The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-03-30
OUT ON A Ply.

through the columns OF paper IN relation 10 What
the recent Legislative excursion to Colorado; and
believing that my testimony may be of interest in some
particulars at least to those your readers who have
never enjoyed the luxury Of snuff Of mountain air.
shall proceed to relate few incidents with descriptions
of towns and country. as seen along the route.
The Legislative party listing of about two hundred
ladies' and gentlemen left the Capital at O'Clock Mon
day morning, March 9th under the immediate charge o
Major Anderson, (whose other is Tom) of Topeka
General Ticket Agent of A. T. and S. +. Railroad.
The weather not of the most pleasant character
Rain and mud in the month of March, consid
cred the pleasant companions but when baskets
are well ed with the choicest Of edibes and the cheer
fulness and smiles of hundred women, bent pie
and sight seengs ready to second the efforts of
Kansas SOlOns weather has little to do with the details
and happiness of extensive excursion. So it
this occasion and the welcome sound of the Iron Horse
and the familiar a aboard of the conductor the
signals that started out rapid flight towards the
snowy range of the Rocky Mountains.
The distance to Pueblo Topeka is about SIS miles,
of the lovely plains the habitble gOb
The thriving the line of the Santa Fe Road
Burlingame Usage City, Empora Cottonwood Falls
Hutchinson Great Bend, Newton, Larned, and Dodge
City EmpOria noted for the Normal School, which
left with but small appropriation and the poetic flu.
sion He never smiled again; Newton as the junction
of the main line and Branch rOad to wichita Great
Bend the great market for Texas cattle Larned for
its land Office and Dodge for its proximity to the Fort
name and the first town the excursioniss found
where beer worth twenty-five cents a drink.
With the incidents this line of road your readers
already familiar. "SnOw.bound ''snow-plows" side
tracks and cow deaths have been written the WALL
and part history Yes it is known the party did
arrive Pueblo notwithstanding the ladies said go
on" when battling with difficulties, and notwithstanding
Tom AndersOns glee club sang Mary had little lamb,
backed by load chorus the party did not arrive at
the city at the foot of the mountains until halfpa
Wednesday morning. and then day after the feast
well day after the celebration of the completion of
the first broad gauge Road that should give life and
hopes to the future great City of Pueblo.
A stranger in that land might, from the in
which the sand blew that eventfu morning. have been
led to the belief that the Kansas Legislature had gone
Colorado for the purpose of kicking up dust for in the
language of the boy who narrowly escaped the tines of
pitchfork he sld down from off hay stack the dust
and sand in Pueblo was awful" But enough Of this.
Suffice il to say that the ladies in that city, who
managing the Centennial parties cleared about $500
feeding the worn, well hungry cursionists,
at seventyve cents meal From the size of uebO it
ought to be city of fifty thousand but yet is
overone perhaps, by saying 1000 inhabitants all told
Thrift is everywhere visible and prosperity reign
supreme yet to say that have any great love for the
place its location would be slightly prevaricating.
At Pueblo, day spent viewing the town and
- - 49, - '
lime The fire department out in full The band
from Fort Lyon furnished the music Mayor Rice gave
the welcome and at night banquet and ball closed the
festivities of the occasion
TN thursday morning the greater portion of the party
went up on the Denver anu kio Grande narrow gauge
ROAD 10 Colorado CITY, thence by carriages to Colorado
Springs the Garden of the Gods and Pixies Peak. The
balance OF the party consisting Of about one hundred and
forty took the same road for Denver, as the invited
guests OF the city Of Denver Mayor Barker met at
fuebo' and took charge OF the party to Denver The
scenery on the line of the Denver and Rio Grnde narrow
gauge Road is delightful and picturesque in the extreme
lowering close to the foot of the mountains, passing
among valleys rich in agricultural wealth. watered by
means OF irrigation everGreens stately palace rocks,
hne mountain scenery, with pleasant villages for the
whole distance of 14O miles between Pueblo and Denver
making this Road all the tourist could desire. When
passing over it, confess was fvoraby impressed with
the gauge system of Railroads smoother than
any broad gauge ever travelled pleasant and com.
modOus and in speed, equal to forty miles hour At
o'clock Thursday evening the party arrived at Den
ver where carriages in waiting and all ere
quartered at rstcass hotels And at this time desire
to say better horses or finer carriages in
any city west of Chicago The is the hotels
There are four five rstclass hotels equal the best
in the West while the city full of very good hotels
and private boarding houses Denver is
city of about twenty thousand inhabitants neatly an
nne drives, splendid
parks, and well filed with brick blocks Three large
iaiy papers, branch mint number of banks and
extensive Wholesale trade six or railroads. and
situated that about two hundred miles Of mountain range
can be seen at one view Denver is abOu; twenty miles
from the foot of the mountains |
But fear am growing tedious, and must hasten |
rnday morning. number OF the excursionists rii for
nome on the Kansas Pacific About thirty of the Iarty
eft, Friday afternoon on the Colorado Central Narrow
ause koad Tor Golden CITY, Black Hawk Central City,
na Neva" aD"ut ~ miles IRON Denver up in the noun
aims Inc hoad' after leaving uoiden City. runs up
1ier 'rcek canyon distance oil twenty-one miles,
All aseent OIL one hunureu anu twenty five feet to
e o"e niiie oi 'na' uiS'anoe 'he grade Is over I'D
%nu' sAnse as IL may appear 'here are sss curves
: iniie'- AZ no Paee can you see iourtn OF
- u 'ne 'ran ino scenery presented III
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