The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-03
r,rrrEs FROM KANSAS PLAINS.
. pycuMoND BOYS RAMBLEs OUT WEST
LIFE AND VIEWS ON THE PLAINS.
ON THE PLANS OF KANSAS, }
.Inly 81. 1914

gifted pen than mine to do justice TO the sub
feet. TO bring one who had never seen II,
To ANYTHING like realization o. Its extent,
beauty. and richness. would have 10 POS
sess mower OF dtlineation scarcely ihfeEior
10 that of Washington Irving. a pam
a,nembeilisbed representation, however, OF
things as they are, may not be Rola OF ~
ferest TO you. 1t il true, We sometimes
snatch Inspiration from the circumstances by
which we are surrounded, cur eyes are ire
unenfly fixed In wondering admiration upon
what Is beautiful, but I tDsnk our thoughts
arc more deeply moved By what constitutes
a part OF their history; in other words, by
association. Such were the feelings that
filed the breast Of Burns, when, long years
after Bruce's great victory, he stood upon
the field OF BanDockburn and sang OF
..Sco;s, whs hae ia Wallace bled.
Scots, w!an Bruce has aften led" &C.
Similar, too, no doubt, were those of 1rv-
ING as he lat in the hsas Of the Alhambra,
and dreamed of the Moorish kings, or fol-
lowed them In imagination across the Deau.
tiful reqa to their fRfi place of retreat at
Granaoa. No such his,oryis here, but what
We see brings up wonderful train of re-
Elections. and is full of interest. Every step
we take, beginning 2tthe eastern end OF the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, is subject
of study. IL you have never travelled over
this route / advise you to do so az your
earliest opportunitT. Reaching Aiieshany
station. we are about the summit OF eieva-
ron between east and west, and from inns
point glide down an incline plane. apprecia-
BILE to the eye, As for as The banks OIL Tue
ohio. The whole scene is one of imposing
grandeur. aud encenGers strange comblna-
ton of feelings. Iweli remember the nTst
time passed through this wild and rugged
mountain region, before the construc-
ton of the present line Of railway, when
there was nothing 10 relieve the terrible
stiffness of the situation save the monoto.
nous roar of the New river as 1t loaned
alopy below. OF course | was aWed. But
when contemplate the triumphs OF enSl'
neeIipc skill, and think that even these huge
barriers, which stood like mighty sentlneiS
to obS,ruct The progress OF empire ana CIVIL
izatioD, an easy pathway has been completed
to the far.off West, L am ready to eXclalin,
in the language of the poet,
uHow complicatc how wonderful is man;
How passing wonder lie who made him such.
From Huntington we reach Cincinnati by
a fati.ueing steamboat trip Of one hundred
and sixty miles, aud meet on the passage
greater variety of craft than | have ever
seen sfloat before. The ingenuity OF old
SInbad the sailor would be put TO shame, /
think, if he could rise out OF the realms OF
oriental fable aud survey this ntra-maritime
array. In this part of the route | must con-
TESS TO some degree Of disappointment. 1t
was my expectation to see, stretching away
from either bank Of the river, bloom
ing hills and valleys, rich in fruits
and waving grain, and viepg in beau
ty with the scenery as described TO me
by those who have travelled down the
Rhine. But such was not the case. The
view was very contracted, rendered so by
the close approach to the river of continu-
Gus chain OF small spurs from the Allegha.
MES. In short, there was but little that was
very inviting TO The eye; but leaving Gin.
cinna,i in the rear, one begins to realize that
he is uron the threshold OF the granary OF
the world and in passing over the Miami
bottoms there is Il delicious freshness about
the air and scenery which occasions an eX-
hiaralion of feeling amounting almost to
enthusiasm. Thence we pass on across the
prairie lands Of southern Indiana and Hi
nois, and on either side as far rs the eye can
reach is to he seen Dothing but immense
fields of wheat and corn. The character Of
the land is IA black loam of great fertility and
of easy cultivation: the Valley of tic Wa.
.bsh. which constl' utes part Of this vast
expapse, being infinitely superior to any.
1hiug ] have ever seen in point of pro-
ductiyeness. Indeed, it is wonder
full. There is a feature about all thi:
country, however, which surprised me not
q little, and it is the utter inslgDificance Of
the dwellings. Great wea4th generally tends
to Incidence and enpminacy, and one would
suppose that the immense revenues obtained
= l,c In nj laf MI al
but engender dt sire OH the part of the
owners to live in great luxury; but
on the contrary, every thing Is of the plainest
and simplest style There seems to be an
entire disregard for whatever would tend to
make bone attractive, their abOdes having
more the appearance Of those OF impecunous
tenants than OF wealthy propHetors. Every
thing seems 10 be Subordinatcd to the cutiva-
1ion of the soil and the amCunt Of work
done by one hand is absolutely surprising.
This is accomplished mainly by the most ap.
proved agricultural implements and ma
chinery. Negroes are rare commodities, but
all the whites work, even many the wO-
men. l was exceedingly amused as pass.
ed through Illinois 10 see young
woman, / suppose the wife or daugh-
ter of one OF these wealthy landed
proprietors, driving hay,xa0wer. You may
mention this fact to some OF our friends on
Grace and frsaialin. Feraalaa sat, &c. With
her "Uoly Warden" tucked up, and her
long-eared bonnet protecting Der fhee from
the sun. she Piled her avocation in the most
graceful style. Reaching St Louis, the first
object Of interest with which We meet is its
bridge, which was eompleted gust one meath
ago. and which WAS seven years IN process OF
construction. 1t is a stupeDdous structkse,
and another one oftboSe numeDsus evidences
of American energy, enterprise, DAD mechaR.
ical and engineering skill 'Tis said to he
second in proportions 10 nothing .af ats Kind
in this country or in Europe. INDEED, St.
Louis is a great metropolis, and must con.
tiuue to be more aud more the centra! figure
in that gleat group Of cities which dot the
surface Of that immense territory known us
The West aud Northwest. Missouri as you
know. is also an agricultural State, hst the
estates are more after tie eastern eESer
There Is an air VI greater refinement,
induced by more elaborate aud ornate
STYLE OF architecture abQut the DWELLINGS.
together with the fact That more regard
seems to be paid te Identifying the
grounds about them. Bat have not time
to enter into detsied description of
everything that came under my obserya-i
ton as passed on from tbis point to my
present destination jeets. too, which
might be possessed OF greater interest. KS
being least known on account OF tbeic
greater remoteuess from the bounds of civil.
ization. shall say word, however, about
popularity OF the Missouri river. AS I
aWoke fgom my Pullman berth on the morn
ing after leaving st. Louis looked out and
saw it rolling on. turbulent, and swollen to
a great height, carrying trees and other