere they
poured out their life blood they hurled
back the black invader. To-day, in
Lawrence, LeavenwmIh, and many
another pOpulUus city, the autumn
wind sweeps over the graves of the |
glorious vanguard of the hall million !
heroes who offered up their lives that |
universal liberty might be purchased !
noG only in America, but for all man.
kind. II Seems but yesterday since |
the smoke of burning Lawrence rolled |
eastward over our startled country
like heaNy v pail, and the scream of
her murdered Inhabitants were wa ted |
TO the ears of The responsive lovers of |
freedom in the Buckeye State.
70 day nuIe the contrast Peace |
and prosperity unTiVa,ed abound eve !
~ where. The population of eastern |
and central Kansas numbers hundreds /
of thousands. The Pacific THiIIOad |
runs through the heart of the State, |
and the great tidal wave of immigra-
llOn rUllS ever ward.
Not one of the least important of |
the many railruad enterprises now |
developing the western world is the |
construction of the AtchisOn, Topeka !
and Santa Fe Railroad, with which |
am at pre- ent connected. Little more |
than Two years ago, company Of !
Boston capitalists conceived The plan |
of opening the vast wealth of New |
Mexico md the Southwest, and pour !
ing it by direct line of railway into
our great commercial centers. The |
work began at Topeka, and was pros |
ecuIed i'm both directions, to Atchison |
and westward across the State, with |
an energy and substantiabilIty rever |
surpassed if equaled; and now up
wards OF four hundred miles of iron |
are laid down, the western boundary |
of the State is approached, and next |
spring will see il intersect with the |
line of the South Pacific road on the !
35th parallel of latitude. As the track |
was laid, and in some Instances antic |
ipating it, towns and cities sprang into |
existence, and miles on miles OF fer
tile soil on either hand are under sue !
cessful cultivation.
As an instance of the growth of this |
section, cite the town of HuIchin- |
SOD, Reno Co. (my present IOeatiOn), |
at the point where the road strikes the |
Arkan as river. Only one year rgO |
the 18th of this month the building of |
the first house was commenced; ; then, |
not Il human being resided within |
thirty miles; all around herds of buf !
falo and antelope gambOled upon
favOriIe spot of their aucestOrs. The |
tack reached here The middle OF June. !
l live in a flOurishing town, whose
broad Main street is lined with hand
some stores aud warehouses. A hand
some brick court house, costing SlS,-
600 (paid fOr), substantial bridges,
spacious halls and CHURCHES, a bank,
printing office and weekly paper.
More Tt fined society Cannot be found
IN any Ohio town. DesperadOes male
and female, the curse of western boz
der towns, give this place wide
berth, for no liquor is allowed to be
sold in the county, Rnd where no car
cass il, there will no ravens be gath