The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-06-28
THE EDITORIAL EXCURSION.

In sketching the Illinois editorial excur
sion in our last, We gave the party "goot
send off" from Topeka, and then left them
They left Topeka on Monday the 10th (no
Tuesday, as misprinted in our last) in
special train provided by A. +. Touzalin
Esq, Superintendent Of the Atchison, Topeks
g. Santa Fe r. R-a gentleman Of whom
none of the party can speak otherwise thar
with enthusiasm He is man Of broadel
and juster ideas of the mightiness OF the grca
Southwest, and fuller of common sense, prac
teal ideas with regard to opening and settlin!
that vast empire, than any other man en-
countered on the trip. Though still young
he has made the country a study, and knows
every mile of the ground from Atchison tt
Galveston, or from Fort Scott to San Diego
and will chalk out for you on a map ter
thousand miles of railroad and hundred
large cities that will be built in that region
in the next twenty years, and when you heal
him you believe him and believe in him.
With such a man as cicerone, seconded by
]. c. Cooper, Esq, of Topeka, a ride from
Topeka westward was a pleasure indeed
Passing rapidly through number of smaller
cities, as Pauline, Peterton. Huston, Emporia
Cedar, Florence, Newton, &c, the first OBJ
jective point was Wichita, which was reached
at O'Clock in the evening. The party had
evidently been expectly for the en-
tire population seemed to be at the de
pot in waiting, headed by brass band, re
cepton committee, &c. After bit of cere
mony of that sort, the party, now numbering
about sixty, were distributed to the several
hotels for refreshments, after which brief
survey was made of the city. Wichita is at
the end of a branch road running south %
miles from Newton. 1t is handsomely stu.
ated, a busting, thriving point, and as the
President Of the Editorial Association face.
tiously remarked, referring to his own eX,
perience in stock raisingJ it was the largest
three year old he had ever seen. The place
has some 1000 people, and derives in impor-
lance from being a chief entrepot of the great
Southwestern cattle trade. 1t is soon to be
,
Fl Scott, Humboldt, &c, into the great Usage
country. The party were delightfully."- enter,
tanned at this place by ball in the evening.
Returning to Newton next morning the party
took the road westward proceeding as far as
Larned, about 100 miles down the incompar-
able valley of the Arkansas. AT Larned there
are high hills, from the top of which broader
and more magnificent views may be obtained
of the boundless extent and beauty of that re-
gion that can be obtained from years read
ing. Returning to Newton in the afternoon,
the regular train was there met with which
the party got back to Atchison at night
OF the valley of the Arkansas, after such a
glimpse, we have no space to write as it de
serves. 1t may be said that the soil bears on
its face every token of being immensely rich,
is beautifully undulating, and covered with a
dazzling vegetation. Timber is scarce, but
this drawback is made up by abundant de.
posts of coal The climate is mild, free from
our Illinois extremes of heat and cold, the
seldom going up to 80, while in
the winter, which is short, it hardly ever goes
down to zero. For cattle and sheep raising
it is incompatible, for there is abundant
grass for both all year round; while for corn,
oats, wheat &c, it is equal to any land in the
world.
From Atchison, on Wednesday, the party
took the Atchison & Nebraska r. II. to Lin.
coin, passing through a country as complete.
ly fenced and dotted with fine farms and cities
and villages as any like distance in Illinois,
Lincoln is about l40 miles from Atchison,
nearly northwest, the road passing up the val
ley of the Nemaha, so famed for its beauty.
The city has population of some 10000, is
the capitol of Nebraska, and has beautiful
situation and lively and rapidly extending
business.
From Lincoln, on Thursday, the party took
the road to Omaha and thence home, passing
ever paths already so thoroughly beaten and
often described, as to need no such reference
as we can give them here.