Year: 1878

bluffs and under the shadow Of the leatiess
trees; they are piled up in every conceiva-
bic shape, as though once the playthings OF
huge race Of giants. Taken on such a
day as i saw it, with gloomy, lowering sky,
ffinged in the distance with its dark border
of mist and timber, it reminds one of some
old "Rembrandt." Bat you ask what is it
good for? Why there is, if You want to
put it TO practical use,


No BETTER STOCK COUNTRY IN THE


WORLD,


here is water, sh alter and almost unlimited
range. On the upland the grass never
grows tall and rank but all is covered with
a carpet of # verdure that never becomes
coarse and tough; in the hillside may be
quarried magnificent stone for corralls and
barns. Away to the east, where the world
seems to end and the unknown begins lie
lovely valleys in which can be produced
grain enough to feed the world or at least
large portion Of it. These two sections
stand to each other as the right hand to the
left, one Is a necessity to the other. OF the
wonderful capabilities of this country there
is no end. Spread out at my feet lay a ter
ritory larger in extent than any of the
German" States, and capable of support
ing much larger population. If they,
with their crude ways and slow customs
can


MAKE A PARADISE OF NOTHING,
what may not our beautiful State with its
maichless fertility, its lovely climate, and
energetic people become? Surely We have
glorious future before us.


But We move on our way, now and then
We pass isolated farm houses with its neat
stone corral, and, perhaps, one or two cul
tivated fields, fenced in the same way, for
they have not that curse of Kansas, the herd
law, showing plainly that the. owners
wealth consists in stock.


Then, again. the road leads us for miles
over the hills and across streams before we
reach another house. Occasionally the
road would lead us down through the rocky
canyon OF some little stream, then the hous-
es would become more frequent, poor excus-
es for houses were the majority, old tum-
bled down log shanties that looked more
like the


NEGRO QUARTERS


Of some southern plantation than the resi-
dence Of free citizen. 4 few struggling
| acres of land that looked as shiftless as the
| buildings; lean, lank horse or two; an
unlimiteddnumber Of scurvy hogs around
the door step, and three or four NANCY ours,
that Come yeiping and barking at your
heels as You pass, comprise, to all appear
ance, the worldly wealth Of these miserable
| devils, whose greatest terror is work, and
whose greatest ambition a mere subsistence
Such men are like blot upon the fair face
of our state, and the sooner We are rid of
| them the better. These are the men who are
eternally bowling about the hard times, the
| oppression of the poor by the rich, and
what they would do if they had the run
ming of things. They seem to imagine
that 1t is as easy 10 run a nation, AS for
forty rod whisky to run down


THEIR DIRTY THRoATs.


To the devil with the whole lot say, and
the quicker, the better, they are the speci-
mems that fill our work houses, our poor
houses and prisons. As We approach "Se-
dam" the road led over a high woodless
prairie, when we approach the near vicin-
ity of the town, a heavily wooded valley is
disclosed to view, and soon the town which
is reached by a rapid descent There it
lies like gem, bounded on the south by
the heavy timber Of the valley, and shell
tered On the north by the high bluffs. Al
ter the mud that We had waded through, i,
was a welcome sight to see the dry, dusty
streets of the little city. Two years ago
not building was built on the town site
all was as nature had LETT it the woodlands
Ak had not broken the stiffness, nor fallen
any Of the


| BEAUTIFUL TREES


that then occupied the ground. But when
/ the county Howard, was divided, this was
selected as the most eligible site for the fu-
ture county seat and II was good select
ion. Near it flows a rapid little brook; and
around lies one Of the most beautiful OF
countries. The town is fortunate in its To-
cation, but not more SO than in the people
it contains. Everything denotes a thrifty,
enterprising class of inhabitants. Every
branch of business is we'll represented, the
business men have not forgotten the future
in their haste. Any measure that will give
an impetus to their progress, is advocated
and carried out.


MR.. TIT IAN,


one CT the live men of the town, il engaged
in the mercantile business and is making
money. Mr.. Head is largely engaged in
the dry goods and general merchandise bus
iness. Mr.. Lewis has a fine large drug
store. and is doing well, as are Tullose
Il Co, who carry hardware and drugs.
visited Col. X. q. Ward, one of the enter
prisIng attorneys OF Sedan, also county
school superintendent. The Col. is fis,
class gentleman, and doing well. Messrs
Jones n Ackerman are filling the treasurer's
office, and while under their efficient man.
agement none need fear. They are both
capable gentlemen and understand then
business. l met Mr. b. Smith, one of the
large farmers Of this section, and had q very
pleasant chat with him; he thinks the
country good enough for him. While in
Sedan | stopped at


THE OCCIDENTAL" HOTEL,


kept by Mr.. Bronson. He has Just opened
up here, but he keeps first class hotel and
no mistake; everything new and in apple
pie order. He is one of the most genial,
gentlemanly fellows in the country. After
staying one day in this delightful little
town, | was forced to tear myself away and
move farther westward toward the setting
sun. But before go. let me say word in
regard to the county buildings of Chautauqua
county. 1t may serve as 4 sample to some
other county. They have fine, large stone
court house, and also large roomy Jail of
the same material, we'll finished, and a
credit not only to the county, but the town,
and all they cost was ten thousand dollars.
No salary grab there. They also have


FINE LARGE SCHOOL BUILDING


which will be large enough for years to
come. This shows what may be done where
the people haven't lost their reason. As
We leave the town and gain the highland,
the little town presents beautiful appear
ance, with its new and freshly painted
houses, its broad streets and lovely little
parks and groves Of trees scattered around.
The distance from Sedan" to Cedarvale is
about twenty five miles and the most of
the way over rough tract of country.
Our directions, when we left Sedan" were
to keep the main road, but when we had
travelled about five miles the roads became
so thick and all seemed to be travelled
about alike that it was no easy matter to
keep the right one, the nsequenc we're
that We took the wrong road and wandered
around over good deal of country before
we discovered our mistake. What made it
worse, We were a long way from the right
road. After finding


THE MARROW" WAY,


though not straight, the read leads through a
a canon for long distance. 1t seemed to
me as though the scene had changed, and l
found it difficult to shake off the idea that
| was once more climbing among the foot
/ hills of the Rocky Mountains, Nature payed