Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-07-24
A Trip West over the Atchinson,
Topeka and SANTA Fe Kali
Road.
MARTINsBURG, WEST Va,
July 10. 1879.

Reporters, and 50 Railroad ana Otner OIL
cials, started from Atkinson, Kansas, on
the beautiful clear morning OF June "a,
1878, ut o'clock, \. NJ.
AtchinsOn is an active business city OF
about IA, 900 inhabitants; was laid out in
1850. has l3 churches, s railroads and 20
| public schools. a magnificent iron
! bridge is being built across the Missouri
river at this point, which is to be COM
pleted this summer.
Our party represents Illinois, Indiana:
Iowa, Kentucky, West Virginia, ONO,
Michigan and Missouri. The Railroad
furnished ten elegant palace cars for our
accommodation, and drawn by two en-,
pines, we started on our journey in good
spirits from Atkinson. For about lOmiles
out the hoppers have pretty generally
cleaned ND the vegetation of every KIND,
but there is one popularity belonging to
the hoppers, that is when they pass
through timber land they eat every leaf,
to the height of 6 or feet, but above mat
the trees are not interrupted. When tiey
pass over grass land i'll large quantities,
they eat the grass so near the root tiiat IL
dies. These hoppcrs are not what we eN-
pected TO see, judging from the many
different accounts we hau OF them through
the papers and eXcitable persons, such as
semblancc to our hoppcrs, &C., DC. we
| examined them carefully and while they
have two or three kinds, those that come
i'm myriads and destroy everything green
are very much like our common meadow
hopper, except his wings are somewhat
! longer and his legs are rcdder which may
be attributable to the hotter climate; be-
sides, they are very keen rerceptlve TEL
lows, always having an eye to business,
so that if they settle down on district,
II hours is as long as they require to de-
molish everything they fancy To satiate
their craving appetite. They always when
on the wing 30 with the wind, when there
is a calm they fly through each other look
ing very much like Il mammoth swarm OF
bees on the wing. They fly very high at
times, so by holding your hat or anything
between your eyes and the sun to protect
them from its rays, you can see them as
far up as the eye can reach.
Valley Falls is 20 miles from Atkinson,
and about half way to Topeka. 1t is IL
very pleasant town of 900 inhabitants,
with good water power. and fine body
of country around it. The narrow gauge
railroads. feet widc-kanSas Central
railroad. from Lcavenworth to IIolton-
crosses here. From this point to Topeka
! the country is broken, and timber land.
| This is the capital of the State miles
from Atkinson, where the railroad crosses
the Kansas river. 1t is Il beautiful city of
about | 900 inhabitants, finely located On
! an elevated site: broad streets, handsome
/ school houses, churches and public build
! in~s. One wing of the capitol Is built,
which is Il fine stone structure, built on
! the same plan as the capitol ut Washing
ton, ID. c., and when completed no State
i'm the Union can boast of anything super
ior either in style or durability. They
have collected already in the agricultural
room under the auspices of y. Gray, Esq,
Secretary of the Room of Agriculture, for
| the Centennial, which consists in part OF
| l39 CretaceOus specimens, 81 Carbonlfer-
! Gus, fl miscellaneous and 50 specimens OF
! birds, besides Il great many small animals.
! This city has more substantial buildings
than any place of its size anu age IN the
! West. the shops and general offices of the
railroad company are located mere ana Il
! first class Rolling Mill for the manufac-
/ turc of brick is in successful operation.
Carbonate is the next town of note; has
a population of 400 inhabitants. The Law
renee and Southwestern railroad has lis
tcrmiuous here. This is Il mining town
| where bituminous coal is found in Quallti
! ties.
! Usage City is the principal coal mining
! town. on this line: in addition TO its val
liable coal fields Il very fine yellow ochre
clay is found which is manufactured into
pottery paint, &c. Its population is 100
and increasing rapidly. Here is good
location for immigrants us the surround
ing country is very fine and fertile; about
onc-third under cultivation and that near
the line of the railroad. Corn here Is
feet high and very luXuriant growth;
wheat crop excellent and mostly harvest
/ ed.
Emporia, at the junction Ofthc Missouri,
Kansas and Topeka railroad is the county
seat of LYONS county. Arrived here ut
II, NJ. The citizens of the town were no
| titled of our coming and had prepared
i'm good STYLE. Surprising our appctitcs
were as good as the hoppers, the tables
groaned with viands, cakes, fruits and all
kinds of palatablc fluids. (give no nameS.)
This dinner was done ample justice. The
fair sex of about six counties must have
collected together to see us. Bouquets
and smiles were on every hand: the ladies
convcrsed as freely as though we were
/ their relatives coming from the east, and
| a married man was not 20 be found i'll the
party. in which were gray heads, and
eyes around which could be seen forty
''crows feet" This town possesses many
fine brick and stone blocks, which will
rival much older cities in the East of its
size. The State Normal school is located
here, and its handsome building occupies
Il conspicuous position ut the end of the
main street. At this point the road enters
the beautiful Cottonwood Valley, which
il follows to Florence. We pasScd through
Cottonwood, Il small STATEN. Cottonwood
Falls is the county seat of Chase county,
pOpulatiOn 400: il has the handsomcst
Court House in the West, built of the
beautiful stone found within its limits;
good water power. Florence Is the next
town of 500 inhabitants; valuable stone
auarricS, stock yards, &c. Onward we
pass to Peabody ,16S miles from Atkinson;
population Goo Here we found public
library: Masonic, Odd Fellows and Good
Templar organizations: a steam Touring
mill and superior body of farming land.
Newton, the county seat of Harvey
county, is located in an agricultural dis
trict, | 900 inhabitants. The principal
Mennonite settlements are from 10 to 20
miles North and Northwest: over 1000
have already located and made extensive
improvements.
Wichita. the county scat of Sedgwick
county. is The present terminus of the
Wichita branch arrived here $50, Z. NJ;
disembarked: were received and offered
the Inequalities of the town by It's mayor:
had speeches by Wagner of Ohio, Phillips
of Illinois, and others; procession was
formed consisting of omEibuSeS, Carriages,
&c., &c. in which we were all slowed
away: driven through the principal
streets. At night they gave grand ball