The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-12-31
TOPEKA.
A Few Days Spent in the Cham
pfon "Mud Town" Of
the West.
Extensive Preparations for the
Don.tO- Convene Legislature.
No Want Of Subjects for the Cen.
trail Relief Committee, &c.

trail Relief Committee, &c.
We are aware that the capital city OF
every State commands, or should, the rever-
s-,t respect Of all sister cities within the
sovereign boundaries of the same govern
ment, and that any rival town must, OF ne
ceszi.y, have unequivocal facts in support
of whatever assertions it may see fit to make
of the apparent shortcomings Of the same.
But, with three days stay in the capital
city within the past week, We feel war
ranted in giving our readers short sketch
of what the people are doing at the capital
of Kansas.
RATHER MUDDY.
Either hereditary fondness, or lack of
enterprise, has prevented the citizens of To
peka from Matchmaking their business
streets, and in consequence pedestrians are
forced to wade through beautiful mud"
knee-deep during the moist season, in going
to and from their places of business. A
few hours rain will SO upheave mother
earth in that burgh that every description
of vehicle is forced to remain at standstill
until old Sol re-appears and dries the ground
sufficiently for four-horse team to travel.
Yet, that ingenuity peculiar to the far
sighted Yankee, is displayed TO good advan-
tage in Topeka, and We noticed several mud
boats sailing around the town, delivering
goods and transporting people from place
to place. The boats are propelled by means
of rudder attached to one end, and two
mast sail at the other. 1t takes three men
to manage each 'scudder" as they are call
ed, and their motive power is furnished by
a small gasoline engine, placed in the Gen.
ter of the "boat" These boats are owned
BY private individuals, and as their run
ming expenses are comparatively small, the
rates of fare are cheap, being only ten cents
a round trip, their starting point being in
front of the Tefft House, and from there
they make circle of the entire place, 60
ing as far west as Washbun College, thence
almost due north to the Kansas river, and
so on round and back to the Tefft.
These "vessels" are of recent invention,
the first of which was produced about the
LIST of November, by one OF Topeka's most
prominent citizens, Mr.. J. B. Fithian. Mr..
Fithian owns couple of very large and
fine "pontOcns," as also does Mr.. JEFF.
Davis. Both these gentlemen speak we'll of
the invention, and assert that the mud
boat" is a more comfortable mode of travel
than our ordinary street cars. They also
informed us of their intention of putting
several more boats on the line, by the time
the Legislature convenes, and contemplate
fitting out large one to convey some of the
members up salt river"
BUSINESS PROSPECTS,
We are free to admit that Topeka has
improved in fair ratio with the rest of
fact, il has grown faster than her CONNER
cial business demanded. Aside from the
vacant residences and business houses, there
stands the large brick building erected by
the King Bridge Company, for the manu-
facture Of iron bridges to span the turbulent
streams that course the soil OF the now civ
ilized west, but which, only few short
years ago, was reigned over by the noble
Red man. The building is filed with excel
lent machinery, but times answering
wheel, as it records each fast feeting year,
numbers one more Of idleness for this COM
pany, the cause of which is that they failed
in making suitable selection of city in
which TO erect mandatory for the class of
work it was their intention TO furnish. The
company was thrown into bankruptcy last
Summer, being unwilling or unable TO salts
factorily adjust some case in law, since
which time il has been at standstill. We
were informed that the prcprietOrs, Messrs.
King 4 Son, contemplate recon-
mencing business in short time,
under more favorable auspices
than were presented in their first under
taking.
And, again, there are the rolling mills
which were finished during the summer,
and about which the Topeka papers raised
such hulla-balloo, standing, with closed
doors, and looking like some ancient prison.
They were operated for a few months by
private individuals, but their supply of
means, was doubtless reduced down to so
fine point, that microscope had to be
brought into requisition, in order to locate
the whereabouts of their last penny, and,
in order to preserve their credit, leased their
elephant" to the Kansas Pacific Railway
Company, who intend recommending
the mystery Of trolling rails" in month or
two. The mills employed about one hundred
men, majority Of whom are still in To-
peka, depending on the kind dispensation of
Providence for their daily bread but, as
the Lord seems to have about as many sub
jects, among the older inhabitants of the
place, to provide for as he has rations, their
chances, We should think, were rather slim.
l~AkOh.
A large number of the male population
of Topeka are out Of work, and, in conse-
quence, one can scarcely elbow his way along
the streets for idle r,en. At first We imag-
ined that some recruiting officer was in the
city Organizing companies for foraging
purposes, in case the Eastern States fail to
respond sufficiently liberal to keep soul and
body together, until next years fiait crop
is ready for the market. Topeka has
larger proportion of idle men to her populs-
ton than any other town in the State; men,
Who are willing to work for almost any
price rather than accept charity, and to
keep the wolf from their cabin door.
The colony OF Mennonites who were
stationed in Topeka last summer, prepare
tory to locating their permanent homes,
proposed to the city council to
MacAdamise their principal streets
at the very impecunious remuneration Of
fifty cents = day, and board themselves.
But the authorities doubtless had 80 many
political irons in the fire they deemed it Of
no importance to provide for the comfort