The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1873-09-04
OF. TRIP 70 LINCOLN cssrxs ixp ssru.x.

On right royal, hot day, when the
south wind plays over your face and
caroms on the tip of your nose until its
rubicund appearance conveys the i'm
preston to your nearest friends that you
would be better off by joining temper
ancc society, you arc in no pleasant
mood to descry the usual beauty ascrib-
ed to each passing shrub and flower, each
graceful hill and level prairie. lion the
one side range of hills, with seams and
notches and rocks, appear in the dis
lance as castles and towers and battle
ments, and on the other the prairies and
wirding streams make as beautiful . per-
spectivc as could be found in Paradise,
the effect of it wouid have been lost up
ON US that day, when drops ofsweat, not
unlike water-spouts, dsluged our coun-
tenance, adown which flowed streams
colored according to the style of the soil
then blowing. That was the day upon
which we visited Lincoln Center in COM
pany with the Doctor. At break OF day
we started thus We avoided much heat,
though We yelled quantun sudicit twenty
times by tho watch, as it was. Sensible
people-that m cans us-fully improve
the early morning hours on ride Of this
kind for several reasons. The principal
reason is that the party thus partially
avoids the midday heat. Another rea-
son-more applicable to our case than to
another IS that if party has promised to
meet a p erson at the postoffice that morn
ing at bout ten o'clock for the purpose
OF pay.n him $50, an early start (while
the b Ilance Of the town is Stun bcring)
will remove any cause for unpleasant
Gu ,pleasantncss at the time stated in
thu promise.
We started, it is safe to presume. A
ride of several hours carried Us west OF
lincoln county's east boundary line.
Over the Saline end Ottawa part of the
route We recountcd to our companion
the mighty deeds Of valor of the cam
paign of '6S, in which we figured promi-
ncntly. We told him how calamity our
brave command charged at shutdown
up the stony heights of Churchill, and
found only innocent women and children
who regarded us as more dangerous
than tho Indians against whom they had
fortified. AS we passed through those
familiar fields was 1t more than natural
that we should shoulder the nearest UNI
brella and show how those fields were
won? Certainly not.
The Lincoln part of the way was new
and strange TO us. To attempt de-
scription of the valley ofthe Saline with
its tributaries, is impossible. 1t is like
all the other glorious valleys of this por-
ton of the State, which, IN the near fu.
ture, are to be denscly pcopled, and to
which are soon to be drawn all the appli'
ances of the highest civilization. In the
homage of its settlement and improve.
ment, it cannot be expected that the Sa
line valley presents the substantial and
complete appearance of older sections
but fertile soil, level prairies, clear-run
ming streams, healthful air, quarries Of
stone and coal, and watcr-powers, avail,
the attention of tho farmer, tho manu-.
facturer, the miner, the mechanic, and
the aid Of wealth.
We noticed that many extensive corn.
fields lined our way, and that neither
drought, flood, nor grasshoppers can now
destroy their ripening cars. We noticed
some wcll-improvcd farms and elegant
farm houses. A number of tho latte,
and school house are constructed of q
brown stone, which is found in abund
ance in the hills bodcring the Saline
This stone, when smoothly hewn and
properly shaped and pointed, makes a
beautiful wall. Surely, the Saline is no,
without it's brown-stone fronts" We
observed several large and well-finished
school houses on the route, one of which
was crowned with an orthodox cupola
Not far advanced were we when we met
Mr.. Metcalf, sheriff Of the county. If il
had been our sheriff in like condition,
VIC should have said, tom, trycst thou
to DO a grangcr,' for the formers locks
were sprinkled profuscly with hay seed,
and he va. rounding up" Hany ton
Of the ripe prairie grass. After being
convinced that we were not horse thieves
(however suspicious our appearance may
have BEEN the worthy sheriff rised our
passports and permitted us TO pass on.
At precisely II o'clock NJ, We rode into
Lincoln Center, capitol of the county.
The fathers of new towns generally be-
come so jealous in the advocacy Of the
importance of the same that they are
apt to draw heavily on the Imagination
in telling of the number of houses, pop