Omaha daily bee., 1885-07-06

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number of living springs to satisfy the
demands of all stock. There are three
hundred acres of heavy timber land and
three hundred acres under cultivation, the
remaining four hundred acres being In
meadow and pasture land. In the pas.
lures are the very highest grades Of
blooded stock and it q sight to make well
sore eyes to gaze upon the sleek, tat an
imals, samples of natures most perfect
work.
Mr.. Houck said.
"We remained here until the mex
morning, returning to the sight of the
soldiers home. The western branch oil
the homo for disabled soldiers il located
at this point. TIE act of congress ostab-
fishing this home providing that it might
be located in either of the states Of Ar
kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesots, Ne
brasks, Ksnsas or Colorado, Ia required
that the sight for tho home should con.
sist Of not less than three hundred acres
and that this land might be obtained by
purchase or by donation, A number OF
cities In the states named interested in
the contest to secure the home, the state
of Iowa, by an act of It's legislature,
offered fifty thousand dollars bonus if it
was located anywhere In Iowa, and sew
eral other cities of tho same state offered
a donation of one thousand acres of land.
Other offers we're made by the cities of
other states. The board of managers of
the homo met at Dayton, Ohio, and there
gave a hearing to the several contostsnty,
after which the managers Visited the ssv.
efal states and looked over the Bites
offered. Tho citizens of LeAvenworth
offered ak hundred and twenty acres of
land and in addition, fifty thousand dol
lars for the establishment of the
grounds. This Offer was accepted and
thehome WAS located at Laayenworth.
The site selected Is just south of the city
and has q river frontage of more than q
mile. 1t is q place of great natural beauty.
A portion of the grounds is a natural
forest, we'll set In blue grass, and shaded
by the stately elm and oak.
The plan of the government Is to build
fifty buildings, with a capacityto accomo-
date 6 900 soldiers, the grounds to be ar
tiEtlsally laii out In tine drives, gravel
walks and miniature lakes. Three humid
red thousand dollars has already been
appropriated by the United States, and
the work Of building has begun. 1t is
estimated that more than So, eco, 900 will
be expended, and will, when done, sf.
ford this city a park unsupassed by any
In the west. On the north of Leaven-
worth Is the reservation of Fort Leaven.
worth, consisting of 5000 acres, upon
which more than So, coo, 600 has been ex-
pended In buildings.
The United States Military prison is To-.
Gated on these grounds and OF this time
contains eight hundred prisoners. The
grounds of Fort Leavenworth are of
great natural beauty, snd, without a
doubt, 1t Is the most attractive military
post in the United Slater. With the
| Soldiers home on the south, and Fort
Leavenworth OF the north the city has
the advantage in romantic and pictures.
que drives, One of the most interesting
features of this place is Sheridan's road,
which extends over a high ridge along
the whole reservation. A natural forest
of trees growing along either eide from
an arch the entire length making the
drive most delightful in the cool shade
and only now and then the sur peeps
through their branches. This
road Is on an elevation Of over
three hundred feet above thu
valley, overlooking Fort Leavenworth
and Leavenworth City, 1t was laid out
and constructed under the management
of Gan. Sheridan and is called Sherldan'a
drive.
Returning homo from Fort Leaven-
worth we arrived at Mr.. Caldwells resi-.
dence, which Is one of the finest In that
state. A brief description could not con.
vey TO the mind of the reader but a faint
Idea of its elegance and granduer. Again
seated In the carriage we were driven to
the works of the Kansas Wagon Manu-
featuring Co., of which Mr.. Caldwell is
president, 1t already being known as one
of the largest of its kind in the west.
The next morning found us aboard of the
train for Kansas City, Mo-, Il of the
~llveliest towns along the Missouri river,
twelve railroads running into the
union depot. We took a carriage
and were driven over the entire
City. The cable road being one of the
enterprises of that place. We had the
curiosity to board the train across the
cable line, having just come from Kansas,
a prohibition state, IN which there are
only three hundred saloons. In Leaven-
worth l saw a sign on either side of tho
door of a saloon reading as follows: "We
are here to relieve Kansas sufferers" the
other, "What is the size of your hip
pockets, pints or quarts!"
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