The Portland daily press., 1878-12-18
Kansas Letter.
Down the Arkansas vaIIey-TOueka-sez-
a'orial Aspirants.
TOPEKA, Kan. Dec. 9, 1873.


eastward down the Arkansas valley The river
was crossed and re.crossed before the whistle
sounded at La Junta. the diverging point Of
the New Mexico branch of the road. Here
fresh installment of passengers were received
and the train went on. Eighty miles from
Pueblo, Los Animas, famous point 10 the
cattle business and looking quite like town,
was passed, and little bslow, across the river.
Fort Lyon crowned the heights Twilight had
| fallen at Grenada where the river was crossed
for the last time and thereafter the road lay on
the north bank. A little while after we were in
KANSAS
and were likewise in state of somewhat impa-
tient expectation, for the next stop was to be at
Lakin, an eating station still a long way ahead
| Nine o'clock came slowly but surely and with
| it Labin hamlet of two buildings, q large
hotel and station combined, and pretty mod
ern cottage near it; except these, there was moth
ing in sight but the wide plain. The supper was
| admirable both in the food and the service, and
| tho variety and abundance could not have been
greater IN the best settled parts Of the country
the walters were fresh tidy girls, prompt and
attentive, and ample time was allowed for
aieisurely meal. This eating station is ouly
fair specimen of all on this route, and they
are part Of the complete system Of providing
| for the comfort Of travellers that has ALWAYS
characterized the management of the Atchin-
son, Topeka & Santa Fe Road, and has given
| it popularity in Colorado that materially
helped it in the great railroad war last spring.
Dodge City was passed in the night SO there
was no chance to observe this noted place
which at present is the point Of the shipment
OF cattle driven up from Texas, and like every
other town that has enjoyed that distinction 10
the scene OF wild carousals and FREQUENT
deadly afrays. At dawn we were In the aQri-
cultural region of Kansas, and the country
about showed evidence of rapid settlement.
Garfield, Larned, Great Bend, and many other
new and growing towns weSe passed, becoming
more numerous as the train went east Wheat
and corn fields. the crops, of course, long ago
harvested, were by the wayside, and in places
the winter wheat was spriDging up. There were
banks of snow in the hollows, signs of the big
storm of the week before. Then there were
wide blackened tracts over the prass Of which
ire had run, and 10 one locality fires were still
blazing high in the distance. At Hutchinson
the road began to leave the Arkansas Valley,
| which here bends to the South. Newton and
| Florence, into which come branch roads from
the rich wheat districts below, were success
lively passed; then larger towns and q more
thckly settled intermediate country, and
| finally at half past one in the afternoon
TOPEKA
was reached, and the first stage of my journey
| ended.
| The capital Of. Kansas is city of ten thong
and inhabitants and is pleasantly and health
fully located on the Kansas River. II is rap
idly growing, 265 buildings having been put up
this year. Besides fine system of public
schools and buildings adapted to their require
ments, it is also the seat Of Washburne COL
lege, and of Bethany College, an Episcopal Iu-
stitute for young ladies managed by the Sis
ters of Bethany under the general superintend-
ence Of Bishop Vail. Commercially, it is the
shipping and distributing point for a large
wheat and corn region, and here are the head
| quarters Of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Railroad. Coal is mined near at hand in
several directions, and the city is lighted by
l gas. Excellent building stone is quarried
near the city and is largely used in the con-
struction of houses and business blocks. The
city has generally an attractive appearance
| quite at variance with the usual idea of a new
Western town. Another agreeable feature,
novel to me after years ex perierce of prices
beyond the Plains, 10 the low rate charged for
board, fact interesting to those who for any
reason desire to live in the West, especially
when coupled with the fact that there are
many very excellent boarding houses. In the
best private boarding houses the rates charged
are from i've to seven dollars week according
to the. location of the room. This is not bad in
| q city as large as Topeka, bat, the fact is.
nearly every essential of life is produced most
abundantly in Kansas, and railroad facilities
are 80 complete as to add but little to the cost
OF articles brought from abroad. There is o
| doubt that one can live in equal comfort, more
cheaply here than in the East, and, where
there are children to be considered, have equal
advantages in respect of common schools.
This applies to Kansas towns; outside Of them
L have no kno Wedge Of the state Of things
| The daily papers Of Topeka are two, the
Commonwealth, morning, and the Blade, an
evening paper Both are Republican. The
editor and proprietor of the Blade, Mr.. Georgs
W. Reed, formerly lived in Portland, whence
he moved to Chicago in 1872, and afterwards
| represented district of that city two legisla-
tive sessions. Coming to Topeka last Februa-
| ~ he saw a chance Of speculation in the Blade,
then a five-column paper struggling feebly
along, !friendless and unnoticed. Buying it he
enlarged 1t to seven columns engaged q compe-
| tent force of assistants, and, by an audacous
and fortunate policy, has made paying paper
| of 1t, helped out by an ample share Of govern
ment perquisites. The Blade is now the State
official and the City official paper, and has Q
heap to say on all public men and public meas
| uyes.
The Kansas Legislature convenes January
The most important event Of the session win
be the choosing of U. s. Senator; and for this
office there are number Of candidates in the
field, the more important Of which will no.
| tice.
The leading candidate is John j. Ingalls,, tho
present incumbent. His chances for reelection
look favorable, and his friends are ssngune
that no combination can be made strong enough
to defeat him; but his recognized strength has
the disadvantage of tending to combine all the
other candidates against him. A potent ele-
ment, sure to count against him, is the influ-
ence of ex-senator Pomeroy, who is waiting
this chance to pay off the score incurred by In
gals in the caucus proceedings of 1873. Poms-
roy has no sanguine aspirations for himself.
but he is still strong man in Kansas politics,
and will spare no efforts to secure his revenge.
He will appear as candidate, not with great
hope of being elected, but with . determined
intention to beat Ingalls,, and to secure that end
will throw his strength wherever it seems like
ly to do the most good.
George T. Anthony, present governor, is an
aspirant with strong hopes of success. which
are certainly based on good grounds. Although
defeated of denomination In the Convention
he had, out of a total Of 2S7, Ia votes which
remained faithful to him through all the bal
lots, and which he was enabled to transfer en-
tire when his own chance was hopeless to nom-
mate his successor, Col. j. P. st. John. Gov
ernor Anthony is a man of positive character,
which showed TO great advantage in the rail-
road riots of last April, bat he is too cold ard
ungracous in his manners to be generally pop
ular in the State, and bis opponents aim at