The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-03-29

KANSAS CITY, Mo, March 25-If kindly
greeting extended to The .43giS from an ex-
| Hartford county girl, at present residing IL:
| Kansas City, will not he amiss ! should like to
give some items regarding our city which is
so fortunately situated, being natural dis
! trhuting point and railroad centre.
| The newspapers have, from the early boom
days i'll 1856, when the city was Il village, aid
| in its advance and growth. In the list of ably
edited city papers the Times, Journal and Stat'
hold prominent place and have large fol
| lowing.
In manufacturing Kansas City stands thir-
teenth in importance in the U. 5. The city's
site is rough and uneyer, being varied by hills
and hollows. The highest point within the
city limits is 291 feet above low water in the
Missouri river and commands view of the
surrounding country for miles. The BLUM
marking the dividing line between East Kan
sas and the west bottoms, as seen from the
Union Depot is an ugly, unsightly elevation.
On the bluffs summit we may have birds
eye view of Kansas City, Kansas, once
known as Wyandotte, the home of the
NyandOtte Indians, now consolidated
with Armourdale, River View and Argentine.
We look down upon six large packing houses
Armour's, Swifts Dolds, kingan's and others.
In Argentine there is the smelter; in the south
west the Kaw river empties into the Missouri;
at the Union depot incoming and outgoing
trains are constantly moving.
In erecting large buildings and laying rail
way and cable tracks preparing the founda-
tion has been laborious undertaking. Hills
have been leVeled, sloughs filled and difficult
ty has attended securing firm foundation for
a number of the large business houses erected.
In these later years many of the first buildings
have been replaced by handsome modern
ones
In the year 1860 the first railroad was laid
through the city. In 1895 Kansas City is a
railroad centre and a n pf pmnlOVeS
kept busy in the several shops and railroad
departments.
The cable system has proven boon to the
man interested in the city proper who lives
out in the suburbs. The system of transfers
to connecting lines for one fare enables man
working by the whistle to live long distance
from the shop, office, store or mill and easily
and quickly reach his place OF employment at
a cost of five cents.
In 1894 the public school attendance was
largely increased. The new High School is sup
piled with every modern equipment conduc-
tive to the mental and physical advancement
of the students. Professor j. NJ. Greenwood.
superintendent of the city schools, has a ma
tional reputation as an educator.
The year 1894 has been one Of business
depression. An observer notes number of
idle men and boys in the city. yet the tin
bucket brigade is a large one. Each day men,
women, girls and boys may ne seen, lunch
pail III hand, hurrying to work in such num-
beers that the veriest stranger must conclude
that large number of industries are necessary
III city to give employment to so many per-
sons.
As our city is comparatively new we are
distinctiyely modern. One house, built
twenty years ago, is pointed out as an old
homestead, and an old, old house. | have
seen in older cities houses of half a century Is
standing that did not look so ancient as does
this poorly constructed home. However,
these evidences of newness are rapidly disap-
pearng, giving place to solid buildings, beau
tifu in architectural design. From my win
dow | look out down in a valley thickly dotted
with pleasant homes. Far out on the bluffs
handsome houses are situated and in the
evening the myriads of lights shining out from
the windows seem to rival the starry hosts of
the sky in number. They shine alike from the
palace and the cottage, but happily the hon
est toiler may enjoy in his cottage the COM
forts of life, honestly earned, with as sincere
satisfaction as the millionaire on the bluffs.
EX-HARFoRD COUNTY GIRL.