Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1885-09-24
KANSAS LETTER.
HARPER, KANRAs, Sept. 4, 1885.

SaS, IL ls Impossible 10 Tedllhe tiit idCt
in It's true significance, until one journeys
throughout the length and breadth OF the
State, and reflects that scarce dozen
years ago the great part Of Kansas was
In wild State, her fertile prairies yet
unbroken, covered with herds OF ante
lope and buffalo, her vast resources
undreamed of, and the possibilities of
her wonderful development only dis
cerned by the far seeing eye of that
modern seer, and great civiliZer, the
American railroad.
With sublime faith in the future of
the State, the railroad boldly pushed
out into inhabited deserts and civiliza-
ton followed the iron track. The great
Santa Fee in the centre, the Union Pa
cific north, the Southern Kansas east
and south have been the making of
Kansas, and twill be a long time before
her debt to them is fully paid, or with
out them nine-tenths of the State must
have been bowling wilderness to-day.
American energy, provided throughout
the world, has never been more magnfi-
Gently displayed than in Kansas, where
1t has rescued a vast territory from a
state of nature and transformed it into
a veritable garden, dotted all over with
villages, cities and towns, where are
found all the leisures and enjoyments
which go to make up a happy life. But
perpaps have moralized long enough,
so will turn to something more inter
esting. 1t was my good fortune to take
trip, not long ago, of some nine hun
dred miles, passing through the south
ern and central part of the State, and
the principal towns thereof.
Wellington, q place of some six thou
sand people is on the Southern, Kansas,
thirty-five miles east of Harper. 1t has
good churches and schools, has water
works, five public buildings-a new court
house built of Winfield stone, at a cost
of 100000, including two good school
houses, and is one of the best towns in
Southern Kansas-Harper always eX-
cepted. My next stop was at Independ-
ence--one of the oldest towns in this
part of the State-about $50 miles east
fhere. The day was there they were
making trial of their water works, and
it was very interesting to watch the
streams of water from the hose as they
dred feet into the air. Every consider
able town in Kansas has water works,
the plan of construction being very
simple. A tower some sixty or seventy
five feet is built, on top of which is
placed large tank, into which water
Is forced be steam power. Water works
are generally put in by company, the
city paying a fixed rent for their use.
Here q town is scarcely begun, before
water works are talked of, and by the
time it is year or two old, the talk be-
comes a sometimes sand gas,
and street railrordsfollow, las was the case
in Wichita, which is now q place of
some sixteen thousand people, and
claims to be strong rival of Kansas
City-not being noticeable for that retir-
ing timid disposition characteristic of
Kansas towns.
Stopping at Chanutt over night and
in Wovelson county, a day or two,
next fond myself in Wichita, the town
of central Kansas. The next
morning 1 took the cars for New
ton, where had the pleasure of meet
ing President Taylor of the State Nor
NAL School, who is building up the
reputation of the school at rapid rate,
making it second to none in the West.
After securing from him a promise to
visit Harper county and to lecture be-
fore our teachers association, I took the
Santa Fee West, and reached Huthin-
son some two hours before time for the
regular train, having travelled on a
freight.
spent those two hours very pleasant
ly and profitably and at eight p. m.
took the train for Garden City where is
the Uuited States land office for that
district. Garden City is typical west
ern town OfsOme two thousand people.
Some very fine business blocks are going
up, among them one of white ham
mered stone which will, when finished,
equal any in the larger cities of the
State. never saw a town in which
there were so many land agents, every
body is bound either to buy or to sell
land, and the agents aid them all they
can, and as nearly every other man is a
land agent, one gets considerable expert
ence in a short time. They said it
was an "off day" at the United States
Office, but they crowded the place soon
as it was open, entering land, a great
part entering stree Claims" and had
not had letter of ofintroduction, / would
have been stranded in that place over
Sunday. AS it was, got away on the
ten o'clock train and reached Hutchin-
son at $50 in the evening, remaining
over Sunday there, instead of having
to stay among strangers.
Hutchinson is one of the finest towns
1 have been in, in Kansas or any where
else. The trouble with Kansas towns
is that for the most part they are laid
out with no calculations for the future,
and the streets are generally narrow,
without fences, and all have distress
ing air of newness, which is very try
ing to one who is at all aesthetic in his
taste. Everything is made subordinate
to the making of money. If a project is
placed before business men the first
question is, twill it pay" if not no mat
ter how worthy the object it fails, for
no business man will give a second
thought, but if he can see money in it,
he will pay out freely to futher it. In
Kansas towns everything is rushed. If
a man is "rustler," he is valuable
citizen, if not, he does not receive much
consideration. 1aF9 tTf h1f ,GI
"Yes sir" said an enthusiastic citizen
right smart town, stranger. It's only
six months old yet, and it's got two ho-
tells, forty-eight beer saloons, twenty
seven gambling places, four drug stores,
to say nothing of grocery and clothing
stores, and the best half mile tract west
of the Missouri" "Anyl churches y
asked the stranger, "Any what?''
"Churches?" "Well no." he replied