The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-07-19
Notes Of a Journey
Atchison, Topeka & santa Fe K. R..

! A man does not have much conception of
what lies before him, when he Contcmplatcs
Journey "to the end of 1t ALL" in far South.
Western Kansas, II has Qnlyleen about four
years since IIarpcIs publicationsdeta the
features of what wat then an unknown region,
sparscly peoplcd by hostile indians, in the
undisputed possession of coyotes and butfa-
locs. Contemporary with that, was what light
| be called "bull.whacker" literature, detailing
the immense traffic of the plains, and the en-.
rious people engaged in it. 1t is hard to con
ceivc, before Startling out, that these fines are
gone forever; that there are no more wagon.
trains, no more frelghtcrs, and, as they were
known but fsW short years ago, no more
plains. r. .U 10 800
Atchison, city Of ten thousand inhabit.
ants on the Missouri river, is the eastern ter
minus. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fc
Railroad is an enterprise projected long ago,
held in allegiance for several years from vari,
Gus 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
seat in the train which is to bear him four
hundred miles into the wilderness, his atten-
! ton is taken up by the surprising beauty of
the country. The landscape presents a sue.
ccsson of long swells, with here and there a
coniCal elevation, which constitutes promi-
ncnt land mark while timber-fringed creeks
| lie on either hand among the swells like the
veins of a leaf. The whole is dotted with
! farm houses, herds Of cattle and grain fields
In summer it is probably the brightest pas
tOral landscape west of the Mississippi. There
| is in it besides, suggestion of more than it
shows,-a future Of plenty and wealth not to
be cXceled in any region.
twenty-five miles out from AtChison is
GrasShopper Falls, the junction with the
only marrow. guagen railway in Kansas 1t
| is a pretty country town, mainly important
as being the seat OF fine water power. Tween.
| ty five miles more, and you arc at Topeka,
the capital of the state. Here is the crossing
of the Kansas Pacific, the machine shops and
headquarters of the Atkinson, Topeka and
Santa Fc railroad. 1t is Il city of 10000 peo-
| pie, famous for its magnificent situation, its
wide streets, and especially as being the 30,
! liical and social center of the state
The next town of importance is Burln.
game, about twenty-five miles further on. IL
is an important county town, and you see
here most prominently that which is n very
prominent figure in all Kansas towns; mag.
Initiccnt school building in a commanding
situation. But between Topeka and Burlin-
| game lie two or three of the most interesting
Industrial features of this line. The villages
Of Usage City and Carbondalc present the un
! expected spectacle of two towns which have
sprung up there within year or two, solely
ny reason OF the wealth they stand upon
Here are what are known as the Usage coal
fields, which produce coal very fair in quality
and inCNhaustiblc in quantity. The shafts
IN many Instances, are Immediately beside
The railroad track, and are constantly and ex
Itcnsiycly worked. They are the solution of
a most vital problem, for from them the Atchi
son, Topeka and Sante Fc Railroad can cheap
~ supply every town on its line for all time
10 come. II there should be nomorc coal dis
covered further west,-and there is no reason
why there should not bc,-thcrc is enough
here to set the southwestern fuel problem M
rest In this immediate vicinity, also. are OK.
tCnsivc OChrc-iicldS, from which is now Lpinr
manufactured pOttcry-warc, tiles, furnace
ilucS, and very heavy, hard, bright.rcd brick
! Here are also extensive quarries of what i
called, by way of distinction, the Usage Flag.
| ging stone II was originally created bv lay.
| ING sidewalks of 1t can be taken out of nny
required diminsionS,-s eight feet square
is of blue color, requires no dressing cN
| cept squaring, and is OF uniform thickness
of abou! four inches.
| From Burlingame to EmpOria, TWENTY-FIVE
miles, the country is generally the same as
| described upon starting out. Empora is "a
beautiful little city of about 5000 inhabitants.
situated at the junction of the Cottonwood
and NeoShO rivers. The State Normal School
| is located here, and the junction with
branch of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas
railroad running south-castward. The Cot.
tonwood Valley, an especial feature because
one of the richest and most beautiful in the
world, j. trnvcrscd south westerly by the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Re line from En-.
pora 1t is a stream with numerous contlu-
ents, all Of them friuged by extensive bottom
lands, generally heavy timbered The beau
tiiul 'high-prairic" lies between. So far rs its
development goes, this is the richest agricu.
tural region in Kansas. II is extensively set.
tied, rapidly growing in wealth, and charm.
Ing TO look upon.
Twenty miles up the valley, though it seems
downward, is Cottonwood Falls The town
is mile away from the station. and one OF its