Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1882 — LETTER FROM KANSAS. [ARTICLE]

LETTER FROM KANSAS.

Bross, K Dill. March 7, 1882. Editor Sentinel : While thinking to-day oi my friends to Jasper, tho thought esmo to me that I bad, at yo«ir request, promiaed to write you a letter. We left Pleasant Ridge on Monday, February 20th, at 11:30 u„ after saying “good-bye" and receiving the good wiahsa from a host of frioods, who had aome in spite of the bad weathar to see tb off. The rain driving apa nn the car windows shot out to some extent the view of the eouutry through which we were passing. All we could sec w«a mud and water. The whole country seemed oovored with it. It would be useless to describe the country betwovu Pleasant Ridge and Lafayette aa you are well acquainted with »». Therefore wc will emit that aud tuko up the threads of our narrative from the last place mentioned.

We left Lafayette al 3 59 p. tn. took the W., St. L. R’y. Alter leaving there the laud was hilly tor snruo die - Snoc. It then giaduuliy grew level, and as far as flte eyecjuld r< a -h Uvcl tracts of land, wi h farm h> y es aud groves scattered here and (here, coaid be seen. This was the condition of the eouutry, with the excep*ion of a small raise here and there, nuti! wc r«-»vhod Weal Point when it R'ain became railing amt continued so until we t em-d hue. Then i: wxs ou • br„ d {Liu much rcge iibli'.g the J.Kp.r county prairies.— D'rkness cam on ere we ic*ched Dt~ o itur, Tln rewe chang <1 ears for Kansas City. »* e pushed though the bust part i f I ! lin<<is at flight; cio s>'d the Mississippi Ri er ur_ ingot «iso, and the darkuesv w.iß so intense th»i ths Water was se.rceiy dit-een ;'o . The rail, wh:c'u had c<)iitinu-..d t:> la! n n ch aged t" snow rnd n've'. Ij >kn g i'U! thro the st rtn the lights ot il ini.ib.tl c -ul«i be seen f| clearing in ti e 'iLfjtueo, Tin tr iu -no* very -It vr'y ■! through tin uighf as the Sturm h d trekeudow. Tees, &*. across the track, At oik time the traits ran into ui,e of ill st trees, comj lately di.ri ca ing tlu smoke stack aud driving a p.e e of timber oi something through a window of the Jr u ear which stiuck a man on the head inilictiog n very seriot o wound. At last daylight dawned and revoaici to us tlu-eff-.-cts of the night’s work. The grounu was C v* r* d with a flight SHOW and ilu trees bout and airly g oau d kou«.-a«h iluir Uiftd of slee'.

I can tell nothing about Ihe eistern part of Mi souri, but the port through which we passed alter daylight muresembles 1 liinoir with one excep ior.— there were more deo.-e .'o'C-us. i d not mean all of the Si ate was level, but the greater portion of i\ As we ocaied Kansas City the whole surface of tincountry became hilly aud broken. The city is built iq on a high bluff overlooking the river. 1 would nut toll ex.ctiy the composition of these b.ufL but they had the apy e .ranoe of linastoue. F rum Kansas City t Cedar Junction the country is exceedingly rough aud broken; Out from Cedar Junction to Lawrence it is just slightly rolling. Between the h.s two points mentioned is the fitst country I saw that I liked, except whore we crossed the M ssouri. There the scenery was beautiful; I ut that is all it is gu-.u I or, as the Bfdl did not have tho aj.pu-i - ance of being very productive. Lawrence, Kausas, is a lovely lit Me town; aud from Liwreuce ou for se- e al miiea the laud is just roiling euoug!. to be pretty. It then became rough and brokeu and is made up of high bluff' coveted with small timber. This was the bppoarauce of the country t > my 1 it, but to ihe right was one Lroud almost level scope of couiitry with the Kaunas river winding along like a huge serpent aud iairly glistening iu the bright sunlight. We Jelt the river ou this side of Lecompton, and then the oountry became eutirely level and, i-s lar as I could see, consisted ot fields uuder cultivation, or, which had been under cultivation. and groves or pmi Mes. Arriving at Topt-ka we found a ti »urisbing city. Passing on at luil siecd, we lairly flew past grove* aud ridges, over prairies aud bridges, until wo four-u ourselves iu a hiJy countiy again. The country looked as thottgn Ihe lulL had been made by human hands, but w..found them to be composed almost entirely of stone. Large stone quarries were opened,jand the houses barns etc. were all built of'stou —even tho femes were built of stoue. Then for miles couid bo seen thousands upou thousands ot as beautiful prairie laud as any one over looked upon. The golden rays of the slowly setting sun shone brightly over flits fair laud ot promiso, and I th .ught this ceriaiuiy was a fair specimen of tho handicraft ut the Creator, Then darknesi again spread her mantle over ail creatin' . and we lost the view of the couutiy on to Hutohinson, We arrived at tiie la.- 1 named place a 9:30 p m, Tuesday.— Going to the Howard House we stayed until Thursday morning, then went to the Hoosier settlement where we fouud the old Jaspcrites all iu a piQ-periug condition and well pleased with their Kausas homes.

Ou iSunday evening wo came to our dastinatiou. I wiii not attempt to dcscribo Kingman couuty this time, for 1 expect by the time you set tins all up in type your arms wiil ache. 1 will in tno near future give you a description of the soil, etc ,oi this portion of Kansas, cr any other part through which 1 way chance to travel. With my best wishes for the Sentinel, and respects to uiy iriendn in Jasper, 1 wiil close. Yours truly, - Jennie Barkley. Congress resolved on June 14, 1777. “that the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the Union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” This is the recorded legislative action for the adoption of a National flag The resolution was no': promulgated until September 3. It is supposed that the flag was tirst unfurled by Paul Jones on the Ranger, It is not known by whom the stars were suggested. By some they have been ascribed to .John Adams, and by others it has been urged that the en tire flag was borrowed from the coatof arms of the Washington family, but both conjectures are without proof, and the latter is improbable. Kansas girls walk seven miles barefooted to trade a dozen eggs at a country store for a spool of thread. Nothing stuck up about girls who are out out for No. 1 wives.

This Is a godless c-ouoti /. A umu was arrested for kneeling and pray ing aloud in Broadway. Ho might have stood up and sworn with impunity.—[Puck. Copy ot notice on thn beach ut Brighton: “In case of ladles In danger of drowning, they shoM bo seized by the clothing and not by the nair, which generally comes oH* He was slttins ou the club house steps, when a gentleman came up to h>m and asked if tbero was a gentleman with one eye named Walker in tho elub. 'I don’t know,” was tbe answer, “what,s the uame of the other •ye?"