Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-12-13
KANSAS CITY TO DENVER.
ACROSS THE PLAINS III THE
MOONLIGHT.
Scenes and "Reminiscences of o
Nineteen Hour Journey Which
Once Took More Than a Month.

10 the adventurous pioneer pre-
ceding the days of steam and
steel, the subject of this sketch
would have appeared as prepos-
ferrous and impossible as it would
seem in the same lapse of time
hence to "cross the plains by twi-
light" yet with the present prog
ress of the science of electricity,
one is entirely commensurate with
the other. The dangers and dis
comforts of caravan travel have
passed into safety and convenience
of the highest degree, responsive
to mechanical engineering; and no
where in the west is this so well
illustrated as via the Union Paci-
fic railway Thos. Cook and Son,
Ludgate Circus, advertise "nine-
teen hours to Switzerland" the
Union Pacific, nineteen hours to
Denver, and the accustomed trav-
eler is not long in discovering he
has been most fortunate and wise
in the selection of his route.
A more beautiful, interesting
and luxurious ride would be diff
cult to imagine than through the
Kansas valley on typical autumn
day. Every fruit and flower,
every grain and grass Indigenous
to this latitude blooms and ripens
on the wide banks Of this turbu-
lent river and its interminable
tributaries. The distant highlands
end green pastures abound with
myriads of cattle. The requiem
of summer fingers long upon the
dying days of autumn, aud the
forests have not entirely surren-
dered their beautiful foliage to the
sting of early frost nor the touch
of biting breeze.
Nature has been richly endowed
and largely supplemented by a
high class of improvement, and a
little further on is romantic and
picturesque Fort Riley. 1t is one
of the most complete and slightly
posts in the country comprising
twenty.four thousand acres, and
unlike many government quarters,
is here to stay. Established
thirty years ago but subsequently
rebuilt and enlarged, the build.
ings are all of native magnesia
stone, thoroughly substantial,
handsome and commanding. The
equestrian hall-a drilling school
for the cavalry and artillery-is the
largest in the world. The seventh
cavalry, about ten hundred
soldiers, various officers and their
families are stationed here, and
many gay parties get off and on at
Fort Riley.
From the reccding plateaus we
emerge almost inperceptibly on
the transitional region of pastoral
steppes-districts which grow
grasses and sometimes grain but
herald land of scarcity beyond.
Between this intermediate section
and the great arid zone extends
almost uninterruptedly a high
park like country, with immense
herds OF cattle and cotton wood
trees casting shadows over the
grassy tracts they feed upon. We
are now approximately near the
one hundredth meridian and all
attention is focused on the abso-
lutte inanity which overspreads
such wide regions Of the desiccated
areas of western Kansas, geogra-
phically known as the great rain
less belt between the Arkansas
and Platte.
In the early eighties enterprising,
theorizing emigration pushed for
ward and semi. settled these entic-
ing lands but year after year their
true elements became known and
each effort was as futile as before
until finally the people have dis.
inlegrated and as completely
passed away as the countless buff
falo that preceded them. The
towns are far distant. much faded
and best seen by moonlight, but the
glories Of nature are inimitable,
and each star seems TO outsparkle le
its rival for supremacy in the con-
stellations Of heaven. The night
is one Of supreme loveliness and
inimitable beauty. There is moth
ing to profane the perfection Of ma
ture save the reverberant rumbling
of the train which is speeding
through boundless space like a
great meteor, or an occasional bark
Of a jackal that is monarch Of all
he surveys.
Kit Carson, christened for the
celebrated scout in the ardor of his
intrepid exploits although he him
self did not actually found the
place, his name and his fame are
most intimately associated with its
earliest history. The grand Duke
Alexis in his famous trip around
the world honored the then wild
west town by a call Of one day to
enjoy the uniqe pleasure Of gen
uine buffalo chase, ,-Hn event which
has almost passed from memory,
and Carson has long since been
laid to rest on the rugged banks OF
"Purgatory" III southern Colorado.
Wild Horse 800 miles from Kan
sas City and exactly midnight.
Vividly / recall moonlight on the
Thames watching the waters move
on to the sea, moonlight in the gay
city, the forest and lea, but moon
light on the plains is infinitely
more beautiful and sacred TO me-
Where the tints ofthe earth. and the hues Of
the sky.
In color, though varied, In beauty may vie.
Speed annihilates space and al
ready from the iaraway mountains
appears a silent stream like sill
yer strand through the arid sands.