The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-04-09
EuREKA.,

time in ten years. Jake Moon came
rushing up about IL O'Clock and said, Il
want you to go 70 Eureka" Thinking
he wanted US % act US one of sheriF's
posse, or something of that sort, we re-
specially declined. He then informed
US that L. U. Humphrey, lieutenant gov
ernor; willard Davis, attorney general
T.. !. Bonebrake, state auditor; John
Francis, state treasurer, and Jim Smith,
secretary Of state, were down at the tie
pot with Il special train. under charge Of
j. ID, Gum, Esq, going TO Eureka, the
state officers above named as board of
railroad assessors, to examine the road,
and you are invited to 60 along. We
Immediately ''lit out" From here went
Jake Moon, ID. W. Eastman, E. w. Gun
ningham. w. +. Ewing, and j. X.
Finley. Hon. John Guthrie, and C.
&. Baker, of the Commonwealth,
Topeka. were also members of the
purity We had not been to Eureka for
ten years, and were much Interested in
the improvements made, along the
route. Al Eagle creek there is q neat and
commodious depot close 10 the spacious
farm residence of Daniel Bitter. y post
Office has been established here called
Bitlert0wn or BitlervilIe, we are not
sure which, as we have not heard from
Washington in regard to the latest name
proposed. Mr.. Richardson of Green
wood county has been appointed route
agent 10 run between Emporia and How
ard, and commenced delivering mail
to Bitlertown and other points on the
route on Monday last. 4 gentleman
named l.. Ostram has opened II
store here in which the post Office
is kept II will undoubtedly be II great
convenience to the people on Eagle
creek At Madison We found a larger
village than we expected. Old Madi-
son was first laid out in 1858, mile or
two this side Of the present site. A. G..
Proctor, then prosperous merchant in
! Emporia, was one of the ''bosses" of the
town, and believed the state capital
would one day be located there. lie en-
Unused on Madison, and promised US
two town lots if we would go down and
write il up. We went. 1t Is curl
osity now 10 look at our files and
see what we said about the town
and its prospects. But before we
went Judge Bailey had rendered
the town famous in his fourth of July
poem delivered in Emporia that year.
His muse had sung of Madison with
her solid roek-built walls" We expect.
ed to find large stone hotel. We found
piece of crooked wall about four feet
high, laid up without morter. We took
our sow-belly and dodgcr at a cabin on
the creek bottom, and came home and
tried to swap our two lots for u pair OF
slop-shop pants but the calculating mer-
chant couldn't see IL. The lots are there
now. Madison is now on tha gouth side
of the river, looks enterprising. has
several brisk business houses, and
brother Lunsford publishes the
Madison News there, sprightly and
spunky paper, which is true represent
alive of the gOahead spirit of the popu.
lation. To the left of the town some dis
lance is the large plantation of the Hon.
William Martindale, who stuck his
stake" here in 1857, and who has here
grown opulent and influential. He has
one OF the most valuable farms to be
found in all southern Kansas. Here we
| noticed that the peach trees were in
bloom, and us full us they can be. This
was the case all the way down, and we
shall probably eat Greenwood county
peaches this season. Passing some finely
improved places and some beautiful strips
of county, as well as some that Is rough,
we arrived at Eureka little after one
o'clock. having been on the road about
two hours. Eurekai A beautiful town
sitting beside the babbling Fall river, on
an elevated and lovely site, 1 town OF
100 or 1900 people, with one ofthe best
court houses in the state. Also a com.
mOdious school house, several good look
ing churches, and large number oil
handsome stone and brick business struc
lures. In half an hour very credita
bic dinner was dished up for the party
at the Metropolitan. The party basIed
themselves in looking at the court
house, and ]. w. johnson took them
through the Jail. We called
on Tucker. Of the bank, the two Mich
olases, postmaster and land agent, at the
Herald, Graphic and Sun ofice9, on our
old-time school-mate, Billy Daum, now
county treasurer, met friends Phenis and
Harlan, attorneys, Mr.. Kenner, the coun.
ty clerk, formerly OF the Normal, Geo
II. Lille, long OF Lyon county, and
many other acquaintance, Altogether,
What change since we first visited Eu
reka. 1t lacked but few months OF
twenty-one years ago. Col Learnard
now of Lawrence, was the candidate for
district judge. There were probably
fifty voters in Greenwood all told, The
colonel was on u missionary tour, OF
course. Eureka consisted of one
log cabin and very large spring. We
ate dinner with DIR. Ashmore. He was
the sole occupant of the town site. Ash
more we think is dead, but Eureka is
marching on. With its good, enterpris
ing people, its favorable location, il can
not help but be an important CONNER
cial centre. The people are enthusiastic
ON the sheep question and this will be a
leading industry.
We came home in a little over an hour
and half. The road is in splendid
condition, and the whole party expressed
themselves as delighted with the ride
and with their visit 10 Eureka.