The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1875-07-08
The Editorial Excursion to
Kansas and Colorado.
AT HOME. July 4. 187

| CAEsSA S0tSt
AT HOME, July A, 1875.
We resume our account of the Elk
cursion at the point where we left
off in last weeks News.
Early on Friday morning, June
25th, our train left Wichita and re
turned to Newton, the junction oi
the Wichita branch with the main
line of the A. T. & S. f. r. r.
From this point we proceeded west,
and arrived at Hutchinson, the coun-
ty seat OF Reno county, "a miles west
of Newton, and 21S miles from At
Gibson, about z o'clock. Here we
stopped for breakfast, which was
served up in the large and handsome
Town Hall. The Hall was very
prettily decorated with flags, flowers
pictures, &c, and fine samples OF
wheat, barley, rye, oats, corn, pota-
toes, and other agricultural products,
all of this years growth, were dis
played on tables for the inspection
of the editorial visitors. The ladies
of the town prepared the breakfast,
and waited upon the guests. Among
the luxuries were biscuit and bread
made of new wheat After break
fast, many of the editorial party, by
invitation of the citizens, rode out to
look at the country surrounding the
town. We crossed the free bridge
over the Arkansas river, 1850 feet
long, and on our return to town WIS.,
tied the Court House, fine brick
building, costing $4,000, from the
top of which we b ad a good view of
the town and vicinity.
Hutchinson is thriving and beau
tiful town, and though only a little
over 81 years old, has population
of about 1900, and is growing rapid
ly. It has handsome brick School
House which cost $4,000, large
Town Hall, several substantial bust
ness blocks. and many tasteful pri-
vate residences. The Hutchinson
News, published by Mr.. F. Meredith,
is neat and fourishing paper. The
country around the town is exceed
ingly rich and productive, and has
this year been favored with magnif-
icent crops of all kinds. The people
are of the most moral and intelligent
class, as may be judged from the
fact that there is not q single retail
liquor shop in the town or county,
and never has been. No wonder the
people look thriving and prosperous.
Just before leaving Hutchinson q
young lady of the town presented
Gov. Osborn floral cross, as token
of the gratitude of the people for his
efforts in reliving the grasshopper
sufferers of that part of Kansas last
year. The Governor made q brief
but eloquent response, in which he
alluded to the suffering and privation
of the new settlers, by the destruc
ton of their crops last season, and
congratulated the people that this
year they were blessed with such
abundant harvests, that thev would
not only have enough for home con-
sumption, but a large surplus for ex-
port to less favored sections of the
country. He hoped the editorial Wis
itors from the East, who had seen
for themselves, the evidences of the
teeming crops which Southern Kan
sas was capable of producing under
favorable circumstances, would take
the pains, on their return home, to
remove any unfavorable impression
in regard to the State, which might
have grown out of the grasshopper
calamity of last year. The fact that
this region, which last year was SO
fearfully scourged by those destruc-
tive insects, was this year entirely ex-
empt from their ravages, he argued
was proof that the calamity was an
exceptional one, which might not and
probably would not occur again for
years-if ever.
Brief responses to the Governors
remarks were made on behalf of the
editorial party, by M. J. Lawrence,
of the Ohio Farmer, w. D. Bickham,
of the Dayton Journal, and Mr.. Viii
kinson, ofthe..S Joseph Herald, after
which the train started, amid the
cheers of the assembled multitude.
From Hutchinson west, the road
follows the valley of the Arkansas
river.
Peace, the next town, about 20
miles from Hutchinson, has about
400 population, and is settled large
ly by members of the society of
Friends, which fact accounts for the
somewhat singular, though pretty
and appropriate name OF the town.
Great Bend is the next important
town, and takes its name from its
location atthe apex of The great bend
of the Arkansas river. Though only
three years old, it has about 1000
population, a $4,000 court house, a
$4,000 school house, and is a grow
ing place, of considerable business.
Larned is the next town, laid out
in 1873, population about 400. Here
the people had brought in samples Of