The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-09-17
FIRsr NfGHr IN KANSAS.

4 4AE6oE MIGHT IN kAN6A5s
Among the mt autumn days Of 1855
9 young preacher was bound for Kansas
Territory riding on horseback across
Missouri. For days he rode dlone over
the rocks and hills and through the pine
woods Of that state. he spent his nights
IN the log cabins of the sometimes
rough, but often hosritsble. backWoods-
men OF that region. he was on the
road nearly two weeks; and spent his
last night IN Missouri as Harrisonville.
The next day he rode across the pFairies
toward the Baptist Wea mission, where
he expected 70 spend his first night In
the territory. The reader can imagine
how he felt on that ride as he compared
the new prairie country TO his Old tim
bered Tennessee country. Up to that
time he had never. seen an Indian, and
now he was about TO ride unbidden into
their country and throw himself on their
savage hospitality. In the middle of
the afternoon he came upoa an Indian
village, and knew BY that he was breath.
ing Kansas air. In q moment he felt
that he was a long way from home.
But the Indians were not the blanketed
saVages he had expected to see. He
ventured near enough to ask about the
way and distance 20 the mission. and
was received with a big show" and
hearty shake of the hand. They could
not. or would not, talk, but pointed the
way to the mission and gave him to IN
derstand that he could reach
it before sundovn. So he
rode on with q throbbing heart
toward the promised place of rest. at
last, after meeting q number Of Indians,
some Of them In blankets with shaved
heads, he came to place bearing the
marks Of civilized life, and hoped that
he was at the end of his journey for
that day. But judge of his dIsappoInt-
ment when DR.. Lykins, superintendent
of the Mission, said: I'VE can't keep
you. The whole place is full of
measles" BY the way, Miami county
was first named Lykins IN honor of this
man. He was q member OF of the 'bo-
gus Legislature" The traveller received
directions to the Peoria village with
assurance that Baptiste, who was then
chief of three or four remnants OF tribes,
would give him lodging. So he had to
spend his tlrst night in the wild terrific
~ with the Indians sure enough. As
he road on through the twilight of that
evening, Peter Parley's Indian stories
came up for review, and he found that
his missionary zeal was Oozlng out at
the ends of his fingers. He Yves sud-
denly seized with q desire to see his
mother. He was never 30 far from home
before. A world of experience was
crowded into an hour.
But, q little after dark, the village
was found, and the Chief promised to
give the desired entertainment, A mum.
Der Of claim seekers and Adventures
had stopped there for the night. Some
OF them were drunk and boisterous.
The "bOgus Legislature" had adjourned
few days before, and there was q gen.
eral disposition 10 discuss the merits
and dement's of the new STATUTES OF
Kansas Territory" The young preacher
kept quiet, listened attentively to the
discussion, and the swear words and
threats of some Missourians, and hear
tily wished he had never heard of Kan
sas. q
By and by the men began to hunt for
places to sleep. Those travelling in wag-
Ons found their OVID beds. Baptiste had
beds and pallets maize all over the floor
of one room, and by II O'Clock all were
quiet, except few snOrers. The newly
arrived missionary occupied a little
space on a hard pallet near the open
door of that crowded room. Everybody
else seemed to be asleep, bit he was
sleepless, and tried in vain to soften the
puncheOn beneath him by turning over
and over upon 1t. But the hard bed
grew harder as he counted the miles be
tween him and the dear old home; and
the hours of the night grew longer ss he
Cried to divine what awaited him. He
would recount the adventures of the
day gone by, turn in thought toward
the coming day, and wish for the morn
ing. The first night in Kansas was q
long one, and one long to be remem-
bered.
The morning came at last, bright and
beautiful. By the time the sun was up
most OF the dodgers were ready to pursue
their journey. The young man spenta
portion of the forenoon with the chief,
who gave him much needed infsrma-
ton concerning the country and the few
new settlements along the Potawatomie,
Middle and Sugar creeks.
Half the first day aud the second night
of the young mans Kansas lite was spent
in OsswatOmie, then the only town in
that part Of the county. 1t was city of
three or four cabins
Paola, the capital of Miami county,
now crowns the hills where Chief Bap-
tiste then lived and reigned. The white
man has pushed the red man out and is
constrainlng the country, which was
then desOlate, to blossom as the rose.
The iron horse now wakes the echoes
along the creeks and among the hills
where the ''poor Indian" used to hunt
| and fish. C.R.R
Eureka, Ksns Sept. 8, 1885.