The Rock Island Argus., 1880-08-20

Interesting Letter from . Rock Island
Tourist---Kansas and the Exo-
dus---The Crops.

| COLORADO SPRINGS, Col. Aug. Is, 1880.
Editor Of the Argus.
From this delightful little city. with its
clear skies and cool atmosphere, nearly
| {, 700 feet above you, pity the dwellers
| along the banks of the Mississippi river
breathing Q muggy atmosphere, sweltsr-
| ing in heat and bitten by mosquitoes.
| Here it is not necessary to get up at mid
night and perch on ones bed post in order
| to get enough of the free air of heaven to
run small pair of lungs, nor to run the
risk of dislocating your shoulder In an
unequal combat witha myriads OF blood
| thirsty mosquitoes. for their song is not
heard in all the land. This city has q
population of over 1000 aud lies at the
| foot of Pixies Peak, about IS miles south
of Denver and 40 miles north of Pueblo,
and ia the principal town on the line Of
the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, a
narrow Ruaye running from Denver,
down into southern Colorado and from
Pueblo to Leadville 60, located on an ele-
waited plateau with the Pixies Peak range
OF mountains lying Immediately in front
of it on the west and vast expanse OF
plain stretching away to the eass beyond
the utmost reach of human vision, with
broad gravel streets borderad with rows
of trees kept thrifty and green By streams
Of water flowing by their roots through
irrigating bitches and flanked with neat
cottages and handsome mansions in the
midst of velvety lawns OF ths freshest
vsrdure. Colorado Springs is the gem of
Colorado towns both to invslids and tour =
lists.
West of US standing iu its towering
gnradeur Pixies Peak. the silent sentinel
Of the age. catching and reflect
ing from its apex the golden beams
Of the rising sun long before they fall upon
the plains or towns. and while the plains
to the East of US are still scorched by
heat sheltering US beneath its great
shadows. In the immediate vicinity is
much of the scenery for which Colorado
10 so justly celebrated and 80 much resort
ed to. In addition to the Peak already
mentioned here are the Cheyenne noun
tain. Cheyenne Canon with its seven falls
Williams Canon, Q ueens Canon with its
Devils Punch Bowl. Glen Eyre, with it's
Tower of Pisa and Cathedral Rock ths
Garden of the Gods. Monument Park &o
&c. Six miles distant up the Ute pass is
Manutoo, the Saratoga of the west, near
which are several mineral springs includ-
ing the famed Ute iron spring and q
number of soda springs. This place 10
connected with that by railroad over on
which trains run every hour or two
through the day at this season of the year.
Gen. Grant is stopping there recuperatina
from his fatlgulng booms. but l have moi
yet paid my homage to him by registering
at the most fashionable hotel, and picking
my teeth Oh Its piazza and peering about its
corridors TO get a view of him. Not
knowing probably that [ am here, he has
not called on me. and as he goes to Den
yer to day to accept its contribution TO
his boom, we shall probably both miss
the opportunity Of our lives unless he
should return hers to rest after bis Den
yer boom.
The way to ger here from Rock Island
is to take the night train on the Rock
Island road to Kansas City and thence the
A tchison, Topeka and Santa Fe road to
Pueblo and thence the Denver and Rio
Grands here. The time tables are SO
arranged that o tourist or invalid can
make the trip entirely by day light or by
night rides, stopping off at Kansas City.
Florence and Lakin. In the portions of
Iowa and Missouri travers.d in day light,
the appearance of the fields gave promise
of abundant crops. though there was
everywhere manifest the need of rain.
which. hope, has ere this put an Immense
yield Of corn in those states beyond ques-
ton, Along the Missouri bottom the
crop had evidently not recovered from the
effects of the excessive rains OF the early
part of the season. | stopped coupls of
days at the capitol Of Kansas
and found that region very dry
and much in need Of rain, too. The
corn along the valley of the Kansas or
ksw river as it is called for short, proDi-
ses well. though if rain should be Withheld
much longer the yield would be seriously
-
dence OF prosperity in its increased popula
ton and the large additions to its build
ings. Among the notable features of the
town is the great number Of celored peo-
pie. They occupy to obstruction the shady
sides of the streets in the best business
centres when the sun shines hot and the
sunny side in the chilly hours of the day.
One gentleman, whose political education
bad prior to the exodus led him to believe
the colored people in the south were
greatly wronged people, assured me that
their presence in Topeka was seriou3ly
affecting the value of property, and il is
everywhere admitted that the migration
TO the state of such large numbers OF DC.
groes has seriously affected the prospects
of the state 10 turning away people from
it vino are seeking homes in the west, and
10 driving not few of the citizens cut.
The negroes have taken possession Of one
of the most pleasant and eligible of the
suburbs of the town and planted settle |
tnent of shanties which is known az Ten
nessee Town." into which shey
have transplanted all their
natural habits aud customs
much 20 the annoyance even OF the most |
stalwart admirers OF and sympathisers
with the race. One distinguished Repub~
publican politician, who has sought and |
public Office In the part largely
on the ground of sympathy aud readiness
to affiliate with ithe down-trodden negro
as his equal and brother, has become SO
disgusted with his colored neighbor that
bis fine mansion and grounds are offered
at sacrifice without a purchaser He is
nearly surrounded pystheir shantes, and
his family is continually regaled by their
presence or plantation melodies.
From Topeka west to the nelehborhood
of Newton corn looked well in the main,
but west OF that q promising Geld Of corn
was rarely seen, aud from q point some
what east of Larned westward for the
balance Of the journey every indication of !
successful agriculture is absolutely want
iug, the country being practically a waste. ,
[ learned from fellow passengers that |.
there are neighborhoo6s in the country
to Lsrned in which half dozen {
in tsuccession along a single
highway have been abandoned, the dis
'ouraged occupants returning east