St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-04-21
Going West.
LEAvENwoRTH, Kan, Apr. 10, go.

New York. From that point the spring
gradually showed itself. At Leaven-
worth, Kansas, we found the yards
green, the soft maple in leaf, and apple
trees in bloom. The number and eX-
tent of the orchards through New York
and Michigan were something to in
terest people coming from non fruit
growing region but before reaching
this point one is more impressed with
the extent of level and arabic land
which stretches out on every hand.
We considered ourselves fortunate in
passing through SO large part of New
York, Michigan, Illinois and Missouri,
by daylight. The farmers of Illinois
are plowing their land, and the wheat
fields of Illinois, Missouri and Kansas
are now looking finely, with the grain
up from six to twelve inches high.
Kansas farmers say the wheat looks
quite promising now, but they remem
ber it did also last year at this time.
The papers of Missouri are just now
full of the life and "public services"
of their noted outlaws, the Jameses-
the head of the gang, Jesse, having
been shot few days ago. When our
train reached Kearney Saturday morn
ing, it took on board the widow of
Jesse James and her two little children
"a boy about five years old, and a girl
perhaps three-whO were on their way
back to st. 10, having been called to
Kearney to the funeral, as that was
Jesse's old home, and his mother still
lives there. Kearney looks like all
Southern tOwns-th -thriftless and dilapi-
dated. The little Baptist church
stands up on the slope, spireless and
alone, and is pointed out as the place
where Jesse was converted" From
this same church his funeral was held
on Thursday, and his remains buried
home. The widow of Jesse is a small,
plain-lOOking woman, and the children
bright but unkempt. They were all
three dressed with ordinary care, and
there was nothing i'll their looks to dis
tinguish them from the ordinary white
Missourian. One could not but reflect,
as he looked upon that face, of the in
ner life of the wife of Jesse James, the
outlaw, who butchered women and
children, and wounded soldiers, and
bank cashiers, and railroad conductors,
and express messengers, in cold blood.
How a woman must mourn the loss OF
such husband The good people OF
Missouri feel great relief at the death
of this desperate who, with his follow
ers, has been the terror of the state fol
twenty years. Gov. Crittenden re-
ceives much praise for his determined
effort to break up the gang. The
treatment is harsh, but the disease is
desperate. The general sentiment
among law abiding people here is that
{ such monsters as Jesse James should
be treated like ferOciOus tiger or {
mad dog at large.
Fort LeavenwOrth is situated thre,
miles up the Missouri river from Leav'
enwOrth city. The L. S. Government
i has reservation here of several thou
sand acres of land where is located !
B. military post under command of Gen
r Pope, and Il military prison, of whom
. Gen. A. p. Blunt is Governor. Her,
c we spent most delightful day will
/ the General and his family. Very ma
g ny readers of the CdledOniGn know Will
what heartiness the General remember
;, with what hospitality these three 81
r, JOhnsbury travellers were received
!, but they can never know all until the.
; come West themselves. The Genera
5, has all average of 450 prisoners, AM
A. one product of their labor is the max
+, ing of shoes for the entire army ais
4 harness, brOOms, chairs, etc. Beside
e these items there is IA garden of abou
one hundred acres where vegetable
u are raised for the prisoners. the guar
of 90 soldiers, and the officers in charg,
C with their families. The day we reach
" ed the Fort, the General had just tran.
s. planted some six thousand tomato an
rs cabbage plants, not expecting an
K, more frost. His peas are up nearly
3 foot high, and asparagus and lettuc
s. adorned the dinner table, all from tn
rs garden. During the seven years of h
5 command here, Gen. Blunt has enlarge
or and nearly made over the entire prii
ill on, supplanted the old wooden stOcl
Pl ade with a heavy, substantial wal
an built many new and handsome hOus,
Ia Ia used for officers quarters, and a me-
n and tasty stone chapel, cleaned up al
co beautifed the grounds about the po
in many ways, leaving the marks n
. only of good executive officer, but
a hard-working, industrious man, wi
turns everything put into his hands
the best advantage for the Cover
ment for it should be remember,
that nearly all this work has been dol
IN. by prison labor which, up to the tin
in he took command, was idle. If /;
es es, government offices were as wisely co
at Quoted, there would be no cause
os-
or complaint.
H. Here too we met our former town
., man, Mr.. Andrew West, faithful a
ad sistant of Gen. Blunt, and at the ci
/ saw for a few moments Mr.. and NJ
an Geo. Vaughan Mr.. V. is well lOcat
Of Il l. 1.:..z. - - 1.o++;