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The Editor "on The Fly."

The Editor "on The Fly." image
Parent Issue
Day
13
Month
October
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

)eab Ar.GL's Reader : i E's Sr. m. nr, }ro., ) OotobcriHb, 1871. j Ton ask whero and what i Lcc's 8umnit, how did yoii get there, and what ho nttnvction ? Let us answei' onc quosion at a tinto. Leo's Summit is on tho "Missouri Paoiflo Railroad, - all the railoada in this Beotion, completad, begun or conoiiivod, havo a " l'aeiílo " hitchod on to thoir namos somoliow, and uil towns grading t.ho same have a " Pacific Hotel," - 259 miles from St. Louis, and 22 miles 'rom Kiuisim City, of whicli aspiriag city t expects to bo a snburb onu of theso layrt. Thiit's ic'urc. ïio-, " wliul :'i " It s a throo or four year olfl town of 800 inïabitrtnts, surrounded by a fino agrtoultural country, but just now docsn't boast of any " great expectations," not being markod on the maps as a " r.iilway conter," in which csomption it is ahno.st alono. As to " how 't " Wo camo ürst by tho Michigan Central to Chicago, leaving home on tho 10:25 a. m. train, Monday, Octobor 2d, and roaching Cliicago ut about 7 ï'. M. Tlio rido was of course a coinfortablc and pleasant one, and nothing was see to nota excopt the fircs rag ing aloiig the entire line at'tcr turning tho head oí'Lake Michigan, sweopiug underbruah, fonces, stacks of straw and grain, outbuildings and evcry thingin their way. Similar firos ivero also ssen in Western Iowa, and in Minnesota and Wisconain are reported very destructivo. Our stay ia Chicago was short, and so no notos were taken, though progress and improvement Were noted on evcry side. At 10:4 A. ir. Tuesday wo f'ound ourself comfortably seatcd in tito Pullman Palaco and Brawing Room " City of Quincy," our " hat chalked " through to Omaha, and were soon out on the broad Illinois prairies. Our route was by the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy road to Burlington, thcnce by the Burlington and Missouri River road to Omstha. On the formar road we passed through Aurora, Mendota, Princeton, Galveston, Qalesburgh, and other thriving prairie cites and towns, reaching and crossing the Mississippi at Burlington at 7:0o r. if Burlington is a thriving city of over 15,000 inhabitants, beautif'ully locatod on an levated plateau between the river anc the bluffs, and be3Ídes being a railroad center is an extensivo manufacturing place. We regretted that neithor d aylight nor a few hours leisure permittod us to " do " it. Steaming it through Iowa in the nighi we wcro unable to make obsorvations until daylight found us noar Red Oak junction, at which point passengers for lowei Nebraska and Kansas are callod upon to change care. The Missouri River bottom is struck at Paciiic Junction, from whicl point the Burlington and Missouri River cars run up to Omaha, or the landing op pósito, over the the Kansas City, St. Josepfa and Council Bluffs road. And whili we are running the 19 miles let us go back to say that a Pullman dining Ml WH taken on at Galesburg, in Whioh pis sengers were suppered without baing compelled to bolt unmasticated food a at enting stations. Another ooiumúearj car was attached to the train in the night, in which broakfist was served. Tlu bill of faro includcd beefsteaks, broilet chicken, mutton chop, other moats, vege tables, &c, well cookcd and sorved in Jlml-rtim hotel ztyh'. The travcler, afte taking his leisurely meal, wonden wh; the exaniple of the Burlington and Mis souri River road is not followed by othei roads. Wo aro now at Omaha - or opposite with the "Big Muddy " between, and i vcxatious and BOoliesa " transfer compa ny " in lieu cf a bridge us at Burlington It is 9:13 a. ir., but it takes an kout an a dollar to get across tho river and to a hotel. All travolers utter a prayer for a spoedy oompletion of tho bridge and an end of this delay and robbery - for the charges of the ferry and omnibus line in littlo better than robbery. Counci Bluffs was passod thi-oe miles baoic i' tin river. Xhis claims 10,000, and uskinj, where Buoh a population was put, wc were told that they vero bid in the rav ines and back on the bluffs. This cit; will talie a new and vigorous start whei the bridge is completad and the U. P depots establishedon the cast side. We tarried at Chutaba imtil Tiuuin raorning, taking a general surve; of its streets, and fvoin tlte Ulufi's grot ting a fine viiw of botli its business BBC resident quartors. It is a fifteen yuar ol city, and the " oldest inhabitant" oi " first gottlox " was pointed out to us. - Omaha lias somc fino business blocks, mik a publiu sohool building, staading on tbc "oíd Capítol" site, is approaching completioa which, in extarnal appeai'ance and accommodations, bcars testimony both to liberality and taste. We also observod many fine residmees botli on the blufFs and in the lower town. Just now ' dull " is the report, but much is expected from tho completion of the bridge - which is not vciy near. It is (,ur opinión, however, that t!i' bridge wil Kiv' the advantage to Council Bluffs, and that Omaha will have to flght hard to prevent its ovei'-the-rivri' rival from taMng the lead. [ta preaent population is alittle in cxeoss of 11,000. We are callod at 3:4") a. if. Tlmi-stln , to get to a 0:50 train over the river, at which hour we are comfortably seated in a St. Joteph built car, for a ride down the river to Kansas City. The day is a beautiful one, and we get a fino shower in the afternoon. Our route is along the Missouri bottom, now huggingthe bluft and now the river, now through broad wastes of nativo and coarte prairie grass, now broad comflelds, and ü'nv fieldt ofhemp. AVe get a distant view of Kebraska City, Atchisou, Loavenwoi'th, and "tliür ovorthe-river town% but haring a horror of the iKlay and greed of "transfer companies," make nostops. Tho Missouri towna of which we get a ueaicr riew are St. Joscph, a thriving city of 32,000 inlialntants, and Weston, noted as the place from whioh the " border rufnar.s " in antewar times raided upon Kansas, and at which ox-Scnator AlCUISOp made his famous speeoh' and "flred the northern heart." Tho ex-Senator still lives about J.j miles back from Weston, toking no part in public aftairs. Kansas City is reached at -1:10 P. M., and without a delay of five minutes arooffí'or this place, whore wc: tarryfor a i few days with friendo, Baturday wc took a long rido ovor the rolling prairies surrounding this littlo villngt!, and discovoied uppn what it is to thrivo. A bettor wheat, audncni, and fru t produoing n. uioii is probíbly not to bo foimd in tbe groat West, or, moro properly spoaking, in this cential portioo of tho continent, for thoy talk ot' " goíng west " tho sanio here as in Michigan. The season is very dry. "Whoat is coming up here and thero, but rain is needed before the fleldg will put on tliuir green livery. Wo see hundreds of acres ot' standing corn, tho ears from whieli are to be picked, tlie stalks broken down by driving a team tlirough the fiulds attached to a long and heavy polo, and then burned ovor to malee reody foi plowing. Stubbles are grown up to wcods tlueo and i'our fcuthigli, whieh also are to bo buned and pnt iuto corn. The land is rieh and productivo, brings a good whcat or corn erop the first year, aiul is cul'üivated without the uso of the hoo. One man and a team will maleo 00 acres of corn. Jnst now prices ot' lands and produce aro down, and the tido of omigration is pushing further : Southern Kansas boing the Mecca. But we aro getting prosy as well as tedious. To-day wo proposo to visit Kansas City, and in another letter will lat our readers hoar somo of its wondors, for it is reportod tu have such. EDITOR. V. S. The wcathcr is warm as summer daling the day, but with cool nights and strong winds. It is the " windy soason." Bain is very much nceded.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus