The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-30

TOWARD Z" WEST aHoRE.
Editor Registess-O-and myself
left Kansas City for San Francisco ola
Portland on May 9th at 10 p. m.
Tickets (Srd class )cost as for all points
west. We found our emigrant car
much better and pleasanter than we
expected. We rolled up in our quilts
and at daylight Of the 7th passed
through Junction City. We saw a
beautiful country full Of tall wheat till
we passed through Saline County.
There we came to barren lands. In
the Smoky Hill valley they had not
cut their corn stalks yet and 1t was
very dry. Saw the first snow fence
west of Saline county. They are
built at all cuts to prevent drifting ov.
er the track. The points Of interest
we saw on the 7th were Fat Harper
and a few large ranches. Buffalo
grass was not green yet but cattle
were feeding on 1t. Saw lots Of Prair-
RE dogs between Black Wolf and
Wilson and they were invariably close
to houses, the track and Villages.
The train did not seem to scare them
as we passed by them as close as so
feet. The burrowing owl sat on their
houses with them in perfect harmony.
The road Is laid on the sod with
bitches on either side for hundreds Of
miles.
Lots of Dandelions along theroad.
We passed over several washouts Of
stone bridges go miles west of Kansas
City.
West of middle Kansas there is not
to be found a single stock of corn or a
tree or shrub of any kind. IT'S all
buffalo grass and sand.
Windmills are seen On every ranch.
Hays City Is pretty place but has
no trees. There is pretty fort south
Of the city, large roller mills north of
the city.
At Ellis there are large coal banks
for the road, railroad shops, round
house, and is quite place, but tree
less. From here to the Colorado line
we saw 80 Antelops. Saw st. L. Fl.
8. & w. R. r. car on the side track in
Colorado. Our car was full of folks
bound for Portland Oregon, with one
exception, which was fine looking
young man % years of age, named
Arthur Huntington. Hewas a watch
engraver by trade at Springfield Ill.
and was going to be cowboy this
season for his health. Two young
ladies, strangers to each other, were
alone in our car. One was a Doctor
and stopped off at Spokane Falls w.
T., and the other waa named Ellen
Dunnaven and was bound for Eugene
City Oregon. We arrived at Denver
in the night about 12m., and lay on
the side track till z a. m. of the Sth.
The air at Denver was cool and brac-
ing and the mountains covered with
snow look very beautiful. The soil
around Denver would shock Kansas
man. 1t is all sand, gravel and gum
DO mixed. yet by irrigation it raiaes
large crops of wheat, oats, barley and
garden stuff. There are no farms,
fences or cattle till you get to Hender-
son IA miles north of Denver. Be-
tween these points the Platte river
runs through sand and gravel desert.
They do not work the roads here, they
simply attend to irrlgating bitches
and the dry hard gravel roads do not
have to be worked. This vast waste
of land would have been monotonous
If it had not have been for the snow
capped mountains to our left. When
at Denver we could see a pretty tall
peak that seemed to be about miles
off to the west and miles to the north.
1t was really from 60 to 100 miles off
and when we got to Greeley Al miles
north of Denver we were just abreast
of this tall peak and when we got to
Cheyenne 107 miles from Denver this
peak looked to be the same distance
off to the west and miles to the north.
Greeley is dandy town and the on
ly town 1 have seen since I left lola
that I would prefer to lola. 1t is laid |
out in perfect square, on a level
plain just opposite Of this tall range of
with running ice water in |
little bitches on either side of each
street. Large trees are growing in |
each street and lot(not leaved out yeti
and blue grass and other grasses a.
bound. This place has a branch road |
to Fl. Collins 2miles away. Greeley
is Al miles from Denver and IS miles |
from Cheyenne.
At Denver butter is down and sells
at 80 cents; eggs, II to q cents per
dozen; fruit, grain, and vegetables
high; corn, 20; oats, S1.75; hay, S24
per ton; and straw, So per ton. Saw
several Antelopes north of Denver.
While nasainO over tho d;v;do met