CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-07-28
A LETTER FROM HOWELL.
He Writes EntertainingIy of Hi.
Wagon Trip from Canon to
Carthage, Missouri.
CARTHAGE, No., July 10, '9s.

Friend Hardy-According to pro-
mise ! will drop you few lines con-
ceraing our trip. We arrived here
last Thursday, sound and well, and
glad the trip was at an end, for while
our trip was very pleasant one in
the main, six weeks of camp life and
it begins to become montonous, be-
sides for the last week of our trip
the weather was almost uncomfortable
on account of the heat and as ! am
writing these few lines ala Adam,
or nearly SO, under the spreading
boughs of a giant oak, the sweat rolls
down my back, spring freshet in
Sand Creek, and | believe the ther-
mometer stands about 4l6 in the ice
house. and while | swelter in the heat
OF the afternoon, | sigh for a glance
of the snow capped Sangre de Cristo,
even the thought has a cooling effect.
But withal, Carthage is beautiful
place, the most beautiful little city
! have ever seen. her chief beauty
being in her beautiful parks (natural)
shaded with giant oak and spreading
elm apd maple Her streets, mostly
narrow, are paved by nature with a
fiinty gravel and am told never be-
comes muddy. There are few
wider avenues and these have been
covered with the fine waste from the
concentrating mills, making them
as smooth as floor and almost as
white as marble. In the main the
buildings are old style built back
from the streets in the shade of oak
and elm trees and Of the old southern
style Of architecture, low ceilings
and wide porches. But of late a
number of fine modern houses have
been constructed, several of what is
called marble, but in reality white
lime rock, very pretty for building
purposes. and decidly picturesque in
this forest city. Some Of these mod
ern residences have cost in the neigh
borhopd of 100000. But the most
noticeable building about the city is
the court house, built of this white
stone in the center Of the public
square. 1t is of modern style of
architecture. four stories in height
and large in proportion Constructed
while the board of county commits
sioners were q Democrat, a Republi-
can and Populist, it stands monu-
ment to their honesty possibly
enforced it cost a little less
than 100000 aside from the furni-
ture and Office fixtures.
But as a whole Carthage seems a
2 cd town with few or no vacent
houses, either business or residence,
and | shall remain here few months
at least as my wife's health shows a
decided Improvement.
But for the trip. Leaving Canon
City we followed the Arkansas river
to Larned, Kansas. We found the
crops good all along the line, but
most of the towns practically
deserted, bats and bugs being the
only residents of many fine buildings
constructed for business houses. Thi:
is true Of every Kansas town We
passed through west of Dodge City
and in many instances whole town.
had been torn down or hauled ava,
to the surrounding country. Some o.
the farmers seemed fairly contented
but most of them seemed anxious t,
move anywhere to get away. W,
met hundreds of covered wagons go
ing west, mostly to Colorado, ant
passed a few who were coming east
! tried to study The people as cam,
along and must admit that at nj
point along the line did people seen
so contented and happy as arount
Canon, and my advice TO all Colorado
people would be to stay where 20,
are unless you have something bettel
in sight before leaving.
The first Kansas town We passed
through that showed any signs o
life was Dodge City, and the mex
was Wichita. In fact these were tn,
only two. and the latter yet show
many signs Of the crash that followe,
her boom. Although in the heart o
a prohibition state, the saloons ar,
wide open and all kinds Of gamblin,
was in full blast, but that was tn,
only Kansas town where we foun,
that condition Of affairs.
We saw Z great many 6elds wh0f,