Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-09-12
LETTER from Kansas.

K1ssLEY, KANSAS. Sept. l0.-lo my last
letter from Atcbison l promised to give your
readers some additional information as 10 the
advantages of Kansas, its rapid growth, climate,
e.. After Leaving Atchison my next stopping
place was Topeka, the capital OF the State Ii
was located 10 December, lS54,aod, like Ateh'
son, We find Virgioiaos amongst its founders,
G. K. Holiday and T. w. Giles. Mr.. Giles
is still A resident of the city. He has one of
the most beautiful residences 10 the place, was
the first 10 establish bank in the city, which
was opened ic 1864. and is now one OF the
prominent bankers. Few inland cities are SO
fayorably situated for the development Of trans
ceodent commercial power as is the city Of To.
peka. That its commanding position has been
appreciated is evidenced ty its rapid growth.
! when first located all around it was oae bound
|e ss and imrspetrabIe wilderness, almost wholly
occupied by the red man, the buffalo, deer, an.
telone and prairie wolf. II is situated 90 both
hanks OF the Kansas river. and like cur own
town, the streets run parallel to each other, due
north and south, east aod west. beginning with
tn, river 90 the south side, We start with Wash
| ipgtcn Ayeoue, one hundred and thirty feet
wide, and Continuing, fnd tie streets running
| north and south, which are one hundred 1eet
| wide, and are named after the Presidents OF
| the Uni,od States as elected, uotl We reach
Kaosas Avenue, which is the principal business
| street AID is one hundred and thirty feet wide;
then beginning with Jackson street, We continue
on TO Fillmore street, when Clay is Introduced;
although 20. President the founders thought
he onpht to have bees, and so put 10 bls name
before Buchanan's. The streets running east
and west begin with First street and continue TO
run I'D to Fifteenth street; they are eighty feet
wide. Her broad avenues aud streets, her suo-
staptial brick business houses and handsome
suburban residences, her flower gardens, and
the metropolitan refinement not generally
fouod 10 Western cities, give her more the
appearance OF a city Of halt a century than ooe
Of fifteen years. From The top OF the State
House, which is a magnificent stone structure,
aud hen completed will be one of the most
handsome in this country. you look On very
beautiful landscape 90 tho north Hiods the
Kansas river, to the east aud south may be seen
the green fields and hedges of hundreds of foe
farms and vineyards. The population OF The
ciyi; now 10000. 1t has had very steady
aud healthy growth since 1862, when The vote
at the general election IN November was only
lG4 in 1869 it reached 783 votes, and IN
1873, 1850 votes. The manufacturing interests
cf the city arc continually increasing; the near
proximity of the city to the coal fields OF the
State renders it one of the best points for man
ufaclurers it also has valuable water power.
The banking interests of the city are greater than
auy other city 10 the State, and aggregate
capital Of one half million, besides many private
bankers, who make loans for Eastern capital,
SAINT here for INVESTMENT at the large rate OF
interest money commands, which runs from ten
70 fifteen per cent The school property OF
the city is valued at 100000, aud cap.
able Ct accommodating two thousand pupils
property belonging to other institutions OF
learning is valued at TWO hundred thousand
dollars, and among them is female college,
under the care of Right Rev. Thomas H. Vail,
Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
and the Theological Seminary also under Bishop
Wallis care. The principal newspapers published
here are the Commonwealth, the Topeka Times,
the Topeka Blade, the Kansas Farmer and the
Kansas Democrat. Two Of The most important
railroads of the country pass through here, the
Kansas Pacific, add the Atchlson, Topeka aud
Santa Fee, carrying thousands of emigrants and
miuers to the gold bearing regions of California,
Aria,na, Colorado and New Mexico and thou
sonds of health seeking and pleasure seeking
travellers and tourists pass over these roads Tor
the mountains every year. The location OF this
city will enable it to hold the key to the far
West. The AlchiSon, Topeka add Santa Fee
Railroad is pow 10 successful operation from
Atcbisou, 90 the Missouri river, to Pueblo,
| Colorado, where it connects with the road to
Denver and Canyon City, 10 the mountains. At
an early day it is contemplated to extend 1t 10
the Rio Grandc and thence to California, its
destination. 1t is one Of the best built and
equipped roads in the country; it passes through
the most fertile and fruitful region of the West,
| The altitude varying from this point, which is
about 900 feet.above the sea level, making
Topeka very desirable as a place Of residence
for ibvalids, especially con,umptives, aud con.
| t!ruing 10 increase as We advance, uolll we
rekch Pueblo, which is 4.40O feet, and Denver
5, 1856 leet above the level OF the sea. AtTopeka
the company have branch road starting from
| Kansas City ADD connecting with the AIN line;
| leaving Topeka. it continues southwest through
Carbondale Buringame and Usage City, the
| three principal coal mining towns 90 the line to
Ewporia a very handsome and growing city,
with about 1000 Inhabitants At this point
the road crosses the Missouri, Kansas and Texas
Railroad, which gives connection With tide
water at Galveston, Texas. south, aud connects
with The Kansas and Pacific; north, from En-
poria the course is almost due west, following
the beautiful Cotton Wood Valley to Newton,
| passing through region which has been aptly
called the garden of Kansas. large portion of
which is similar 10 almost every respect to the
best blue grass region Of our State. At New;
ton branch extends south to WichitaW, and
the main line rnDs west. following the fertile
Valley Of the Arkansas river, passing through
the following fourshipg towns along its line:
HaIstead Burtop, Hutchinson, Nickerson. E.
linwood, Great Bend and Lsrma, to this point,
Kiusley. All these towns have been laid out
within the past FIVE years. and contain from 500
to 1000 inhabitants The character of the
country from Atohison to Emporia is a foc
rolling prairie, frequently varied BY the bottom
and valley lands of the creeks and rivers which
the road crosses. From Emporia to Newton,
with the exception of the Cottonwood river and
it's tributaries, the country generally is quite
rolling, and occasionally broken, and 10 many
places uuderlaid with strata or layers of mag
nesia and lime stone rock, which make the
best bulldog material 10 this section and are also
used extensively in making stone fenoiug; the