The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-09-16
TOPEKA, KANSAS.
THE CITY-ITs BUSINESS AND PROSPECTS.

This is, indeed, a goodly land-a land
flowing with milk and honey-a land drop
ping with fatness-a land not unlike Ca
naan, when the Patriarch drove his fiocks
and herds over the praries Of that country,
it is probable. But, in order to get the
milk, the cows must be we'll attended, and
the bees here, as elsewhere, are beset with
their common enemy, the moth. And
neither can the fairness which the land
droppeth with be secured without the at
tention of the thrifty housewife and indus
trious husbandman. In short, diligence
aud industry, with patience, is sure to be
bountifully rewarded here. 1t is a bad
place for drones-I have not seen single
tramp" since have been in Topeka.
But will tell the readers of The Wing
SOMETHING ABOUT THIS CITY
in the present letter, and reserve remarks
about the country and it's promises for
future letter. Topeka is the capital of the
State of Kansas, as the majority of district
school children know, is situated on the
Kansas river, about sixty-five miles from
its junction with the Missouri river, at
Kansas City. The site of the city is a
high, rolling prairie, and considered one of
the handsomest locations for a town to be
found in the prairie world. The city is laid
out on both sides of the river, which is
crossed on Kansas avenue, the principal
business street, by a substantial iron bridge,
at the point where the Kansas Pacific rail-
road has its depotS, and where number of
substantial business blocks have been built.
The river at this point is probably over
two hundred yards wide. The stream is
shallow, filled with shifting quick sands,
and has swift current. 1t is not navi-
gable, believe, for steamboats, even of the
shallowest draft.
The city of Topeka covers an area of
four or five square miles, and it's
SEVEN THOUSAND INHABITANTS
are scattered over this large tract of country.
The men who laid out the city were evil
IDENTIFY men of magnificent IDEAS They
endowed it with capacious streets and
avenues one hundred and twenty five feet
in width. The name of every President
from Washington to Lincoln has been per-
petuated in an avenue. These avenues are
superb boulevards, stretching north and
south over the swelling prairies as far as
the eye can reach, and occupying such
broad sweep of territory east and west as
to endanger the prospect of U. S. Grant
having street among these Centennial
Presidential avenues. If the town could
be moved into one fourth of the territory
it occupies, it could be made vastly more
attractive as city. But the citizens say
they want plenty of room to grow, and
verify their wish has been anticipated by
the "early fathers" With the exception
of Kansas avenue for half mile, and
about block on some half dozen streets
branching off on either side Of the avenue,
which part contains pretty much all of the
business houses, and is pretty solidly built
up Of brick and stone buildings from two
to five stories in height, the city is COM
posed of groups of residences scattered
over the ample area which is bounded by
the corporation lines. The residences have
generally plethora of grounds about them,
and after one becomes accustomed to the
ragged appearance which this arrangement
presents to eyes that have been educated to
the narrow streets and closely built towns
of the old States, the freedom and privacy
which this Western custom affords is rather
iGoI hal
here-hay three dollars a ton, and oats and
corn about twenty five and thirty cents
bushel-almost every residence has stable
in the background.
THE BUSINESS OF THE TOWN
is fair to good, with the best of prospects
for steady and permanent improvement.
There are several magnificent public school
buildings in the city, which will accommo-
date five to six hundred pupils each; with
a large and handsome seminary building for
the education of young ladies, and col
lege. The two latter are not public or free
schools. One feature of the free school
system here is, the pupils have to pay for
the books they use. l wager they don't
destroy SO many as they do in Cecil.
Topeka has some important advantages
over all other Kansas towns in business
point of view. The State capitol is
located here, which gives considerable
prestige and Importance to the place. 1t
is also the headquarters Of the Atchison,
Topeka and Santa Fee Railroad Company,
which has grant of 100000 acres of
land from the Government, lying mostly
along the valley of the Arkansas River.
The company have their shops here, which
will constantly be growing interest to the
town. The outlying country is very fer
tile and productive as farming country,
some of the farmers holding their land at
500 an acre. The
CLIMATE
citizens intelligent, social and Industrious.
Those who cultivate fashion to high art,
and dead beats, do not exist or are extreme
ly rare here. The churches of the city are
wonderfully enterprising, and hold socials,
readings, concerts tableaux, ice creams and
"what not" every week. In the matter
of society, people are Of good taste and
genteel, but haven't reached that degree of
high art in style which Elkton can get up.
The streets here are not adapted very we'll
to showing off," They are mostly COM
posed of magnificent distances laid with
board sidewalks. There is no paving pro-
per here. The street is black prairie soil,
Of the adobe texture, and packs very hard
and smooth with little or no duSt The |
town has no water works, but plenty of
wells and cisterns, with good fire appa.
ratus.
The sun here is very hot, few days ago
the thermometer rising as high as 1902 in
the shade, but a steady breeze counteracts
the heat, and tempers the hottest weather
to condition of comparative comfort. At
night stiff breeze from the south south
west almost always prevails, making the
hours for sleep most delightful. And the
air is generally so dry that evil effects are
rarely experienced from the constant drafts
which one is exposed to.
I lilo tho country first ratio and tho ont