The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-11-01
A Trip to Kansas.
FAREWELL 70 TOPEKA.

fAhIh Tl'l' ~ Ipi ishN'
To those who have visited the gorgeous CAPT
Ital of our own state, the legislative building a,
Topeka will at first seem severely PLAIN and
almost commonplace. 1t is surrounded by
large grounds, which may be made very beau
: tiful when the hand of art has changed them
by its transferring touch. But one wing-the
east one--Is completed. The other two-the
t main building and west wing-are in process
of completion, and large force of workmen
are constantly employed in polishing the I'M
mense blocks Of stone which are soon to find
their permanent place in the structure.
1t is weary work climbing up the long flight
of steps; but you are more than rewarded
when you stand beneath the shadow Of the tall
beautiful Corlnthian columns, for breezes that
you supposed did not exist come and lay their
cool fingers upon your heated brow, and Tope-
ka lies just below looking very fair in her
summer robes
!; No costly marbles chill you with their cold
magniicencc as you enter the wide hall; no
frozen form of hero or statesman extends It's
silent greeting; no mighty dome lifts itself to
meet the heavens. Things in general are mod
estly PLAIN, tasteful, comfortable. 1t may be
that in the future, when the capitol is complet-
ed, it will throw all its sister state buildings
INTO the shade, and pilgrims from the East and
from the West will gather IN its lofty halls to
learn how beautiful the thronechamber of a
peoples authority may become. Wisely and
well the people Of Kansas have decided that
they will have a plain capitol until they are
able to build magnificent one; that they will
neither run in debt for 1t, nor put their noses
to the grindstone Of undue taxation to obtain
It, and for the wisdom of their decision all sen
sblc citizens will commend them.
One of the most deeply interesting spots in
the whole building Is the Governors room;
not, however, from the fact that it is his sane
tum, though nobler man than Governor St
John rarely graCcs chair of state-but from
the thrilling associations which cluster around
the large glass case in one corner of the room.
Behind those doors were the battle-fags of
Kansas. Torn by bullets, stained with blood,
grimmed in the battle'smoke, who could look
upon these dumb witnesses of heroic bravery
with unmoved heart and unthrilled pulse |?
But though the flags were silent they had
found an interpreter III the soldier general
who stood beside them, and as we listened
with intense interest to his words and looked
over the old records with HIM, we felt that
though Kansas was scarcely out of her baby
hood during those years she made for herself
a magnificent history.
From those trophies of the battlefelds on
which the state had made for herself a glori-
Gus name, to the trophies gathered from the
harvest fields which are giving her a proud
position AMONG her sister states was short
and pleasant journey. Occupying promi-
ncnt position near the entrance of the agricul.
tura department is the handsome vase OF
black marble presented by the ladies of Wyan-
dotte City, Kansas, to the centennial. Its sig.
nifcant ornaments are the arms of the United
States and the seal of the state and it bears
upon its base the nscrlptson, Wrought by
Kansas skill from Kansas materials"
Here, too, is the massive book, bearing the
seal of Kansas exquisitely engraved IN silver,
which contains the names of the thousands of
citizens who visited the great exposition in
1876
Not very far distant from this liable are the
cases containing the five exchanges of foreign
nations, Sweden, Russia and Brazil. Standing
beside one Of these cases. looking very life
ltEn and I'm SItuI,tly chop ynI IN Iaxo
when he roamed over the plains, is white
buffalo. 1t was captured $50 miles west of
Topeka.
Very interesting and possessing q 1ecp in
terest for lovers of natural science, is the large
collection of birds native to the state. Many,
in the varying tInts and brilliancy ofplumage,
approach the splendor of the tropics. One
particularly was delicate little creeper IN Its
dainty coat of white and blue.
There Is no reason why the citizens of this
favored state should not dress like princes
since they have the materials for a princely
dress within their borders. The proof of this
statement is found IN the immense samples of
soft, rich silks and velvcts manufactured at
Silkville, Franklin county, Kansas.
The samples of wheat make one think of
Tennyson's charge of the six hundred with a
slight variation
Wheat to the right Of yon,
Wheat to the left Of you,
Wheat in front OF you.
These plump round grains of bountiful pro
portions prove conclusively that Kansas alone,
IN time of need, could supply the world
with the staff of life-goOd bread.
A fine specimen Of barley possessed more
than usual interest for US from the fact that 1t
came-just think Of it-from Ottawa. Alas,
the pleasant illusion was totally dispclled by