The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-08-24
Colorado Letter.
S. d. l..

LGNDELL HOTEL, DENVER, CoLo.,
August 10, 1881.
ED. REPUBLICAN, thinking that an ar
ticlo from the Occident may be acceptable
to the readers of the REPUBLICAN, l will
indite short letter to your columns.
l started for this land ofprecious metals
on the 9th inst, leaving Oil City at 300
p. M, via the n. Y. p. & o. r. r., which
company issues through tickets, ono of
which secured by the following routes.
First, n. Y. p. & o. r. r., Oil City to
Cincinnati. BY this line we passed
through a portion of Pennsylvania and
Ohio, which has long been noted for its
fertility and agricultural wealth. The
crops which yet remained unharvestod
appeared to be very good, especially the
corn, much of which was two feet taller
than have ever seen. As evening drew
near began to think it time for supper.
but on sped tho train until quite dark
when we arrived at the small town of
Kent, when we were furnished not quite
second class supper for the modest little
sum of one dollar. Enough of Kent for
me. Being quite tired L retired to nv
berth in the Pullman sleeper and the
things OF the earth troubled me no longer
until the porter called out: "Chanre cars
in an hour" Seven-twenty 2. III. found
us III Cincinnati; We were met at the
depot by the Ohio and Mississippi Omni-
bus company's buses and conveyed to
the depot of the Ohio and Mississippi
Railway, which line we were to take for
st. Louis. Second the o. 81 Nj. Il. r.. to
st. Louis taking us for about IL miles
down along the Ohio river and then put
ting out into the prairie of southern Indi-
diana and Illinois. Being aboard of a
through express train we did not stop at
the little towns many Of which we passed
aud which showed considerable enterprise
and material wealth. Tho corn crop of
southern Indiana and Illinois is a failure,
all parched and dried up; most of it al
ready dead to the tassel. I have much n
better opinion of Vincepnes, Ind, than of
Kent, o, We were furnished first-class
dinner for forty cents. Nincennes is
thriving city of about $4,000 inhabitants,
and with its railroads bids fair to become
one of the leading cities of the west. A
passenger pointed out to me the Old Fort
where Ex-President Harrison stayed for
several years.
Evening brought us TO st. Louis, the
smoky city ofthe west. Here we crossed on
one of the finest bridges ever built, the
great Father of Waters"-the Mississippi
rlVer-Which hero is not over three
fourths Of a mile wide-merely estimating
distance-and then passed through "The
Tunnel" under the city. We were COM
pelied to shut down the windows to keep
out the smoke and hot air. You may
wonder at that. I had with me ther-
mometer ard barometer and made ar
rangements to leave them on the rear
platform before entering the tunnel. On
emerging in Union depot I consulted
them; they registered as follows Their
mometer llS; Barometer 1924 in From
the above one can easily imagine how
long person could live in the open air
OF this 'sWeat pit tunnel" Third. The
Chicago Alton r. Il. to Kansas CITY
by this line we were again "drawn over
the Goals Through the tunneD to the east
side of the Mississippi, and on Dorthward
along ITS line in H., TO Roadhouse. where
Wewere attached 10 an express on the moin
line and re-crossed the Mississippi river
at Louisiana, thence across the state of
Missouri crossing the Missouri river at
Glasgow. The Missouri here seems as
large as both rivers at st. Louis. Both
crops and soil are far superior to those of
Indiana and Illinois. Some scattering
timber may here and there be found along
the line of railroad but as general thing
the country is without timber that is, the
part through which we passed. 1t being
night when we passed through the greater
part of Missouri can say very little about
iC. AT 1902 a. m. we arrived at Kansas
City. 1t is a great railway centre and the
livliest town Of its size 1 have ever been
in. Fine buildings greet you on every
hand, and nearly every industry is here
going on. 1 should like to have had about
two days time to look about town but as
only had as many hours did not see
much Oft and can say but little of this
famous city.
Fourth and last. Tho Union Pacific
(kansas Division) r. r, to Denver By
the above line we left Kansas City at ll:OO
a. IN. and ran through the garden Of the
west as far as Topeka. The country as far