Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-05-08
Facts and Impressions About Iowa
Missouri and Kansas.
editorial Correspondence by L. NJ. Carr.

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Missouri and Kansas.
Editorial Correspondence by L. NJ. Carr.
On May LIST the writer, accom-
panied by his wife, started for the
Pacific coast, expecting to stop on
the way at some of the cities and
places of interest in the mountain
states. The trip as far as Kansas
City was over the NJ. & D. and Chi
cago Great Western railways. The
morning that we started was cold
ard uncongenial for a May day in
Delaware county but there was no
snow on the ground and in that re-
spect our home county was better off
than the southwestern portion of
the state. Before Des Moines was
reached evidences Of the recent snow
storm we're visible, and between
Des Moines and the Missouri line
there was. snow on the north hill
sides and in shaded places, and
snow drifts in some Of the roads.
The snow of the previous days we
were told fell to a depth of from
four to six inches.
We expected to see green forests
in southern Iowa, but in that respect
our expectations were not realized.
The season seems to be fully three
weeks behind schedule time in
southern Iowa, and much behind
ordinary seasons in all parts of the
country. In northwestern Missouri
the apple and plum trees were in full
blossom and the hill sides in places
were yellow with dandelion blossoms
but there was not much change in
the color of the woods. They still
wore their cold grey winter suits.
The country along the line Of the
Chicago Great Western between Des
MONIES and Kansas CITY is much the
same as other portions Of southern
Iowa and northern Missouri hereto
fore visited by the writer. Taken asa
whole it is not as good for farming
purposes as the northern part Of
Iowa. The surface ia more uneven.
While there is no great difference in
its general elevation, it is broken or
rather divided by ravines into ir-
regularly bounded parcels Of dimen-
sions varying from about five to
forty acres. On account of their
sharp inclines these ravines are not
wet like the sloughs of northern
Iowa, but they have tendency to
wash and separate the parcels OF
knobs from each other by ugly
ditchesss gullys. In other respects
the soil is good, but not quite as
good as the land between Man
chester and Des Moines. The
northeastern quarter of Iowa is {
specially favored region for farming
and stock raising purposes. Their
is none better anywhere. Under
present conditions good land il
northeastern Iowa is worth $lO(
per acre regardless of improvements
This may seem to many like an ok
orbitant price. but even at thai
price there are no safer and few bet
ter investments to be found any
where.
The * ansass City line of the Chi
cago Great Western enters thu
alluvial valley of the Missouri at st
Joseph, keeps on the eastern side o.
the river as far as Leavenwortf
where it crosses to the Kansas sid
and follows down the western banl
of the river to Kansas City, tn
metropolis of the great Missouri
valley. 1t is 60 miles by rail from
st. Joseph to Kansas City. and man.
interesting historical events cluste
about this part of the country.
Fort Leavenworth has been an i'm
portant military post eve:
since early times in this Trans
Mississippi country. And it is no,
the seat of a national soldiers hom
of mammoth proportions. The rail
road runs close enough to afford
good view of the buildings ant
grounds and they are as beautiful G
the parks Of a big city.
In early times this region was on
Of the principal gateways to the ia
west. Through st. Joseph, Leavel
worth and Kansas City. ciyilizatio
pushed its way westward, and VI
wards of half a century ago thes
cities were made historic by tt
struggles between the free-soil an
pro-slavery forces. Here John Brow
whose soul went marching on" du
the first half of the sixties, engage
in the contest which did much
bring about the great war of the r
bellion.
Thursday morning we boarded
Santa Fe train for Denver, distal
by rail from Kansas City 1852 mill
For the first 67 miles the railros
followed the irregular course Of ii
Kaw or Kansas river to Topeka. IL
capital of Kansas. This portion
the river valley is small copy
the Missouri valley between Iov
and Nebraska. Bold timber covert
hills run along on each side of Il
valley which varies in width fro
probably about two to a half dozt
miles. While most Of this valley
under cultivation, the farms a
small, and as far as the eve coul
see the evidences of prosperity we
rather scant. But after Topeka W
passed we entered new and entil
ly different country. The river al
the railroad separateat the capit'
tho latter turned southwark and e
tered vast prairie region beautif
tobehold. The surface for hundre
of miles is as level as the prairies
the Texas Panhandle. Many Of t
farms are inclosed with well trimm
Usage Orange hedges. And FRI
orchards abOund on every side.