Barton County democrat., 1903-04-03
Manhattan, Kans., March 10, 1908.

Mammalian, kdnS.,s MarCn IL, 1915.
Mr.. EDITOR,
DEAR SIR:-I will endeavor to
write you a few lines about the Kan
sas Agricultural College, the city of
Manhattan and its surroundings.
Manhattan is located fourteen
miles west of the geographical center
of the United States; at the junction
of the Big Blue and Kansas Rivers.
Nature and art have WED with each
other in making the spot attractive.
Manhattan was founded in May
1857, by colony of about ninety
emigrants from Cincinnati; and from
this has grown to population of
$500; and the town enjoys all the
conveniences of a modern city except
street cars. and this has a substitute
in an efficient ten cent hack line.
City water, electric light, telephone,
free delivery of mail help to make
Manhattan a triving town. There
are large number of stores of all
kinds here. Two flour mills, two
foundrys, four livery barns, marble
. works etc. The. town has churches
of all denominations, schools. and
am opera house. The city seems to
be free from joints or gambling places
which are So common in of our
towns; fertile ivalleys. stretch out in
, every direction, while at the southeast
and northwest stand tall cliffs of
broken mountains. The land seems
to be very fertile here; it is somewhat
like. Barton's soil, only little lighter;
the land is also quite rolling large
quarries of white rock being found in
the hills. The principal crop here is
corn, the crop makes from 80 to 40
bushels per acre.
The city water works are located
on hill or rather on blue Mountains
as it is ealled) which is one hundred
and ninety feet high; the water is
pumped upon this hill to a large
reservoir by an So horse power
engine. This reservoir being located
on this hill gives it a great fall to all
eparts of the city and college.
The College grounds and buildings
occupy an elevation at. the western
limits, and facing toward the city are
beautiful in location. The grounds
including an irregular plat in the
midst of fine farm with orchard,
vineyard and sample garden attached,
the whole being surrounded by
durable stone walls.
The grounds are tastefully laid out
and extensively planted, according to
the design of professional landscape
gardener, while~well graveled drives
and good walks lead to the various
buildings. All these. are of famed
Manhattan limestone, of simple but
neat styles of architecture, and
admirably suited to their use. All
recitation rooms are excellently lighted
and ventilated, and are all heated by
steam or hot water. A complete
system of sewerage has been provided.
The College owns 323 acres. of land,
valued at S39,769, and. leases 221
acres additional. The greater portion
of these 544. acres is devoted tc
experiments. =.
The number of buildings which
comprises the college is fourteen
The main college building is 152x25C
feet in extreme dimensions, is
arranged in three distinct structures
with connecting corridors. This
building contains, in its two stories
and basement, Offices of the president
and secretary, cloak room, studies
chapel, post Office, and offices and
class rooms of the departments Of
drawing, music, mathematics, oratory
English, philosophy, preparatory ano