The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1875-07-02

ocean of grass dotted with number
less islands of golden grain and
rustling corn, this singular and
beautiful scene of what had been
reported desert transformed into q
fertile and productive tract on such
q gigantic scale that other valleys
and plains seem dwarfed by COM
parIson-all this passed by like a
grand and beautiful panorama,
seeming almost beyond reality, and
certainly beyond the experience ofall
who had not before travelled this
part of the Arkansas valley. The
excursionists were delighted, say
ing that "the half had not been
told" that none could comprehend
and appreciate the Arkansas valley
until they had seen it as they saw it
then. GHomes for the homeless,
land for the 1andless, " here they were
in the fairest profusion that the
earth affords.
AT each successive station the dis
play of specimens of the crops were
repeated, and crowd gathered to
welcome the excursionists. In dis.
tant fields hats waved, from houses
lar and near white kerchiefs fiutter-
ed, and the very cattle and horses
stopped feeding and gazed attent-
lively and curiously at the unusual.
ly large and snowy train. Earth
and air said welcome" at every
point of the route.
At Halstead, which is fine, fresh
looking little town, with a gigantic
grist mill, q lively salute was fired
from an anvil.
At Burton was q large hotel, a
big as the rest of the town.
Mennonite farm houses and peo-
pie could be seen here and there,
but there was no time to go and in
terView them. The men and wo-
men were dressed in heavy clothes,
and must have been warm enough.
Their houses were small, and very
plain, but their crops were always
good, and fields clean of weeds. In
fact, we saw during the whole trip
but two weedy fields of corn, and
one OF oats, and these were between
Emporia and Cottonwood Falls.
1t was breakfast at Hutchinson,
and right royal spread was ready
in q new and unfinished store. This
is the best built and best looking
town west OF Emporia on the di-
rect line OF the road, and its resi-
dents are evidently of the very best
kind of people. There were more
good looking, intelligent, graceful
young ladies at Hutchinson than
were seen by the party at any other
place in the state, and they were all
gathered at the breakfast room,
ready to wait upon the hungry Wis
itors, and they fed that crowd in a
manner that no words can do JUS
tice to. The walls were hung with
white cloth, ornamented with pic
lures, wreaths, and punches of new
grain, and the tables were spread
with handsome boquets of prairie
flowers. The breakfast was every
thing that could be desired, inclu-
ding bread made of new wheat. At
ter It was over, dozens of vehicles,
some of them first class carriages
drawn by fine horses, took the par
ty for a ride over the long bridge
across the Arkansas, and to Pros
pect Park--the latter garden plant
ed by the railroad company, to DEM
onstrate that trees of all kinds will
grow in Reno county. 1t was full
of fiourishing young trees of many
varieties. Hardly any other trees
were to be seen but these, because
no one has had time to plant them.
Considerable tree planting is to be
done the coming fall.
Before the train started, speeches
were called for, and several good
ones were made, the best by Gov.
Osborn, who delivered an excellent
impromptu address, which was
heartily applauded, and set him up
at once ia a good place in the esti-
nation of all present. This was his
first trip beyond Newton. Judge
Brown joined the party at Hutchtn-
son, as did also other citizens, aud
their ladies, and continued with the
train until its return to their city.
Three rousing cheers were given
for Hutchinson, and three more for
its ladies, as tie train started again
on its western route.
The horizon began to show the
"sand hills" which are said to be
always moist a few inches down.
and to raise excellent crops when
cultivated.
The country continued to be fair
ly settled up, but farm houses grad
ually decreased in number after
leaving Hutchinson, and from Larn-
ed there is as yet no settlement to
speak of. At Great Bend the enor-
nous court house doomed up grand
ly, and half dozen carriages al
the depot were loaded and drove TO
the town, about q mile away. 1t is
very lively this season, and jubilant
on account of the cattle trade it il
having.
Larned is right at the depot, and
is a brisk town. There was very
fine display, on the open space in
front of the train, of grain and veg
etables, showing that the crops here
were as good as anywhere else. A
very high rise of ground is just back
of the town, which may some day
reach the top of the hill, and the
passengers all climbed TO the sum
NIT. Here was magnificent view.
with the Arkansas river on one side
and rising ground on the other, the
eye taking in n wide expanse Of
landscape, which in few years viii
be dotted with houses and cultivat'
ed fields. Seven miles south the
a 4 tn