The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-20
Notes by the Way.
BY OUR JUNIOR.

o., Is. u u. X. X. in the midst OF severe tnuh
der shower, which cooled the air and made
night ride very pleasant but when we awokt
at Galesburg in the morning we found the
ground dry and parched they not having had
any rain for three weeks. Crops were consd
erably more forward here than with us. Near
ly all the wheat had been harvested and the
farmers were now cutting their oats. Most OF
the corn fields looked very fine.
At9 O'Clock we reached the beautiful city
of Quincy. The city does not present the fine
appearance as you enter by railroad, that ii
does by the river, AS you pass through the
worst part of the city the dome of the splendid
new court house is just visible from the train.
Passing through Quincy we cross the Msss-
sippi at Hannibal when we change to the M.
X. & T. Railroad. The country after leaving
Hannibal, is very poor, until you get to the
vicinity of the Missouri river when it is much
improved, and the crops again look in splen-
did condition The corn is in tassel, and all
the small grain is cut Blackberries grow in
great quantities along the railroad, and we
tried to persuade the conductor to stop and let
us pick some, but as he was III Il hurry he
could not grant us the favor, although they do
almost anything to accommodate passengers
on the NJ X IT. These blackberries remind
us of those historic times when we used to adj
vance the skirmish line to get the blackberres
that had ripened during the few days they
had remained on the deadly neutral ground,
We crossed the Missouri river on very sub
stantal looking bridge at Bonneville One
solitary, dilapidated looking steamboat was
lying at the landing, snd the worn out look OF
everything along the river showed that the
glory of the Missouri had departed We ar
rived at Sedala at 40 in tire evening, This
is beautiful city of about 10000 Inhabitants
and situated in the garden of southwestern
Missouri.
The country from Seaalia south is well set
tied, with fine farm houses and improvements
The day has been hot and dusty but refresh
ing breeze across the praries makes it quite
comfortable We reached Parsons at 3 o'clock
in the morning, where we change cars for
Emporia.
Parsons Is thriving town of about 5000 in
Aabitants, situated in the valley of the Neosho
1t is about years old, and makes great pre-
tensions to become q prominent city of south
east Kansas. There are two fine public school
buildings, 0hese are always the best buildings
in Kansas town. two newspapers, hotels and
still room for more.
Alb o'clock on Thursday afternoon took
tho train on the Neosho branch of the NJ, X.
& T. Railroad, passing through the thriving
towns of Chamate Humboldt and Burlington.
The crops generally through the valley are
good, although in some places the wet wealth
er has interfered with the corn, The wheat
and oats have been harvested and the corn is
nearly all in tassel, | arrived in Emporia at
8 O'Clock in the evening and found the boys
had reached there before ME, and were ready
to take the war path in the morning,
Emporla Is the county seat of Lyon Co, has
a population of about 1900. 1t is pleasantly
situated ON the high grounds between the Neo-
sho and Cottonwood rivers. The State Nor
mal School is located here, being built on
high location at the head of Main street, and
can be seen for - or 20 miles north or south
of the city. The business horses in the city
are good, and they carry heavy stocks. There
are no saloons, and In order to get drink, a
man has got to make affidavit that he has to
take it for medicinal purposes, or buy in the
original package and take it off the premises
to drink it, All of which was hard on the
boys.
On Friday morning at O'Clock, we started
for the Verdgris valley to see what game was
to be found in that fertile country. We cross
ed the Cottonwood about mile south of En-
pora, where they have built a dam, giving
them fine water power, and are running II
Touring mill and furniture mandatory. AT
ter crossing the Cottonwood bottoms, we reach
the high rolling prairie, and are very much
refreshed by II good breeze from the south,
which is very welcome, as the thermometer
stand above 1909 in the shade at Emporia.
The view is very fine for miles in every direc-
ton, of as fine prairie land as ever was seen.
with here and there farm house with some
improvements, and along the creeks farms and
improvements that show that that part of the
country has been settled for some time. About
Is miles south of Emporia we reach the little
town of Madison on Verdigris river. The
place looks older than Emporia and was pro.
badly settled before the latter place was 1t
has a blacksmith shop, two drug stores, mil
linery store, but no salOon-which would look
rather odd in La Sale county town. Here
was band fKaw Indians, consisting of three
bucks, and half dozen squaws, with pap.
poose strapped to board. They were dirty
looking lot of Indians, and had come up from
the reservation to have a hunt along the Yer
digris river They started off while we were
waiting, and we came very near losing cou-