The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-11-09


me, but Ut that time the town was small |
IL was rival % Kansas City, two or
three miles below. We distinctly recall 4
seeing The sun rise the morning /
of November 1st over The btashy |
hills across tie Kaw. between Wyan-
doiie and Ksnsas City. November I'd /
the Journey T. the Eeoano river was be- /
gun with an OK team and covered wag- 1
GA. This part OF The TRIP was the most |
appalling Of all, for, coming from the |
midst OF tlie city, not one Of the lamiiy |
had ever lad any experience with oxen. |
4 was awkward, aud continual appre-
hension was felt. Tie drag was put on |
IT every decline IN the road, and ell the |
boys got out Of the wagon st every hill
and pushed while the oxen were going
Hp. Ten miles were travelled the first
day, and thai Bight we slept II the house
Of a prosperous Nyandotte Indian.
Lawrence was reeched the afteraoOn of
the third day, and the Kaw FLYER crossed
on ferry boat a little below the present
bridge Memory brings back the scene
on Mass achuse!ts street, particularly
HoFnsby'S oHe-story frame store on the
north side Of the street, az the top
Of the river bank was assembled.
Teams were hauling brick for the new
llAhtA4EE 11O4S(y sAtS41 was GGStAOJS0
IN the Quantreil raid. Night was al
most on SIS the canvas covered vain"
slowly headed toward Yates on tine Wa
karuSa. That night, the 4th of Noyem-
Der. was an Introduction TO Kansas not
\ calculated to throw one into raptures.
| Dense darkness came before the Wakaru-
sa was reached. 4 storm arose, the light
| ming flashed necessarily, peal after peal
| Of thunder followed as frequently and
\ vigorously as in a midsummer storm.
The rain fell IN torrents, the oxen left
the road, entered trackless and IN
known prairie, and next We were lost.
| All that night the oxen were hitched to
the wagon on the prairie, shifting about
IS the wind changed. 1t was an i'm
pressIve event TO such fiedgling pioneers.
The next morning found us not tar from
| Yates, an old MissOurian whom all the
! immigrants and trayelers on the Law
renee and Emporia road viii remember.
McGee's, on the old Santa Fe trail, at
the crossing of One-Hundfed- and Ten
creek, comes clearly to our mind That
WAS the end eff one days drive. Bur
iingame was the next place, then Rice's
at the crossing of the Dragon, where
watermelons were brought forth in sound
and palatable condition. from beneath
haystacks. Rice was pro-slayeTy man
and at one time during the war harbored
at his place Bill and Jim Anderson, the
noted Missouri guerrillas and despera
does. The next night found us at Elm
creek, and the evening of the next day,
Sunday, November g, 1857, afte-
consuming seven days travelling liz
miles, the family reached the log cabir
in the Neosho river timber, near where
the Santa Fe railroad now crosses thai
stream, three miles northeast of Empo
ria, and the slow and toilsome journey
was ended. A few days alter this th'
, writer walked over TO Emporia, count
, ing the houses in the new town, TIT
, number being thirteen, and bought I
half pound of shot from Charles 5. Hills
/ then q store clerk, but afterwards tint
/ gallant lieutenant colonel of the Tent
, Kansas This was our fist purchase il
Kansas.
This is merely mention of our CON
ing to Kansas. a review of early expo
riences and observations since then vii
not be attempted, but our mind is file
with q boys impressions OF plonee
: days, of the drouth OF 1860 and It's con
e sequences, of Indian scares, OF the wa
| of the rebellion, and many events tina
> institute interesting links in the histC
: ~ of the territory and state. We STAR
j ed out simply TO lay that Wednesda
= night of this week was the twentv-fift
, anniversary of our landing IN Kansas
and wish TO add further that we feel tb
same pride over it that imbues all tn
< old settlers who can date back to terri
i, | tOrial DAYS