Year: 1867




by Rail.


The following sprightly letter has been re-
ceived in this city from Gardner, the famous
photographer, who is now taking sunlight
pictures on the extreme verge of civilization


FORT HAYES, KANSAS, Oct. 19, 1s67.-Dsar s:
Here am in the very midst OF what the Red
Man claims as his country, but as yet have
not see one. l had great desire to 60 off
win the Peace Commissioners, but after ma
turely weighing everything, came to the con-
clusion not TO go. l will have more to do on
this road than can well overtake at this trip.
So far we have made 20f negatives, many Of
them very fine pictures, aIi some Of them very
extraordinary subjects. Rocks standing ont in
the open prairie, "a to 30 feet high, and SO like
mushrooms that have doubt if yer Crosse
and Blackwell come in the vicinity they will
have them pounded up for ketch up. Then we
have Indian caves, and inscription rocks. all
covered over with Indian hieroglyphics. To
get at these we had to strike off into Indian
country some fifteen miles, and Oh, ye powers.
what roads! Macadamized with every Kind
OF stone, ranging In size from water bucket
to an army wagon. 1 think can take q pho
tographic apparatus anywhere now, provided
express have nothing to do with IT. Since we
got our boxes out OF the express office we have
not had bottle or glass broken. To-day
learned OF an Indian grave yard, or cemetery
1t is some eighteen miles off into the Cheyenne
country, and as they are the most hostile tribe,
1t is doubtful If we can make up party.
There is another reason why 1t will be a
httl- hazardous to go there. 1t seems
some. white vandal had so little respect
for the dead that he cut down a corpse
ana carried off the encasement as a relic. The
sentiment all through this State is very strong
with regard TO the Indian, and is summed up
IN one word, determination. In the printed in
StruCtiOnS Of the Overland Express COMPANY
10 their agents occurs the following passage
Wherever you see an Indian shoot him ~
To-day made negative at the end of the
track, about four miles beyond this, Of the
workmen laying the rails, the locomotive and
construction train upon the last laid rails. l
intend 10 call this - westward the course OF
empire takes its way" l saw another picture
which ] intend to take when we 90 OicK
through the Potowatemi country, whole lot
of Indians dressed in soldiers and civilian
clothing. l shall call it the g Dawn OF CivIli-
zation.n Hay city, which is about one half
a mile from the fort is to. day four weeks old.
You will be quite amazed when you see the
size of it it will be the last station on the
read for this winter, and is likely to be a busy
place. The foundation for a theatre is already
laid, ard the proprietor offered to fit me up
gallery in the upper story. This city, like
Ellsworth, (very often pronounced with an as
piratlon.) will doubtless become very hard
place. 1t seems 1t was no uncommon thing
If you walked out anything early in the morn
Ing TO find from two TO seven people laying
shot on the street One fine morning the
characters dangling TO a tree; the vigilance
committee had made their election sure
Many parties took the hint, and law and
order now reigns triumphant. The weather





We have had about ten minutes rain in the
whole period. There is a pleasant breeze
blowing nearly all the time. Sometimes i. has
come up little more than pleasant, but it
don't last long. We have car all 20 our
selves, fitted up (as sometimes say to Knox
with all the modern improvements. We have
a pass which says cOnduc.o .ors Will switch us
of and on at will on any and all trains
Agents are instructed to render US every ia
cIlIIy, and telegraph operators 10 send my mes
sages free. We sleep in the car. and generally
meal at some hotel, but we have cooking
stove ard mess chest, and are never at a loss
Knox goes off and brings in prairie chicken,
geese and quail. He tried his hand on a buff
1alo the other day, but failed to bring him
down A herd Of from seventy to one hun
dTed ran alongside of the train for several
miles. Sometimes they were near as 800
yards. The conductor stopped the train.
Eight or ten of us got after them with Spen
GERS. Saveral were hit. but none knocked
over. Had we been on horseback five or six
o. them would certainly have been bagged.
Lule afterward we saw a herd of antelopss
The train was going at the rate of about fir zen
miles an hour, but they sped on ahead Of US
with rs much apparent ease as a locomotive
Won1d pass you. Kansas is br autiiul Sta',;
The kaw or Kansas river the most pictures q q g
l bave ever seen. The railroad is most won
derful undertaking. The local. freight and
passenger traffic Is immense. Only think of
one station doing business Of over SICo.OOO a
month. They get Sl6,O OG0 for e .ch mile of road
ard ten miles of land The land sells a. from
s5 to S25 per acre. They charge one third
down and the balance in three years. Every
few miles town site is laid off, where the lots
sell from S25 to s4C0.