The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1883-12-27
bEmporia News.
'NEOsHo RAPIDS.
kaiIrOad Infuses New Life " hat
- Town Has and Its surround
N inEa and frospscts.-Wree
.1|--a-st- Gsfr. ..afar G..EN~~a s.Hasaaaeaaa

Iake and f'r0spscts.--Vres
MethSutst College "
brief call n Neosho Rapids was
or interest 20 US The townsite is
lsAilsOlasst one III The county.
iss surroundings and GInIal I
,ntnges are snch as To attract
tioa. The town MAS laid out
D57 ~ Forest Il Page. late register
lzais. aud Hirams Sleeper. Aha WAS
slate senator and afterwards =
mastsr in the army. MIR. Sleeper
er went back % the town To live after
war. The runhing OF the old NJ. X
/. railroad south ofthe river. wAs
d blow on Neosho Rapids, from
ich il never fully recovered But
1t has a chance again, and its chi
b feel disposed totAke . new hold.
g 10 give the town fresh start. The
lass Cip q EmppriA road was
ished there Only . few weeks ago, and
eady new improvements are sprIng
up, aud nsW enterprises are beng
rted. II may not be known, but We
"a the honor Of naming thHt town and
b an interest In its welfare. Il was
rmeriy called Florence, then Italia.
A2pening along there in 1858.
met MOssrS. Sleeper and Page,
IA they asked us to suggest
new name, a. they were not
.tlsfied with Italia We had crossed
q river on horse back just beloW where
oberts & Jones' mill now stAads, snd
y beautiful rppids had attracted our
otice, 50 we suggested the name Of
eoahO Rapids. II was adopted by
e proprieIors At once. Now we want
say 70 the boys down there that they
bust strain every nerve to improve the
opportunity 10 bring the old town TO
he front, and II they do this We have
o doubt but fhAt We will all be sur
,riSed nj the results in the next five
Fears.
WHAT THE TOWN HAS,
IL Is surrounded by the best farming
ountry In Lyon county. The Neoshc
md Cottonwood valleys, tor quite dis
Ance west Of the town, are tributary to
!. East OF town IL 9 small valley, well
ettled, and north and northeast arr
Dry and Badger creek valleys. which
butAin large farms and cattle and sheer
hnches. The RSpids ought 10 becomG
he shipping and trading point for 4
Arge belt Of rich farming country. i
hes one Of the best water powers il
onthern Kansas. THIS is used now
md has been for many years, TO run thu
wAter mill of Roberts & Jones. Thi
all was built In 1880 by Peter Harvey
Il came into the hands Of ALT Robert
md John K. Jones, the latter of whom il
iust closing term Is county commission
sr, in 1868. The property At that tim'
WAs valued at ela. 900. They have spen
" much more in Improvements sine
shey purchased II. The dam has stooC
THE floods Of many years, and is one o
the beat in this section of the state
The Touring mill has three run of burr
And there is also saw mill attached
&c has been a very useful Institution Il
that section OF the country. The NeO
hhO Rapids brand of hour has Away
been popular in the markets Of the sur
fonnding towns, and has met u ready
sale. They turn out an average of 500
pounds of flour In 12 hours. Beside
making aour TO sell the mill does
large custom work. Roberts 81 Joue
buy wheat in large quantities and nov
have stored 5000 or 900 bushels. The
are also buying corn, for which purpos
they are erecting new CRIBS. They hay
= valuable property which the advent {
the railroad will enhances. This fri
hAs been Of great benefit 10 the Rapids an
surrounding county, as it has a
ways been snterpriSing and obliginI
The One water power and the fact lhI
excellsnt coal IL mined only three mile
nom the Cowh, and can be bad At IL
hank at ten cents per basADl ought
iaduco manufacturing enterprises
locate there, end We have no doubt wi
do 80 in the near fhture.i +,
The following IL the branches OF bi
mess carried on at present:
j. P. Tolford, general merchandise.
w. L. Hawkins. exclusive GrOcerie
Melton b Co, druggists.
DIR. 5. r. Reason, druggist and pra
ticing physician.
o. r. Richmond, meat market al
Hour.
]. I. Birely, harness shop.
A. Hawkins, blacksmith.
]. AcDunald & Co., wagon makers.
John Green, meat market.
David Main. livery and feed stable.
Z. A. Robinson, grain and catt
dealer.
ChAs. Miller. photographer.
w. Fl. Miller, Jas. Billado and
Roberts open their houses to the rr9E
ing public when necessary, but all a
Gnxious for q new hotel.
There are two church buildings
Methodist and Baptist.
The Odd Fellows and knights
Honor mSintEn regular lodges.
Neaaho RApids has q good brass bal
composed of the following msmbsl
John Mcdonald, leader; VIM. Gle
land, VIM. Byerly, A. HAWKING, Chi
Hawkins, Mr.. Melton, Robert Lal
VIM. Mckinney, John Massey, Fra
RosenQuist.
There are many desirable aud hAI
some residences in and about the tow
BUSINESS.
Ths store OF Mr.. Tolford is hsav
stocked and he does large ira
This is one of the oldest and solid
establishments in Lyon county, Mr.. I
fordS father having commend
there in busiaess many ye
ago. The post once is kept
Mr.. Tolford. He is very popular As q
~ The impression q stranger gets
entering Mr.. TOlford's store is that
needs moro room and will soon haV,
enlarge. The next largest establishm
in the town is that of Melton q
druggists. They have . good stock
keep . neat establishment in a 4
buildlng erected . few months ago.
the business men informed rs that tr
was good and had improved very NM
since the advent OF the railroads.
IMPROVEMENTS
Several new buildings have la
been completed. notably the new 81
Of Melton 3 Co, aud the commOdi
residence Of Miles r. Brown, Esq,
Or the Old citizens of that local
Work WAS commenced on Monday
this week, On the new depot. The fo
dalton of the new school house,
which Cal. Custer, of this city, has
contract. has been laid, and the carr
ter work 10 progressing. This build
ia 10 coat $4,000 The bonds hav,