Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-09-15
letter from Kansas.

TOPEKA, KANSAS, Sept. l2.-Topeka is de-
serving of the rauo sho bares. 1t is a word Of
Sioux IDdisn origin and signifies she best
toWl 10 Kansas" |! is the capital of the State.
The capitol, tho design Of which is much like
that Of the Uoited States has one sing com
pIctcc ard another cow under construction, the
whcla TO ccst about 100000 and when fs
isbed will be piobaby the ha1dsomest State
house 10 This c0uotry. Tho population is now
absu! l3. 900. 1t is a beautiful city, regularly
laid cur, with wide avenues ald handsome
residences With improved lots. Every brarch
OF business appears brisk, and its citzsns gre
10 goods spirits and very hopeful as to its fu-
turo. lis bords ara at premium. 1t has
free aud public library, good and we'll organ
!zsd fro department, AID its public schools ara
very superior, and said to DO mere extensive
and SYSTEMATIC than 10 any town of its size west
CT the Mississippi. Its manufactures are exteu,
slVe. The Atchsoo. Topeka and Santa Fee
Road has .s headquarters here with ail their
genera! tthces, machine ships, "a. 1t has 10
Its employment OF this place about six huudred
harcs. srd its whole number of employees 10
he State will rumber thousands. 1t is one of
Tho strongest companies fost calIy 10 this
country, With the following list of oficers:-
Thomas Nickersoo, President; w. B. Story.
Vice President sod General Manager; Edward
Wilder, Treasurer; j. f. Goddard, General
Freight Agen'; W. +. White, General Passen.
ger AeenI; A. A. Robensop, Chief Engineer;
). L. White hurd, Auditor; A. s. johnson,
Lsnd Commissioner, and X. Nj. Spivey, Su.
perlnteEdent of Agencies. Mono can bs fund
ever l2OO miles OF road finished and u1der its
| control. and has under construction at this time
the extension OF its main line through Colo.
RADIO towards L:adve, and through The nouo.
| taln passes to the rich mining ecuotry with
! broucbes, one from Newton to the liuo of The
l1disn Ter itory. which is yearly connleted
| and arolher branching ircu La Iuuta aud now
completed ss tar as Las Vegos, New Mexico,
aua deslioed to tho Pacific Leaving Topeka
| tho road extends southwest to Newton aud
| then nealy west, following tho Arkansas Val.
ley and traVersDg the most productive portion
! OF the Slate, IS evidenced by the report of the
| State Board of Agriculture for 1878, which
shows that the twelve Arkansas Valley count
les raised al per cent Of all the wheat of the
| State, and the most OF these counties were CT
gan z'd slrce 1872. During the past year TO-
OU0 Dew farms were opened up 10 this valley
| aud CO.OOO persons Wero added to The popula.
| TOD, or July ! ct the emigration Of the whole
State. The soil is dark loan, very rich 10
mineral elements. and varying from two to five
feet 10 depth. Water will Dot lie On it bat
drains eff rapidly, and the land can be worked
IN "A hcurJ otter heavy raius. Besides the
buffalo grass tho hlua STEM q fno summer
grass. crews tall and makes fuo hay. Cattle
| ere very fond Ct both these grasses, on which
they tatten even in lho Wiotcr. and thousands
! can be seen from the car windows feeding ss
wo pass through the Valley of the Ark
aGsl5 Great changes hsvo taken place
stce my first visit 10 this section five
gears ago. The road has been extended for
several Lu1dred miles, aud couotiy then al.
mes: unknow1 is now bull. up sad settled
with towcs and villages, AID where tho buffalo
ADD antelope grszad, VIC now see 6nc improved
FARMS, we'll cultivated. With locks of sheep
and htrdS 81 horses aEd cattle feeding. la
place OF mud houses end dug cuts, VIC fad
many Improved cottage houses, fne barus, &C.
rs numbers of emigrant wagons arc to be seen
pass!eg 70 The West, We encauped for night
rest. Native timber is s,arcs and coal is used
largely Tor fua. The principal coal mines of
the State sire ia Usage county, on the lice of
the A. +. 4 81. L. Railroad. Forest timber
can DC eTowa 10 6ge or six years to furnish all
tho Tue! needed. The winters ere short, which |
makes the demand for fuel light. Although
the valley Of tho Arkansas river has been 60 |
recently opened to settlers il now ranks as the |
heaviest producing portion CT the State. 10 |
1910 Il Was tu: little known, the settlements
tsw asd the buffolo largely 10 possession, and
10 1872 the a, T. & St. Fee Railroad started
lis ioe through this valley. From this dates lis
rapid Development, uatil we Gud 10 day within |
the twelve 0rEap!E.d Counties population of
10000 people, who have established over 400 !
churches. $50 school houses aud 81 newspapers, |
and the product of these twelve counties for
the past year amounted to IL, 900 bushels
OF wheat, l3,4l6.000 bushels Of coru and
other crops, making 10 value near SIS 900 900
worth OF crops. Tho settlement of this section
nss b'en mainly made by the lsrd commission |
OF tho 4. I. l. 81. Fee Railroad, who now
own over 2.0C0 600 acres CT very productive
laad near the line CT their road urso'd. We
leave the p'in line Of The A. T. d. S., Fec ,
Railroad Ct J., Junts for Jew Mexico. Here
20 have 20 average elevation of 5 geo feet, snd |
i1d mary rare attractions to the tourist Whetb |
er IN search of health. wealth, pleasure or
alone 90 travel bent. The silver mines of LIS |
Cerlllilos, are 20 miles south of Santa Fee, and
covers an area of 40 quare miles. They are |
recorded 90 sources OF fabulous wealth to the |
Spauiards 200 years ago. until they were driven |
out BY The Indians. Los VegAa, the frs. |
rIsco Of prominence after entering the territory
by tao 4. T. and St. Fee Railroad, is ll9 miles |
from Colorado. Here are springs of remark |
able mineral waters, pronounced superior to |
the Hot Springs Of Arkansas These springs
have been purchased by tho Railroad Com
mission and will be made attractive to the 10.
valid ard tourist. VIRGINIA,
Tie YOUNG AUSTRIAN ARcuDUcI1Ess Maria
Christina, who is selectedto replace the Loved
aod lost" Mercedes Oh tho Spanish throne is
tall, fai., aniabe ycurg girl of twenty-ore,
With pleasing mauoe's. blue eyes and more
color than is usually 10 be found ia the checks
Of a Spanish princess. Ia short, she looks
healthy, amiablo sud Intelligent, and has been
carefully brought up by her toll, distinguished
boxing mother. She speaks French, Italian.
Spanl;h AID English, besides her o9n language
a5d has fresh youog grace, Which has made
q favorable impression upon all who have heen