The Indianapolis journal., 1883-08-03
MR.. ARTHUR IN KANSAS.
Incidents of Visit in the Days just Preced-
ing the Rebellion.

| Incidents of a Visit in the Days just Preced-
| ing the Rebellion.
| Washington Correspondence Leavenworth Times.
1t has been mentioned in the press that
the President made visit to Kansas in 1857,
and also that he made some investments
there, but it falls to your correspondents
lot to be the first to give the full story of that
adventure, just as it was received from the
adventurer himself. Lest there should be
some doubt about it, let me say that every
thing said by the President on the occasion
referred to was taken down by competent
stenographer, whose manuscript lies before
me as l write. If do not assume to give
the narrators precise language in the order
in which it was spoken, it is because the
conversation was necessarily fragmentary
and disjeinted, as incidents of the journey
| would recur to his recollection out of tn cir
| proper order in this narrative. The accuracy
| of every fact and statement, however, may
| be implicitly relied upon, and often the
| Presidents very language is chosen. The
| fidelity of the entire report is assured upon
| ths highest sanction.
As already stated, the future President Wis
tied the West for the double purpose OF max
| ing investments and establishing perma-
| nent settlement if fitting locality could be
| selected. He was accompanied by Mr.
| Henry ID. Gardiner, who afterward became
| his law partner, and who, some sixteen
| years since, entered upon that long journey
that knows no returning footsteps The
| travels of the two extended over some four
| months.
Soon after the arrival OF Mr.. Arthur and
4 his rriend in Leavenworth a big OoliticaI
meeting was held, which was addressed by
speakers of both parties. The pro-slavery
party was generally represented by talented
and earnest young lawyers from the South,
who affected broadcloth and high-heeled
| boots, and whose oratory was of the fervid
order, imbued with devotion to the Sunny
South" At this meeting in Leavenworth
the platform was projected from the windows
of the office of the Planters House, where
| Mr.. Arthur and his friend stopped, and Par
rott and Calhoun were the principal speak
ers on the respective Sides The visitors,
with other Eastern gentlemen were
escorted to the platform, and, in the language
of the President, participated somewhat in
the proceedings" After the meeting had
been in progress some time, and while Par
rott was speaking, some one in the crowd
below shouted You're liarl" There was a
| retort from the stand, and instantly a pistol
was fired. The President estimates that in
course of three seconds twenty or thirty shots
| must have been fired which had the effect to
| clear the platform rather precipitately, but
| apparently did no further damage than the
| wounding of one man slightly in the arm.
The Eastern gentlemen naturally considered
this rather lively introduction into Kansas
politics, but your correspondent could hardly
| gather from the Presidents words or manner
| whether he was more surprised at the facility
| with which a row could be inaugurated or at
the indifferent Workmanship which made it's
results SO harmless The President spoke
feelingly of Parrott's death, and was panied
to learn that that event had been preceded by
| the wreck of his intellectual faculties.
Mr. Arthur remained in Leavenworth for
some days. and, with his friend, purchased a
good deal of property there. The President
thinks they bought 200 or 800 lots in all, but
he has no means at hand of establishing their
identity or fixing their location. He thought
at the time that the investment could not
fail to turn out grand Success This was
the period of flush times" all through the
West. Speculation, especially in real estate,
ran wild. Great sales of property were being
made, with view to the building of new
| cities, and the extension OF the sites of such
as already had an existence. But there was no
| substantial basis for it all, and when the
| panic of that year struck the country the
bottom fell out with a crash. Real estate
| was a drug in the market for years to come.
1t follows that the President and his friend
| did not amass fortunes from their Leaven-
worth investment. They took their titles home
with them, and from time to time disposed
| of some of the lots, many as presents 10 their
friends, none of whom appear to have real
lied anything from them. The lots were un-
doubtedly in due time sold for taxes, and are
now, perhaps, the sites of handsome dwell
| ings or profitable business houses
From Leavenworth Mr.. Arthur went to
Lawrence by stage and he remembers
agreeably the excellent natural road upon
which the stage ran through the Delaware
Indian reservation and the picturesque
country that bordered it. He was tone
less enthusiastic in describing the horrible
ride to Weston, along the bluffs and across
the Missouri bottom. The stage tipped over
more than once, but the travellers, being on
the outside, had timely notice OF the catas-
trophe and managed to alght in a safe,
though generally soft place. Then there was
the usual prying up of the vehicle with fence
rails and the long muddy walks in mercy to
the struggling horses.
MEETING WITH JIM LANE.
At Lawrence, Mr.. Arthur and his friend
stopped at the American House, which was
destroyed by the cut-throat Quantrell in his
destructive raid of 1868. Here the President
first met General James II. Lane, better
known to old Kansans and still affection
ately spoken of by them, as "Jim," or "Old
Jim Lane. Lane introduced himself to the
visi tors, and the President recollects talking
with him great deal during the next two OF
three days. Lane also introduced Sam.
Walker, known and liked BY every man of