The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-07-17
rnoaI ZEE HIsTOnlc ,CTrr.
Impressions o. EAwFeAee - NotSa by
Rev. DE-. Cordl0y.
Ta-~wcw Tufsz ~ 1894

i LAWRENCE July H. 1864.
Ems. NRwsi In returning 20 my old
hotne here many things impress me.
The town itself has not changed 80 much.
In few years past It has grown vigor-
ously and Il now very prosperous. The
census this year marks decrease f600,
| yet new houses have been built in all di-
rections; everything Is full and running
over, and the school census shows .
gain OF about 800 children Of school age.
At least 1000 must have been added to
the population this last year. The in
ference Is that the census taker last year
was very enteEprising man; possibly
the same who took the census Of Wlchi-
Ia the present year. The population Of
the place Is really about 1900. gain
Of 8 900 since 1880.
Asto the resources Of Lawrence, she
has not the large sweep OF territory
tributary which EmporIa has, as there
are large towns in every direction with
IN thirty or forty miles But the coun-
try she does have is unsurpassed. Doug
las county is becoming avery rich coun-
~. The farmers are getting good hous-
es and barns and sheds. and many farm
conVeniences The country around here
Is dotted over with orchards. groves and
clumps OF trees, 30 that you would hald-
ly dream it was prairie country. There
il more show Of trees in this county
now than in the county came from in
Michigan, which was originally wood
lands The fruit crop Of this county is
enormous, and Is source of large rev.
enue. Immense Quantities of apples
were exported last year in all directions,
and the present year promises an equal
crop.
Lawrence, also. is developing large
manufacturing interests. The building
of the dam acr,ss the RAw, which for
many years tempted every Law
rance man To spell 1t
with an "D," has become
great success. Nice large Touring
mills running day aud night, turn of an
immense amount of the best e 'ur. B.
sides this there are machine shops. pa
per mill, chemical factory, canning fac
tory, wOOdGnWare factories, and others,
and more coming. The section by the
river, with lis raiIling wheels and Ca
bles. have very inspiring and hopeful
look.
Then, besides our excellent system of
public schools, Lawrence has the State
University, en- Indian school established
by act of congress, and school for the
feeble minded established by the state.
The State University has about six hun
drtd students, and when its various de-
| partments are developed, 1t will take its
place b side the best institutions in the
land. These institutions of themselves
would create a town of five thousand
people. Among the educational insti-
tutiOns Of Lawrence may be nam
ed its splendid city library.
It began IN a small way years ago, anu
was conducted by library association
But It's needs were always greater than
its resources, and finally the city took
charge Of 1t. II has grown constantly IN
value and popularity. 1t has large, well
lighted rooms, nicely furnished, = splen-
did assortment of books, conveniently
arranged, and all the freshest papers
and magazines. On q winter evening
the rooms are full ofyOung people quiet
ly reading. 1t Is so located and so
kept that it Is an attraction and a de-
light.
| Ono thinm "a h,ch h.a channad tho aa
pect of Lawrence Is the growth of trees.
This his been simply marvellous. Many
years ago there was a stree planting
boom" which / helped TO lOster The
twigs we planted then are now great
trees. measured a maple l planted by
my old place and found it fully two
feet In diameter. In the nine years
Of my absence Lawrence has
become forest. The hillsldes and
country around are covered with great
trees. You walk along the streets for a
mile under continuous shade. The ma.
pie predominates, but all varieties are
fOund-elm. walnut. willow, black 10
Gust, caialps, oak. birch. chestnut and all
kinds of fruit trees.
In some things Lawrence is behind
Emporia. No place In the state hal
such beautiful private grounds, yet in 4
dry time they are like a desert for wan
of water. The water works question has
been discussed for fifteen years. AteverJ
meeting of the city council, like the
boys licking at school, aft is one of thu
regular exercises" But every ward pol
itician has fully developed system o
i Waterworks In his head and knows all
about It. AS no one, by himself, is
majority of the voters, except in his owl
estimation, We make ne progress. w,
have q FIRE engine, however. which i
very useful. 1t always gets round II
time to put the ember
out and prevent them spreading Abou
the town. EmpoTia, you remem
Der, had an engine once. When thu
! Normal was burning 1t sat on the fence
and looked on. It would have wept bu
it could not pump water enough TO
tears. Our engine here, think. coul,
do that Just about. The council, how
ever, has determined to meet the emeI
gency. At their last meeting they vote
to arrange with KSnsas City for the US
OF an engine in case of fire. The pla
OF procedure has not been made public
but as learn. IL is something like this
When fire breaks out the mayor Is t
call the council together. and they wi
/ aand . anacf.I unaaoaanar o., Ranaac CiiV
who is TO bring the engine up on tn
first local freight. Afler this, 1t
thought, no FIRE will be rash enough
break out. So you see, if we have n
Waterworks, We have enterprise, and 81
terprise answertth all things. TheI
are some who still insI:
We shall have water work
in the "Swect Bye and Bye
That dear tune will be sweeter than eve
If such should be the case.
In the matter of street railway we ar
doing better. During the hard time
the track was taken up, but stre'
line is now being laid in the best stYl
and the cars will be running in a . fey
days. 1t is already laid from Bismar
Grove to the bridge, and will sooD b
extended through the principle street
of the city.
There are many other Items of inter
might note, but this must do for ii
8 present insLallment. Yours truly,
= RICHARD CoRDLEY.
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al We clip the following from this week
a Hartford Call:
Il The foundation for DR. Sutlon's ne
:. bnilding is about finished, and the door
and window caps and stills are ON hand