The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-01-24
Il Ran into Kansas.
SOME FOLKS We NIT, SOME THINGS We
SAW. AID SOME FACTc We LEARNED
DURING LATE VISIT TO sALISA.

Having recently iudulged in a hurried
but pleasant visit TO the city Of Salina, IN
Genital Kansas, our readers, and especially
those hoare castiRg wishful giances In the
direction of that great and growing State,
will very naturally expect Us to say some
thing abC ut a region 50 favored, and the con-
cIuSiuis we reached in regard to lis soil, eli
mate, people, progress, etc. This We shall
eudeav0r TO do as briefly as possible and SO
far as our opportunities for observation will
enable Us to paint the picture, but as we
''gU TO case without tue scratch OF pen,
depending upon memory alone to supply
the material while '-click go the type IN the
stick, we may not only fail III furnishing
a very readable ske,cb, but viii possibly
fud it convenient TO make two chapters OF
the story, the ''tIue inwardness' Of which
may not appear until next week.
70 begin at the beginning, then, we
left home on the evening OF the 1st inst,
and after rather cold but by no means un-
enjoyable tIip to Cresson in one of Messrs.
l. 4 $ W. Davis comfurta bly, furnished
sleds. we took the train for Pit1sburg over
the Penn'a r. Il the best managed, best
equipped and best constructed road in the
United States, if not in the world, and not
withstandng the train was considerably
behind time and did not reach its destiua-
tion until after one o'clock in the morning,
we were met at the depot and welcomed
by our kind hearted kinsman, JAS a, Nc
Pike, grocer, of Penn street, to whose resi-
deuce we were conveyed in a spring wagon
and with whom We taTried until the follow
ing night, when we once more resumed our
journey, this time over the Pittsburg, Gin
ciuuati and St. Louis Railroad, otherwise
known as the ''Pan Handle" the shortest,
cheapest aud most popular route to the
Great West. The snow blockade on the
Pa. r. r. delayed the dt parture of the train
for a couple Of hours, and a similar cause
interfcred with its progress to such an ex-
tent that we did not arrive in Indianapolis
until the evening Of the second day after
our departure from home. At the latter
city we remained long enough to take sup
per and negotiate for the purchase of our
new press, after which we seated Oursclf
in ous of the comfortable cars of the Van
dalia Liue-a road which we advise every
one going 1est 70 travel-and we're soon
steamiug away in the direction Of St. Louis,
which city we reached about nine O'Clock
the following morning. Here We remained
for several hours, portion of which time
was spent in the company Of our clever
friend aud patron, Dir. John y. Storm, a
young Cambriau who is doing a thriving
business as a surveyor and civil engineer
in the vicinity of that city. From S. Louis
to Kansas City, a distance of two hundred
and odd miles, we were obliged to pay half
fare, the only courtesy which Mr.. Lord,
General Passenger and Ticket Agent for
the st. Louis, Kansas City and Northern
Railroad, could extend to us in the absence
Of the Genera Superintendent. 4 half loaf
being better than no bread, we accepted
the situation with gratitude, especially as
the favor was accompanied with the assur-
ance that pass would be sent Us to return
which we regret for the sake of certain
gentleman's veracity was not done, aud had
it not been for the courtesy of certain Kan
sas Pacific Railroad officials at Kansas City
we would have been obliged to pay fun in
stead Of half rates over the St. L., *. {.
and Y. r. K. coming back. This by way
of pareuthesis. and now let US say that our
"trip between the two cities named wasn't
the most delightful We ever experienced,
the road bed being rough aud the bumps
cores spoudngly developed, wrong end fore
most. We found some comfort, however
in one of the reclining chairs with which
the cars on this road, or portion of them
at least, are furnished, and FOR this we felt
thankful, as the rest thus afforded was lItlle
if any less peaceful, so far as accommoia-
tious were concerned, all the toilet conve-
uIeuces being attached, than it cost us
81 30 per night to enjoy in sleeping and
dining car on the Pan Handle route In
the Grand Union Depot, Kansas City, which
by 'he way IS 4 large and magnificent struc-
ture, and which we reached Sunday fore
noon, we were met by Mr.. Joe H. Gadd,
one Of tbe most sincere and uuselfish friends
we have in the world, aud by him conduct
ed per street car to his cozy and comfort
able cottage in Wyandott, where we were
cordially welcomed by his amiable wife aud
only child, a young man aged about eigh-
teen, whose health, we regret to say is none
Of the best, aud where later in the day we
had the pleasure Of being Joined at dinner
by Mr.. John Flanagan youngest son of
Judge Flanagan, Of Johustowu,) and bis
handsome young wife. whom we found liv-
ing on the opposite side Of the street from
Mr.. Eadd'S residence. Both the gentlemen
named, II is proper 20 say, hail from Johns
town originally, and are both in the en-
ply OF the Kansas Pacific Railroad Com
pany, MIR. Gadd as clerk in the Machinery
Deparl meut and Mr.. Flanagan, if we mis-
take not, as a machinist in the same de
Iartment. We may remark Just here, cB
pGss1Ht, that Kansas City is thriving
aud prosperous place Of 40, 600 or therea-
bouts, aud that it is built for the most part
on blum, which makes il one Of the most
inaccessible and to our mind one of least
desirable spots upon which to found
city. Then, too, the original settlers seem
I to have been impressed with the idea that
land was entirely TOO valuable to waste in
streets, aud hence made them 50 extremely
narrow That ii must he difficult for two
teams to pass each O.her in most of its
thoroughfares. But we digress, and must
hurry ON. Wyau0ott, where we tarried
about twenty-fuur hours. ic situated in
what may be called the subuI bs Of Kansas
City, and, Ike it, is for the most part on
an elevation. 1t is The tirSt town in Kan
SaS, its more pretentiOus neigh Dor being in
/ Missouri, aud contains a. population Of
abunt 5000. Leaving Kansas City at II
o'clock Monday forenoon, we had an np-
portunity as we glided gently and smoothly
onward in comfortable car on the Kan
sas Pacific Railway, to gaze with rapture
on one of the finest countries il has ever
been our good fortune TO journey through.
. True, our visit was made at most I'M
/ seasouaOle time of the year, but we never
thcless found much to admire in the lay of
the land and the unmiStakable evidences
of thrift and prosperity which greeted us
on every hand. Thus we sat euraptured,
as il were, until the shades of night closed
. in upon us and Topeka was reached. Here
EI. ii.