Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-27
letter from Kansas.

ATCHISON, kAN., August II, lSH.-lt is
only necessary 10 80 away from home aud sec the
condition Of affairs in other cities, the prostra7
liou Of busine>s, he suspension ci improve
men,s, the closed work shops, ircn furnaces,
&o, TO btc>me better satisfied With our
condition, and coucule We are not as bad
off as We might be. have visited otmber
Of places since left my own native home, and
fnd many Of the same, and OF greater
population, at q complete stand still; not the
sound Of the rowe to be heard within their
limits. Houses aud stores are idle, and selling
and renting at greatly reduced prices, compared
with those Of 1872 and previous. Such is the
condition of the whole country from our own
city to this point. ln this city, which is COM
paratively new place. while it has been almost
at stand still for the past three ycars,a tar as
buildings are Concerned, the business oil the
place has had steady increase, and must, l.
| thick, continue 10 improve. Ii Is an exceptions
to all others have had OCCASION to stopat. The
city of Atchison was laid out On the 9th day
of July, 1854, and settled by party OF gen
temep, the most Of them Firginiaus, aud s2v'
eral of whom started from our cy-hcssrs. i.
Brockett, j. Mutt and hlaj)r 4. u. Smith, the
latter now lbe principal of Bethel Academy, ucar
WarrcutoD, Va. Two Of the first settlers, Gcn.
B. +. Striogiellow and DR.. j. Ii. Strinetcl!oH,
formerly OF Culpeper county, Va, arc still
residents OF the city, and the owbcrs OF very
valuable property, which has grown IN value
every year. The site was selected by these gen
tlemen 90 account OF its geographical adsan.
tagcs, and must, 10 the courSc OF c7nnls, be
the centre of a large population and trade. 1t
is in the heart oil one oil the most ftrulc re-
gions Of the continent & couutIy whose soil Is
l 80 deep and rich that centuries OF cultivation
can hardly exhaust its substance. The atnIoa-
phcrc 10 nvgorating. the climate healthy, water
cure, and plenty Of timber. All these adVau-
tages were clearly comprehcndcd by the saga
cous men who selected this pOiut 90 the map
for lown site. 1t did not begin to grow until
1858, when it took a start, but Was checked by
the war in 1861. From this dateIuntl 1865 it
made 20 progress, but il was thought it lost 10
population and business. The war checked all
immigration Westward. With the close of the
war came new and much better era for Atchi.
SOD. Immigration poured 10. business revived.
and from that time until 1875 the growth Of
AtchisoD was steady and PROSPEROUS The city
is located at the apex OF the great Western
Bend Of the Missouri river, in latitude SO
degrees, 43 minutes, and within IS miles OF The
geographical centre Of the United States. 4
marked characterised is its hcalthfulness. 1t ls
on 40 elevation Of 200 feet above the level Of
the sea, aud a mean annual temperature Of 50
degrees. The site Of the city is rolling, ADD has
natural drainage. The atmosphere is pure
and nvigorating, and the city has been dis
tineuished since its first settcmGat fer its
healtbiulness Diseases OF the lungs arc rarely
known, the atmosphere is so pure and dry, and
very much like that 10 The mountains ct Colo.
rado The social life presents as high an aver
age Of education and refinement as can he found
In any city. The houses are comfortable and
| pleasant, and many very handsome. There are
IN Alchison twenty two public schools, one col
| lego, ten religious denominations, Baptist,
Methodist, Congregational. Iresby lcTIau, Cath
| olic, Methodist Episcopal South, Christian,
| German Lutheran Episcopal, aud Latter Day
Saints, two daily and three weekly newspapers,
| four large public halls, besides Odd Fellows,
Masous and Turner'S, and about one doZ N hotels;
one of them, the Otis House, called after one
Of tho most promising lawyers Of the city, is Il
very superior hotel the best 10 the State. The cost
of living and building is cheap. 1t is surrounded
by fertile and we'll improved farming country,
producing il abundance all the fruits and cereals
Of this latitude. The best building stone under
lies the city and country for miles around for
nishing building material Of excellent quality |
and superior clay for brick making is also |
abundant lumber is very cheap, the Missouri |
Valley furnishing an ineXhaustible supply OF
oak, walnut. cotton wood, ash, &o. Rents have
been very high, but are now very moderate. As
railroad centre the citizens Of AtchlSon have |
always claimed for this city uDcqualed |
prominence, and the rapid growth OF the |
city is largely due to the concentration Of
so many lines OF important railways at this
point. 1t is now known as the great railroad
centre Of Kansas. ln 1858, when the place was
only a small village. it undertook TO build the
first road 10 connect the then village with the
Hannibal and St. Joe road at St Joe. This
was the first road ever attempted by Kansas
enterprise, aud was completed in 1860. The
war soon after followed, and until its close rail
road building in the West was entirely suspend.
ed. In 1862 the citizens Of Atchlson, by an
ao! of Congress, approved July lst, commenced
the construction of the central branch OF the
Union Pacific, with its eastern terminus at
Atchisou. At the same tine subsidies of !sol
we're also secured for the A., i. and Sante
Fee Railroad, aud charter for the Atehson
and Nebraska. As soon as The war closed The
construction of the. Centra Branch Railroad was
begun, and in 1868 the Atchson and Nebraska
Railroad was commenced. The first rail Was
laid 10 Sept. 1870 and on the 10Th of January,
1871, the road was completed to the Nebraska
State lioe. On the I'd of September, 1869, tho
Missouri and Pacific road was extended to this
CITY, 10 1869 the building Of the A.chison,
Topeka aud Santc Fee road vas connected,
and by January, 1872. the company had 1875
miles completed to Newton, and by December,
1872, it was finished to the western ue Of the
State. The present terminus is at Pueblo, GIT
miles southeast of AtcbsoD; there il connects
with the narrow guagc to Denver, Colorado. aud
extends 120 miles north of Denver to Trinidad,
and 90 miles south Of Pueblo aod west TO the
San Juan mining region. 10 1872 the conslruc
ton Of the Atchson extension Ct tn" Chicago
and Rock Island road was commenced, and by
the 18th Of July in that year, the first traos |
were ruu to this city, which is now the southwest
ern terminus 1t furnishes direct md through ,
connection, under the contro Of this company, c
from this point to Chicago, 500 miles. La The G
same year, 1872 the extension OF the Atchlson
and St. Joe road was commenced, and on the
CSth If Novamhor of tho same YEAR he first cars E