Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-03-06
A TRIP THROUGH KANSAS.


A TRIP THROUGH KANSAS.
For the past three years we have had |
a longing to visit the wild west, but |
could never get started until the 18th
day of February. On that day we left
Kansas City, bound tor Comanche
county, about 400 miles west and 100
south. Three hours after leaving Kan
sas City, we stepped off the train at
Pleasanton, and took a private convey
ance to Mound City, seven miles dis
tant, on visit to John G. Cash and
wife, and Joseph and Virgie Cash, all
recently of this city. They were all
well, and appeared highly pleased with
their homes. John is publishing a
democratic paper, and Joe is studying
dentistry. The town takes its name
from the surrounding country, which
is dotted with mounds of every size
and shape. One mound near by seems
to be of horse shoe shape, about six
miles long, and from sixty to one hun
dred feet above the level.
We spent one day at Mound City,
and returned to Pleasanton, where we
took train going south, passing
through Fort Scott. Pittsburg, Chero-
kee and Cherryvale. 1t was dark when
we reached the latter place, and wish
ing to see the country as much as pos
sible, we stopped over night at Cherry
vale. the home of old John Bender, and
took an early train next morning for
Medicine Lodge, where we arrived at
4:30 p. M, on Friday.
Medicine Lodge is pleasantly located
on high ridge, with Medicine river on
the west and Elm creek On the east.
There is skirt of timber along the
banks of both streams, but such timber
would be considered nuisance any
where in Missouri. 1t is nearly all
scrub elm, with an occasional ash, and
some cottonwood and sycamore. The
town has about one thousand inhabi-
tants, but claims twelve hundred.
There are some good houses, the Grand
Central hotel being a three and a-hall
story brick, with about sixty rooms
for guests, with large office, dining
room, billiard room, and what il
strange IN that section, bar room
There are four or five splendid brick
store-houses, which are doing an i'm.
mense business. The remaining bust
ness houses are small, and principally
frame, and will soon be torn away Il
make room for better ones. Town lott
are on boom, So 900 being the pric.
of 25 feet front Oh the principal street
three or four squares from the center
of trade. Near the center, prices rang'
from $4,000 to $1,000. Residence lots
i'll very good locations, four or five
squares from the heart of the city, cal
be bought at S16O to 1925 per lot, of 2:
feet front. Land in the vicinity o
town is held at 81 600 to $4,000 PEI
quarter section. In that country lane
is only sold by the quarter section, an(
we never heard of more or less being
sold in one trade, and never heard thu
price of land estimated by the acre
There is no vacant land in the county
and only the sandy quarters, or tract
far away from any town, can be bough
at less than 800 or $500.
AT the Lodge we met Mr.. Ed. p
Caruthers, a Missouri newspaper man
but now publishing the best Democrat
paper in that region. He is prosperou
and happy, and is full of enthusiast
hopes for the future of the Lodge AL
so Mr.. Pool, son of Monroe Pool. VIII,
has cigar and tobacco store at tn
Lodge, and is doing very fine bust
ness. One year ago he took a vacan
claim, and proved it up, which is nov
held at 5000. 1t has timber and waite
on it. Mr.. T. l.. O'Bryan, formerl,
of Pleasant Prairie, in this county, i
an auctiOneer and real estate and liv
stock broker. He is thoroughly poste,
on all points in regard to land and cat
lie, is smooth talker, and is so full @
tenthusiasm that he bubbles over, an,
his audience is sure to absorb larg
share. Mr.. T. A. McCleary, formerl
of Waverly, is postmaster at the Lodge
The Missourian who goes into tha
region and does not call on Tom Nc
Cleary always regrets it. His love fo
Missourians is well-known, and he wi
put himself to any amount of troubl
to accommodate them. He Is a res
estate owner, and has high anticipa
tions for the grand future of the cit,
Charlie Sparks and Lee Bradley com
to town every few days, but we did nc
meet them.
Saturday morning, the 20th, we lei
l, the Lodge for Coldwatcr,6 go miles ives
by way of four mule coach. Thel
- were five inside and three outside pas
rs sengers. Two rather elderly ladit
were inside-one was tender-foot ;th
other an old citizen, who had lived OF
ng there seven months. The tenderfo'
lady laughed at everything. talked an
joked about everything, and declare
her intention of making the day
journey a holiday occasion. After Ri
III. ing fifteen miles the old resident lac
was folan with sea.cicknooe. ,,, ~;