The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-08-19
Notes Of Journey on the AtchisOn, To-
peka and Santa Fe II. X.


A TCHINSON, city of ten thousand
IN inhabitants on the Missouri River, is
the Eastern terminus. The Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad is an enter
prise projected long ago, held in allegiance
for several years from various causes, but
rapidly finished at last from the absolute
necessity Of its construction to meet the
demand of Southwestern commerce and
development. After the tourist takes his
scat in the train which is to bear him four
hundred miles into the wilderness, his at
tention is taken up by the surprising beau
ty of the country. The landscape presents
a succession of long swells, with here and
there conical elevation which constitutes
a prominent landmark, while timber firing
ed creeks lie on either hand among the
swells, like the veins of leaf. The whole
is dotted with farm-houses, herds of cattle
and grain-felds. In summer it is probably
the brightest pastoral landscape west of
the Mississippi. There is in it besides
suggestion gilmore than it shows,-a future
of wealth not to be excelled in any region.
Twenty-Five miles out from Atchison is
Grasshopper Falls, the junction with the
only "narrow-gauge" railway in Kansas.
1t is pretty country town, mainly import
ant as being the seat of a fine water-power.
Twenty-Five miles more, and you are at
Topeka, the capital of the State Here is
the crossing of the Kansas Pacific, the
machine-shops and headquarters of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.
1t is city of ten thousand people, famous
for it's magnificent situation, its wide
streets, and especially as being the politi-
cal and social centre of the State.
The next town of Importance is Burlin-
game, about twenty-five miles further on.
1t is an important county town, and you
see here most prominently that which is
very prominent figure in all Kansas towns;
a magnificent school building in COM
manding situation. But between Topeka
and Burlingame lie two or three of the
most interesting industrial features of this
line. The village Of Usage City and Car
bondale presents the unexpected spectacle
of two towns which have sprung up there
within year or two, solely by reason of
the wealth they stand upon. Here are
what are known as the Usage coal-fields,
which produce coal very fair in quality.
The shafts, in many instances, are imme-
diately beside the railroad-track, and are
constantly and extensively worked They
are solution of a most vital problem, for
from them the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe Railroad can cheaply supply
every town on its line for all time to come.
If there should be no coal discovered west,
and there is no reason why there should
not be,--there is enough here to set the
Southwestern fuel-problem at rest. In
this immediate vicinity also, are extern
sive ochre-helds from which is now being
manufactured pottery-ware, tiles, furnace
fues, and very heavy, hard, bright-red
brick. Here are also extensive quarries of
what is called by way of distinction the
Usage Flagging-stone. 1t was originally
created for laying sidewalks of. 1t can be
| e'NSh OaO Va bhJ AOHuiiOu
eight feet square,-is of blue color, re-
quires no dressing except squaring, and is
of a uniform thickness of about four
inches.
You pass Newton, celebrated in its brief
day as "hard' border.town. 1t is "a
miles west from Cottonwood Falls, and
1874 from Atchison on the Missouri and
here begins the Arkansas Valley. You
can see the tall cottonwoods which mark
the stream on the horizon. The reader
must understand that we have not yet
quite reached the great river of the plains,
born in the western mountains and flowing
south-eastward to the Mississippi. This is
the Little Arkansas, -nicknamed here 'the
little river, (which forms confluence
with the "big river" at Wichita, 2S miles
southwest Of the spot to which, moment
since we directed the readers attention.
Here 1t will be noticed, the valley begins
! to widen into immense scope, like an Illi-