The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1874-08-11
OUR CORRESPONDENCE WITH
THE FAR WEST.
Topeka.-The Bender Fainily--AcroSs
the Plains from Topeka 10 Gran

ada.
CANTON CRY, Colorado, Aug. 4.
Editors OF the Register.
As am writing events in the order in
which they occurred, will resume where
left OFF in my last; namely: Kansas
City. Getting. aboard in the evening
Topeka, the capital of Kansas was reach
cd after dark. 81, being stirred and
sleepy too bed was the first consider
alton. After refreshing nights rest
the first on Kansas soil Was ready next
morning 10 'see what was TO be seen in
and around Topeka. II is situated on
the ksw or Kansas river. Although
not large town IL yet still new inter-
ests are springing up, and II
bids fair 10 become an importVnt place,
The town is divided into Topeka proper,
and North Topeka. Estimated popula-
lation of both, from 10000 10 $l2,oOO.
The X. =. railroad. passes here, ~ also
the A. 7. X :. +. 4 circus had cNhib-
tied the day previous, and the
Indians had not all left town, consc-
quently | was favored witha sight of the
NOBLE RED MAN.
They had come to the circus in great
numbers, all anxious To gain admittancc
Some even went So far ~ tn cNchangr
their ponies for tickets, as, indeed, they
will give almost anything they posses
rather than miss the sight. There are a
number of civilized Indians in the neigh
borhood of Topeka, who own gnod farms
and keep pace with their pal" brethren
in civilized pursuits, hut the great ma
ioritv prefer the free life Of the plains. !
suppose Your readers have all read of th"
horrible murders committed by the Ben
der family, aud how the authorities every
now and then capture some old renegade,
call him "Old Bender and bring
him Ia Topeka for conviction.
Well, rs usual, they had on"
On hands. They were confident this wn'
the original Bender. Like other de-
srous of seeing 81 notorious villain, !
visited the prison. A more rrpuhlvr
looking face | never seen. Ii has since
tran.pircd that be- was not that important
pcrsonagc An can say Is that II be-
Wa. not Bender hc ought Ia haN" been.
ON the afternoon Of the 2Ith April |
boarded passenger train "n Oh" At'hl-
son. Topeka aud Santa +" Railroad. Th"
route lies through what l. known ~
southern Kansas. At present II i COM
plrtrd only Il. far n Granada, Colorado,
hut il Is the intention tn extend "n
through to Santa f., New Mexico. The
distance from htchi,on 10 the present
terminus /, 500 miles. Wh,n completed
it will be- very important road.
There are numerous towns sprlnglng
up along the route, prominent among
which are Emporia, Dudg" City New
ton. lIu,chson ~. A. migration nows
IN and the settler ranches dot ia" now
dc,olatc plnin., these towns will expand
into full ncdgrd citlc,. According {"
western custom. il j. not necessary for u
plncc Ia contain more than half u dozen
houses Ia merit the name of city. Along
tho whole route soldier, are stationed tn
protect the ruilrond and buildings from
hostile Indians. lra pcrs"n could ~" u
| little sound ul soldiers cnCurupcd on th"
plniu. there 10 stay week after week and
month nitcr month. am sure all dcsir"
Of entering the regular army would for
sake them. There l. u sense Uf dcs"la-
tion impaired by the buundlr.s plains, ~
they stretch away hundreds Of miles IN
every direction and MI diikS. !
-at down on the platform of th" rear
car, and ~ We sped along could
SEQ the track stretch away IN straight
line till the rail. seemed to meet. On th"
right and left were the plain, not u tree,
shrub. ur house yirIble, nothing to re-
lcvo tho csc for milo, and mll"s. Along
tho track uu either side could b" seen
hundreds of skeleton. 81 buffalo. Mnst
of these had bccn -hUt from the car win
dow. ~ the train paced along. IL wn.
rruol'-porl, but then the tourist when b"
returned could say. II sh" n 0-bunalo
with - great deal Of self cOmplac"ncy.
Near Fort Dodge We came in light "i th"
Arkan-nw river. \ hcrder.s ranch" wa
now and then to BE- seen, Will" scattered
alnny the river bank were thUusands oi
cattle. TIL" cattle hcrdcr j. charR"i"r
that dc.crvr. NOR" than passing motto"
but let make my letter too long ] will
not peak Of him more.
On the evening Of the 18th the ter
minu. Uf the road, Granada, wa reached.
II j. situated On the Arkansns. cannot
speak very highly of the morality u this
place, made up ~ il j. Of Mexican, buf.
fnlo hunter, hcrdcr., &c The resid"nc"s
are of various material, sOrn" primItly"
in the extreme, namely a squarr h"I" IN
the ground, with covering stretched
over the Dp, n In prairie dog.
Well, ] had thought ] would bav"
taken you mp the mountains IN this letter,
but have only gotten twelve mile from
the Kan.a. line. Will leave you, my
rcadcr.. among the class spokcn of above,
wishing you a pleasant time until writ"
/ again. j. ]. ChEsON.
RI. Rev. Henry J. WhitchOus", bish0p
of the diDcc.s 81 Illinois, died At Chicago
| Yesterday.
The .uspcnsiOn of the Lryant Tin,s
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