Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-22
Qua KAESAS LEfTER
Ths Prohibition Question Full and
logically Discussed.
Ex-G0v. ~. John and His Wsy
OF Enforcing the Laws.
corsIDondapes Public Lsdssr.

LAwBBSeR, KANSAS Jan. {, -.
In mo Christmas letter Ipsomissd
Dto write you again ABOUT the first OF
the New Yesf am now working
my way hard, a. you well know,
towards q hundred years, and l must
|eonfess that I never saw sneh a New
Year as the commencement OF 1888.
Kansas is yet wrapped in snow and
ice-the keen, frozen, wintry winds
are splitting and howliDg around the
corners eli our room, indicating that a
kansas hurricane may soon let loose
its fearful blasts upon us IN fact, our
landlsdy has told US several times to-
day that We would soon have q Kansas
storm. Still, the sun is shining out
doors as nicely as if 1t we're q soft,
balmy day 10 spring, bat occasionally
we can see small clouds floating above
us-"larger, yes, a good deal larger,
than a mans hand" from which,
every few minutes, large fakes OF
sneW falls to within a few feet Of the
ground, when they are caught up by
the stratas Of wind and away they 60,
rolling and tumbling against men and
horses, and buggies and carts, and
fences and houses. aud trees aud dogs.
then over the fences again. and away
they 20 towards the south, and from
one place to another, no n know;
wherethey finally 90, or what become:
of them while ia a few minutes more
the clouds break away and the sur
shines out as beautifully as before
This is Kansas weather, aud the good
people do say that it is a moderate
winter, SO far as it has gone. | wonder
how they are in Alaskan
The chickens group together, somt
setting down, others standing on one
leg, with the other drawn up in theil
feathers against their breast, appear,
ing TO be nodding, aud perhaps dream
log, for aught we know. How lonG
before they get their next meal, which
might be killed next, or will they
sleep warm aud comfortable through
the coming stormy night, while BobbiC
aad Jimmie are huggiug the warn
stove as closely as they can get, think
ing themselves white, perhaps, anC
rich as our mutual friends jay Could
w. II. Vanderbilt, the A tors, Roth
ohilds and others-or, perhaps, all o
them together, while Polly is pickinl
closely for a mole upon the left side Q
her mothers cheek and, believe mi
when | tell you that the day is cole
aud dreary in earnest. We often thinl
it cold in Memphis, bat the cold Their
is not a cipher to it here.
Ask the Kansians if il is not yer,
cold, and nearly every one Of them
male and female, equal and alike, vii
answer you, in their peculiar sepul
cheral lingo, which seems to be q con
glomeration Of graveyard or ghostl,
sounds: Its not very cold, thanks
do you think SOP Oh, no; this is no
cold weather, only tolerable." Will,
at the same time we are wondering
how long now before the fret zinI
time OF chickens and ducks, aud cat
and dogs, aud horses and hogs
aud cattle aud poorly clad devils viii
commend, and bless the remnant o
the great negro-no, no, beg pardon
the great cOlOred exodus that left Ala
bama, Georgia, Mississippi and a por
ton from Tennessee, that came Il
Kansas about three years ago, an,
really up to this good hour | have beel
at a loss to know why it was tina
they left the homes Of their birth
childhood and ripper years, the peOpl,
with whom they were born and raised
white and cOlored, the lands that ar
as good, perhaps as any in the world
producing what they had always beel
accustomed TO working aud raising
the climate that is as mild and suita
BILE 10 their natures to come to Kau
sas among strangers, white northern
people as a rule, that occupy thi
country, not knowing the nature
dispositions, wants and necessities q
each other one n~ssaiele @e..S .hs
either knew what was going on i
Japan, Abyssinia, or in UoDstantinapl,
unless it was that here they would b
more liable and would Soon becom
equalized with the people here, the
having all along declared that the
we're the cOlored people and reall
loved them so well, but many Of tn
good cOlored people have found gu
long ago"That everything that glitter
IS not gold" Some of these peopI
stopped in Topeka, the capital Of Ii
State, Lawrence. Otows, Atchisor
LeavenWorth, Wichita and otht
towns Of the State. While a gre,
many obtained positions on the difeI
ent railroads, a great mauy,as | undeI
stand, have died out from changes {
climate, unusual exposure, diseases (
the lungs, pneumonia, cOnsumptio
i typhoid fever, etc, ETC., and, perhap
! pretty hard living with many Of then
4 a great many OF these people ha,
: gone back TO their own home, De
!, haps, to live and die on the old piar
/, tations, and doubtless many OF the.
: were more than foolish to make ID
4 move in the first place.
1t is really diyerting to see the
congregate at the corners Of the prir
ciple streets and always on the sid,
that the wind blows less upon, laup
and talk politics aud other subjects [
graVely as ever did Daniel Webste
Henry Clay, John Q. Calhoun, To
Benton, Abraham Lincoln, and
8 could add U. s. Grant we're be not /,
= bad a talker as he is. james K. Pol
NOT Marsh, the eX- Treasurer of on
! %State-and many others that | eoul
. name, while at the same time, ID,
have en- nearly every rag they have
! the world, their old oyercoats draw
I around their manly forms, buttone
!. pegged or tied as closely as the fal
rics, from the lapse Of time, will alloy
Many of these ROSTERS expect q
: long to occupy places in the Legisl
ture, Representative and SENATOR
positions in Congress. and other placI
: Of trust and profit; you know that Il
present Auditor OF the State is a 90
Z ored gentleman, the hon. Mr.. McCab
, a fine locking mulatto, we'll educate
a man that appears to behave hims,
= as he ought and one that | must 5,
that | really admire. Mack is one
: my best friends. and l like him.
must inquire Of him if be is n ak
to our MeCsbe in Memphis;
lie would like to be akin to him mysel
If Look over yonder, and you will )
o another group talking so lOvIy tn