Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-02-24
The Editorial Excursion.

men and women boarded hShsHs
City, Pittsburg & Gulf train for Port
Arthur the southern terminal OF the
road. This railroad is a new concern
Starting from Kansas City it pushed
its way south through farms, wood
land, mountain and swamp, with the
sole purpose Of connecting the big
inland market Of Kansas City with
the markets OF the outside world, and
thus sffording an outlet for the farm
or of the great middle west, through
which to ship to other lapds the sur
nlus Of his produce. The road is
built, and as a consequence has d.
vArted from their old channels the
streams OF grain and stock, raw and
manufactured, that have hitherto
flowed through eastern marts. The
Kansas farmer has but little int rest
in the great railway systems OF the
country, but his ambition Is to procure
for himself and family competency
from the soil be cultivates. The price
Of what he sells or buys is fixed by
others. If then he can reach the
price making market without paying
too much tribute, to the commercial
world he is able to exist, and perhaps
do mora. SO far the X. O. T. u Il
has accomplished what 1t started
out to do; freight rates hava been
reduced and prices enhanced. To-
day this new conner is engaged in
battling for it's life with the powerful
railroad corporations of the middle
west With but few exceptions the
other roads have given notice that
they will not deliver to or receive
from this new system freight or pas
sengers. In this fight the K, O. Z. u
g. has the support of the law and the
great common people. Its success
means much to our farmers.
But what of the trip. We left at
dark, and the next morning found us
in a forest of jack oak. Speeding
south for 500 miles we passed
through dense forest Of pine, fud-
ing new towns, with buzzing saw
mills, converting iuto lumber, the
soft and hard woods Of the country
The road touches Missouri, Kansas,
Arkansas, Iudisn Territory, Louisiana
and Texas. Now in one, then in the
other. Mena, Arkansas, is probably
the best of the new towns, for al
though but little over a year old,
it has a population of about 1000. =
A native told us that tending fifteen
acres Of corn was about all man
could do in that section. The farmer
of Kansas, tired Of blowing dirt,
could possibly find change in con-
ditlona, for stumps and stones, seem
to be indigenous to the soil. Mag
nolis, cypress, water, swamp, and
once in a whilea clearing were over
taken and left behind. At Beaumont
we passed from forest to plain
Stopping a few minutes at an ex-
perImental farm, we found fresh
vegetables growing il great protus-
ion. A 5 o'clock Friday evening the
party reached Port Arthur, and we're
taken to the export pier. Here we
saw immense piles Of Kansas flour
and meat, awaiting shipment. That
night D dance was given in honor of
the party at the Hotel Sabine.
Saturday morning we boarded
steam and sail craft, and were taken
to inspect the b,g canal that the road
is building. Port Arthur is about
seven miles from deep water, al
though 1t is on the shores of Lake
Sabine, o large body of water, on top,
but without much depth, The gov
ernment has cut q channel through
Sabine pass that will float ocean
steamers. To connect Port Arthur
with this deep water, canal eight
miles long, twenty five feet deep, and
100 feet wide ia beng CONSTRUCTED as
fast as men and money Gan push 1t.
At present all shipments from Port
Arthur are loaded from the big ware
house onto lighters, and taken by
tngs to the steamers seven miles be-
low. When this canal is fms he'd the
new city will be one Of the biggss t on
the seaboard. The owners OF the
town site have expended much money
in grading, paving, and constructing
public buildings. They have put
their monaH in. and have faith that Ii