Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-08-23

, cries out, "All aboard" the whistle
blows and you are off for Topeka,
| reaching here at 1910 p. m. you
take dinner and then on again for
the west.
Topeka is fine young city with a
population of $1,000, the capital Of
the state, containing many fine
buildings, among which is the state
house, public school, colleges and
machine shops of the A. T. & S. F.
R. R. covering four acres of ground,
important as a railway center. The
home of Gov. st. John, a kind heart
ed, philanthropic gentleman, highly
esteemed by his fellow citizens, and
who is winning golden praise from
all good people as well as the graft
tude of the colored refugees who are
pouring into this state by thousands,
as they flee away from the cruel OPP
preston of the ex-slave driver, and
find here a home and a field of use
fulness.
Pushing southwark and westward
from Topeka, at something over
twenty miles an hour you "see the
country" The question of fences
will never trouble the Kansasan.
This problem is easily solved by the
regular thrifty hedges which you
see all along the line. / have never
seen such handsome and effective
hedges, either in this country or in
Europe, and this, as every farmer
knows is consideration of great
Importance. Another thing you can
not fail to notice, and that is the
hundreds of prairie schooners"
moving in all directions, seeking
homes on these broad prairies. How
long will it be before this Great
American Desert" will blossom like
rose. Bright new towns, built up
by sturdy, thrifty, enterprising set
tiers, greet you every ten or fifteen
miles along the whole length of the
railroad, some of which are begin
ming to assume metropolitan airs;
what with their daily papers, lamp
lit streets, their lines of buses to
and from the principal hotels, etc.
Occasionally you see a "dug-out"
of which SO much has been said,
but like the traditional log cabin,
the dug out in this section at least,
is fast giving place to the more pre-
tentious houses of brick and stone,
which are springing up as if by
magic on every hand Passing on
toward the Colorado line, along the
banks of the Arkansas, you are sur
prised to see great heaps of sun
bleached bones of buffalo and ante
lope gathered along the track to be
shipped east for fertilizing and other
purposes. Herds of antelopes may
be seen in the distance, grazing
quietly as you pass along, and vii
lage after village of prairie dogs,
saucily barking at you from the tops
Of their houses, queer little squirrel
like looking animals full of life and
fun. Buffalo trails leading from the
river not more than twelve inches
wide, excite surprise in one not &C
quainted with the habits of this
monarch of the prairie. Like his
untutored master, he carefully puts
one foot down before the other and
walks in single file, and hence these
narrow trails; but buffalo are not |
numerous now, we did not catch a
glimpse of one in all our long ride. |
An incident on the train after we
were we'll out in Colorado, though |
not uncommon, is worthy OF men
ton. An old gentleman fell into |
the hands of three card monte"
men, and was mulcted to the tune
of forty-five dollars. He made fuss
about it, and the passengers, whose
sympathies were aroused, interfered,
and the gamblers were persuaded TO
t. ,.,,f oil h,tf hnl-
lars, which it was agreed was fair
price for the experience" Strange
is it not, that with so many warn
ings in the papers, people will still
insist on being such consummate
fools.
And now yonder to the west, sew
enty-five miles away we catch our
first sight of the mountains. Like
a dark blue cloud they rise up in
majesty before us; to the south is
Spanish Peak, to the west Green
horn, Hard Scrabble Canon, leading
off, | am told to Rosita, Lost Dog
the northwest. mo other state or
territory presents such an embattled |
hest of lofty mountain peaks. Her
canons or mountain passes, like deep |
burrows ploughed to depths of two
thousand feet and more, rank all
others on the continent. Her CLASSY
lakes of crystal waters borne upward |
5000 to II 900 feet, meet and kiss
the very skies, waking the jealousy |
of all the sister lakes of the terri
tories and other states" But bark,
the whistle blows and the brakeman
cries Pueblo, and We pull up at the
western terminus of the main line
of this magnificent railroad at $3.50
p. m. Pueblo is a place of history; |
formerly trading post of Gen. Ere
mont's on the old st. Louis and
Sante Fee route, but now a city OF
5000 inhabitants, full of life and
vim, the railroad center of the
mountains. Has two daily papers,
fine water works, good hotels and
everything that goes to make up a
thriving town. Here is the depot
of supplies for the mines, the assay
Office and unfortunately gambling
bells in profusion. Here you take
trains for all points of interest in
this young and vigorous state: Colo
RADIO Springs, Manitou, the Garden
of the Gods" mountains, mines and
pleasant resorts. Stage lines going
where railroads have not yet been