Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-10-09
Letter from the West-No. 4.

have lust reached the point, which is the pres
ent terminus of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fec Railroad, and thinking it might De
Of interest TO some of your readers to have a
description Of the country through which 1t
passes. and the towns which have been laid
out along the line, concluded [ would devote a
mart of my afternoon in writing up an account.
This road which is comparatively new one,
having been commenced 10 1869, beginning
at Atchinson. has been built five hundred and
twenty miles, through the Arkansas Valley to
Grenada, the present terminus. Most of the
towns are now, some Of them not yet, one year
old The first place we reach, after leaving
Atchison is Norton, II miles from the starting
noiut. This town is well situated on ground
reptly rolling, and has we'll settled country
around it, and is growing, while not so fast as
some others, still | think, will gradually in
crease. Ncxtis Wakarusa which is l. miles
from Topeka; has some advantage over most
towns in Kansas by having good water power
from the Wakarusa river, which has not yet
been developed, and until it's, will not Improve.
Il vul; contains at this tune few houses Five
mil, west from Wakarusa We reach Corbcn-
dale; here the Lawrence aud Southwestern
Railroad comes in. This river has helped to
give nlc and some importance to the town. 1t
has low very substantial public school build
iups, churches and other public buildings. Coal
has b. en- found i'll the vicinity, which has ad-
died TO the business OF the town. Usage city Is
81 miles southwest Of Topeka. The coal in this
county has been mined to greater extent than
| in any other county 10 the State. A number
u II, ii r.
of Usage city on the line Of the road. From
these pits the greater portion OF the coal
used by the railroad company comes. Very hne
ocbre IS found in the county and made in o
bricks and paints, aud fine pGtters clay supplies
several large potleries. The population is now
about 1000, ana it has good schools and
churches. Cotton Wood Station is situated
ST mics southwest OF Topeka, in the Valley Of
the Cotton Wood; 1t has not grown as fast as
many others, but bids fair, at some future day
| to be town of some importance Peabody is
one OF the best small towns on the line of the
railroad; it lies III miles west Of Topeka, in
| the beautiful valley of Doyle Creek The
Kansas and Texas road will strike at this point;
il is only partially built at this time Peabody Is
now only two years old and has a population OF
| 900, with good churches, schools, hotels &c.
| It has good aud fertile back country. Newton
is the county seat OF Harvey county, and is
situated on the east side of Sand Greek, at the
junction of the Wichita and Southwestern Rail
reads. 1t was for Il long time the terminus OF
the road and was the central point tor the greal
Texas cattle trade, and u very noted place dur
ing its continuation; such scenes were enacted
| as invariably accompany that business 10 the TAI
| West, a man HE was not safe and toW
weeks passed without some great crime After
its removal the population decreased from 2,OOJ
to six hundred the people followed the cattle
business to Great Bend. Since then it has been
improyng, aud it now has about the same
population, 1000, Of a much tetter class oil
people. The land n the county Is very fer,
tile; all the government land has been taken W
and 6fiy thousand acres Of Railroad land, IL
the past two years. Hutchinson is the business
town on the line, and is the county seat OF RcDc
county; it is situated on the Arkansas river. To
give you an idea Of the rapid growth OF tthl:
oo-"'y, Tt e. 49, 1870 7"s h''''L III 1lotciiin
son, Nov. Is, 1871, not Two years ago; it DOW
better class Of people than Is generally found
in the other towns on the line Mr.. Hutchin.
son, the founder of the town, from whom it
takes its name, was also the founder Of Otto
wa, 10 this S ate, and has taken pains to protect
| the morals, not only OF the town, but the cuun-
| ty, and through his Influence the sale of liquor
| of any kiud is forbidden; saloons will not be
! licensed IN tue county. 1t has now two church
es. large and handsome brick Court Hou e,
| costing so, 900. one bank doing a good bust
ness, a newspaper and Job office, aud a number
| of large stores, with well selected stock ri
goods all seem to be doing q good business,
and the place has an active appearance Five
| free bridges have been CONSTRUCTED Ia the coun-
ty. One OF them crosses the Arkansas at the
end OF Main street, aud is $50 feet long. A
beautiful stream flows across the town site, and
furnishes tiLc Water power, which will soon
be improved. The contracts for the sale of all
the lots u the town torbids forever tine sale of
liquors, aud by this means good people are at
traced and bad people repealed. The town is
represented to be very healthy one; it is 800
feet above the Cuff of Mexico, and free from
malaria. Reno county is said to have more
milcs in length Of pure running water than any
county in eastern Kansas; it Is the west end OF
the second division of the road land permanent
round house and machine shops are now build
ing for the use of the railroad company This
place, it is thought, will be railroad centre;
three railroads are now talked OF to pass through
the town. The county has now population Of
about 5000; three years ogo not one hundred
white persons could be found 10 the county
There are il humber OF other towns located and
growing, situated on the line OF the road which
would take much time and space to describe
some Of them, not over three months old, rang
ing ia population from 200 to 800 Inhabitants
many of these places will grow, 10 few years.
and become important towns. Among the mum
Der will mention Halstead, Burton, Nlcker-
sou, Ellcnwood Great Bend, Pawnee, Larned,
Petersburg, Dodge City, and Grenada, the
present terpinu, of the road, about twenty
miles west of the Kansas line 10 Colorado.
Grenada promises to be thriving town; a large
trade is now done there, Notwithstanding the
road was only completed to this town about
three months ago, and is already a great ship
ping point for New Mexico and mountain trade.
a great many buildings have been erected and
the town has been estimated at S0Olnhabltants.
The railroad will have branch from this point
southwest to New Mexico and west to Puebla.
The firms Of Chick Brown x Co., aud Otero,
Seller T. Co., better known probably than any
other business firms iD this section of the west
h,vn opannd two largo business houSes at this