Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-07-31
KENTUCKY CORRESPONDENTS
NrcHoLAsvnLLE, KY, July Is.

NrcHoLAsvILLE, KY, July Is.
To the Editor OF the Daily Eagle:
For some days past the EAGLE hs
winged her way TO this portion Of th
famous blue grass region, and thong
the old bird is just two aud one-hsl
DAYS in her flight from her roost to thi
point, she is eagerly read when he
familiar wings freighted with iIding
from the now, famous Arkausa
Valley, are opened out before on
eyes. For who, when he has onc'
made his home in that valley, has fell
her gentle zephyrs fan and COO! hi
hot cheek when the mercury climbs
up among the nineties, has mingled
with her thrifty, enierprisirg and hos
pitsble people, has witnessed the al
most unparalleled production of heI
soil and wonderful growth of the
country, and still more wonderful
growth of the queen city of the south
west, when he returns east 10 his old
haunts, familiar scenes, and familiar
faces, old haif-asleep towns, and idle
listless ways of their people. could NOT
be otherwise than anxious to hear
from the land of his adoption
with her scenes of thrift and enter
prise, contrasting unfavorably with
those of the land of his nativity.
Nowhere on the route to this point
did we see, among all the numerous
towns and cities, one that would CON-
pare with Wichita in point of bust
ness, taking age aud size into consid-
Grafton, and nowhere did we see as
equally productive soil. not even ia the
Bluegrass regions, with its exception
ally heavy corn crop, for here there Is
atotal failure of wheat.
To say that times were dull here.
would not, TO our western msn, con-
vey the idea of the hard times. Bust
ness is at a complete standstill, the
bottom having dropped entirely out
aud left everyone discouraged and at
loss what TO do next. But there
seems to be no remedy, and in their
dilemma people do nothing but growl
and seek 10 lay the blame on some
thing or somebody, bat on what or
whom they have not yet discovered.
This county. though old, is still
highly productive, and nature has been
lavish in bestowing her benefits on
those fortunate enough TO gain foot
hold in this exceedingly beautiful re-
giou, adorned everywhere as it is
with a carpet of beautiful green of
spontaneous growth of blue grass;
with lovely woodlands through which
ripping streams of the purest spark
ling waters flow, slopiBg fields of wsy-
ing corn, oats, hemp and tobacco;
beautiful scenery on every hand,
through which wind like white rib
bon the macadamized roads far away
out of sight till lost to view in some
cool. secluded glen.
The rugged scenery along the Ken
rucky river is unsurpassed anywhere
and is especially grand where the
Queen and Crescent" route spans the
deep chasm with trussle bridge 2s7
feet high, which bows over from per-
pendicular cliffs of solid stone from be-
tween two i'm mense towers on either
side. built by Gen. Combs in 1856, who
was born in 1898 and lived in
Lexington till short time ago. Look
ing from the river upward, a large
man on the bridge appears to be Of
the size of an eight-year-old boy.
Near this bridge a monster camp
meeting is in progress, where the
voi.es Of Talmagp, Sam Jones and
other notables have sounded through
the groves 4 few miles south Is the
old town of Harrodsburg, founded
by companion of Daniel Boone James
Harrod over one hundred years ago.
A short distance eastward up the river
is Boone's Knob, where the old hun
ter was wont TO view the surrounding
country, on the lookout for Indians.
Beneath this knob is Boone's cave,
where he probably passed much Of
his lime resting from weary tramps
from fort to fort. East of us is Boons-
borough. founded By Boone himself
wears ago. The town from which |
write was founded ninety years ago,
and here in this county Gen. W.
%. Butler, who commanded the
forces in Mexico when the
city fell, was born in 1884,
So when We see how long it has taken
to develop this country, the years that
have flown since the founding of her
small &c wns and cities. we are lead TO
wonder still more at the very wop-
derful growth of county that few
years ago was considered a desert and
nnihhabirable, and are not surprised
at the Incredibly of the people of
those older states when Western
nan attempts TO give a description OF
the magical growth of the far aud
wonderful West, her unbounden re-
sources. her prosperity aud promises
of a still grander and greater future.
DIR. q. NJ. HESpREN.