Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-05-01
MONTANA LETTER NO. l.

EpIroR INrELLIGENCER:-L
Kansas City via Union Pacific at 10 a.
m. 18th inst, we were soon passing
through the heart of the "Jayhawker
state"
Much of Kansas, until after we pass
Lawrence, is not equal to Missouri in
soil and productions. The agronomy
being about the same.
The western towns of Kansas are
alive in improvement. No doubt many
MlssOurians who should have spent
their money improving their old places
have gone to Kansas to help bnild mp
the villages. In many places we saw
black and white children together re-
turning from school.
The wheat fields do not appear so
flattering in eastern Kansas, neverthe-
less | believe that the section will have
a good yield. In the western part of
the state the wheat crop looks well.
On all sides the wheat is waving as a
green limitless sea. Thousands of
bushels of wheat will, no doubt, be
harvested here this year. Calves and
sheep Craze on the wheat fields. On
the road side we viewed many large
piles of husked corn, monuments of
last years corn crop. Corn ground is
ready for another crop. A few years
age this land was declared unfit for
tillage, and now it is found to be good
| arabic land.
Wallace is the last town of note in
Kansas. One little station beyond,
then we cross the Colorado line. At
Wallace found my watch one hour
too fast. 1t was amusing to see all the
passengers setting their watches. This
is called SMouutaiu time" Here we
are in the midst of the great plains.
which continue up the valley of the
Platte to the suburbs of Denver. We
arrived in Denver in the morning of
the following day, and had about three
hours TO spend taking pleasant drives
over the city. My wife was delighted
longer. Denver is flourishing city of
$4,000, with an elevation of 52O3 feet
above the sea level. Here are many
| iihhoSohO Dl CtLN gar.
dens. The city is in better spirits than
last year at this time. Mining camps
will open up much earlier. There has
been scarcely any winter in the noun
tains this year. Colorado has good
schools. Blacks and whites attend the
same schools. learn that intelligent
negroes of both Kansas and Colorado
are growing in favor OF separate
schools for the races. The expense ,
will be greater. but they hold the
theory that the colored pupils do not
make the rapid advancement in mixed
schools that they do in separate schools.
| Leaving Denver at one O'Clock we
arrived in Cheyenne early in the even-
ing and had half an hour to view
the "Magic City of the Rockies" This
is the capital OF Wyoming. 1t is not
in the center of the territory, but in
the southeast corner as any one will see
by looking at his map of Wyoming.
The city has population of about
5000, mostly wealthy stockmen and
cowboys 1t has an elevation of 6,038
feet. and is situated on a grassy plain.
around which Craze thousands of cat
tie. The past winter has been fine ON
the stock here. 1t is said that Cheyenne
has more wealth for its size than any
other city in the union. Leaving here
in the dawn we were soon climbing
the rockies. Pixies Peak and Longs
Peak having been in sight all day,
standing out as great ghosts enshroud-
ell i'll heavy mantles of everlasting
snow. AS we approached Sherman
the snow plOw was just put in use.
Engines are kept here at work and our
train was not delayed on account of the
snow. 1t was in the soft mellow
moonlight when we arrived at Sher-
man. Only about fifty people live here.
This is the greatest altitude on the
road, being S,235 feet above the sea
level. OF course there is plenty ofsnow
here. In 1876 fine granite monu-
ment, $50 feet high, was erected here
to the memory of o. X. Ames, of
"Credit Mobiler" fame. Several Yam
kce ladies on the train wished for
piece of the granite. was soon weary
of hearing "Oka Ames." 1t is said
that this monument cost about $50, 900.
| will not venture to tell who paid tor
it. but it will stand for ages to mark
the interest the man took in progress
and not his :'Credit Mobilier' scheme.
| Wyoming has many acres of good
grazing land, and is rich in minerals.
| SOdl nave Dccn Ill u1anY
places. In the past year the territorial
geologist has found splendid springs of
good lubricating oil.
Woman suffrage is still in force here,
and the people like it. "When women
vote, crime is on the decrease" is what
Il leading citizen told me.
Wyoming has good school system.
County superintendents supervise the
district schools. The attendance is COM
pnlsory between the ages of eight and
fourteen. This territory is not anx-
ious to become a state.
la my next letter will continue the
narrative of the route over which we
came.
We reached Butte City last Sunday,
l! a. m, 18th inst. My wife is well
pleased with our new home. We have
fine location overlooking the "Siiver
City," LAFAYETTE Boy.
Butte City, Montana, April 20.