The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1872-06-07
THE QUEEN CITY HoNORED.
Kansas Editors in the Arkansas
Valley.

line of the Atchison. Topeka and Sar
tn Fe railroad is most beautiful one
and appears to be as well adapted t
all kinds of agricultural pursuits a
any other portion of the state. Tn
country is not thickly settled by an,
means, but is now filling up very rap
idly.
: The first station we passed afte
leaving Emporia was Plymouth, a yer.
small place as yet, but delightfully."- sit
uated and with fair prospects for flu
ture growth. The next village wa
Toledo, another very promising LITTLE
place In the midst of a very fertile dis
trict The next place reached wa.
Cottonwood Falls, quite large town
This young city has justly some pre-
tcntions. Its citizens are exceedingly
enterprising and are rapidly keeping
pace with the growth Of the Other
large towns in this portion of the state
Cedar Point is the next station. This
embryo Of future large town has q
beautiful location and is striving Wig.
orously to catch up with Florence,
which is next on the line of the road.
This city, it will be remembered, was
for some time the terminus Of the road.
1t has gained good start. It is a lit
tie more quiet just now, but its citi-
zens, we understand, are making vast
preparations to increase its importance
and business. Peabody, the next sta
ton, has just come into existence, but
as it has a splendid location its chances
are good. White Water comes next.
Newton, was next reached. Now what
will we say Of this place. The train
stopped here short time and quite a
number of the excursionists got out on
the platform. We were not SO brave,
however. We had just been told a
man had recently been shot at this
place for wearing plug hat, and as we
had our plug we stayed in the car.
Every one in the state has heard about
Newton. 1t has been well advertised
While it remained the terminus of the
road it became the abode of dozen or
more of gamblers who performed their
usual ''leetle games," thereby injuring
the town very much. None of those
who vcntured out were shot or hack
ed to pieces with bowie-knifc, so we
were sorry afterwards we had not ven-
tured forth. Marsh Murdoch, who
lives at Wichita, and knows something
about Newton, says that that town is
all right now. The respectable citizens
have got the upper hand Of the Rip-raps,
BloOd-tubs, Tigers and the Plug-uglies
generally, who infested this place and
order has been thoroughly instituted.
There is something Of the "papcr" look
about this town; still considerable bus
sincss is done, and with the proper ex-
crcisc of energy and enterprise New
ton will become zone of them" Be-
tween Newton and the terminus of the
branch, are Sedgwick City, Jester and
Valley Centre, all three young and
quite small towns, but destined some
day to be great ones. The excursion
finally reached Wichita at about one
and was received at the depot
by large number of citizens, some
fifteen or twenty Of whom had their
bugics and carriages with them to con-
vey the excusionists to the Empire
Besides the carriages, large
bus was placed at the disposal of the
excursion, into which the band was
placed. Every one having found seats,
q procession was formed. headed by
the band, which proceeded at slow
gate up Main street, the band playing
from its ''bus" the while. At the EN-
pire House, the excursionists did JUS
ice to T. J. Peters sumtuous dinner
ior which the efficient proprietors
should receive great credit for prepar-
ng on so short notice. During the
Inner, Mr.. N. A. English, in behalf of
Inc citizens, welcomed the editors to |
Wichita in happy little speech. He
said he felt sorry that they had not
,een notified sufficiently in advance to
rive the editors Of the state more fit /
ing reception. BIr. English was fol-
owed by Messrs j. II. Mead and VIM.
I'D. Thacher respond
ID to the welcome speech of Mr.. En-
dish, followed by number of others
# the excursion in answer to the usual
oud calls. After dinner the company
cpaired to the spacious parlors of the
lotel, where some of the ladies volun-
cered several pieces Of music, among
whom was PUSSY" Murdoch, who sang
plaintive song in the sweetest manner.
The excursionists were then taken
round the town in the same carriages
n which they had ridden from the de-
,ot. This Bohemian secured free
i'm Mr.. s. c. Johnson's
inglc buggy, a splendid vehicle, and
lrivcn by an equally splendid gentle
nan. We were thus driven in every
around the city and had a
inc opportunity of admiring the beau
iful country by which Wichita is sur
For the information of those
v no do not know, we will state that
Wichita is at the confluence of the Big
nd Little Arkansas rivers and in the
midst of most fertile district. We
cqustcd Mr.. johnson to drive us to
he river, and the bridge now being
INSTRUCTED over it ut this point. We
rere then taken through the principal
treets of the city and noticed large
lumber Of very substantial dwellings
eing constructed. among which was
n enormous hotel. built by Mr.. Vim.
We finally brought up
( the Syndicate" where we CHANGED
m u,aof nodsyc and tho s.uDforritsa1 -