Watertown Republican

FROM WATERTOWN TO KANSAS.
EMPORIA, Lyon Co. Kan.,
APRIL 18th, 1867.
Correspondence of the Republican.

As in our former letter, we stopped in the mud with about sixty miles of night before us; we will now proceed to complete the description. After changing teams at Smith's we rode along without "poling our way," except where there was a very bad place. To sleep was out of the question, but lively stories and jovial companions served to make the time pass off pleasantly. We met the coach from Emporia somewhere between Smith's and Ridgeway; the drivers changed; our new driver not having had supper, consequently appeared very angry towards our old one for being so much behind the usual time. When we arrived at Ridgeway the driver found a fifth passenger, and was about to take him and his baggage to Burlingame, some fifteen or twenty miles ahead We thought it poor policy for the stage to have any more passengers, and so expressed ourselves to the driver. We told him we were willing to submit to anything within reason, but did not think he could reasonably ask us to have a fifth passenger packed in with us to sit three on a seat, while we were paying nearly twelve cents per mile, and with a prospect of walking one-half the time with the present load. He flew into a passion, and swore that he would let us know that he was running that coach himself. "The man should go, and should ride inside." As we had made a special agreement with Mr. Pike, the agent for Tinsdale & Co., that we were to constitute the load, we did not yield, and the consequence was, the passenger did not ride to Burlingame that night.

We did not get out of the coach until daylight, when we found ourselves on a most beautiful rolling prairie, with belts of timber on either side, but not a house in view. A little before sunrise, the prairie hens commenced "curr rooing," and it sounded as though thousands of these prairie birds were striving to see which should outvie the others in their doleful "curr-roo, curr roo." We found that our team was about tired out, and that the driver was plying the lash without mercy. One of our company was seasick, affected precisely as we have seen persons at sea during a storm. the rocking of the coach and the extensive prairie view probably caused the sickness. When within about a mile of Burlingame, our horses gave out, and we walked up to the village and took breakfast while the driver procured another team, and brought up the coach.

Burlingame is the county seat of Osage county, is situated on a small creek, with a beautiful prairie country around. Here we found some timber, an abundance of building stone, water enough for steam works, and stone coal for fuel. The coal is found at the depth of twelve or fifteen feet below the surface and is of an excellent quality. We changed teams and drivers at Burlingame. When we learned that the driver was to stop here we felt like crying out amen.

The country from Burlingame to Emporia, a distance of thirty five miles, is one of the finest we ever beheld. The prairies are just rolling enough to be delightful, while the streams are bordered with a heavy growth of timber, consisting of black walnut, sycamore, cotton wood, mulberry, ash, elm, maple, oak, basswood, etc. Beautiful farming land can be bought on these prairies at from $2 to $5 per acre. The soil is very deep and black, and from thirty to forty-five bushels of wheat is the usual yield to the acre. Corn grows very stout, and, in short, all the cereals do as well as in any northern state.

We took dinner fifteen miles from Emporia, where we also changed teams, and to the great satisfaction of all, had the best team and best roads on the last fifteen miles. We arrived at Emporia about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and as the stage coach turned up the street, after leaving us at the hotel, we watched it for a moment, as it was disappearing, and then unconsciously exclaimed amen! Emporia is the county seat of Lyon county, and is situated near the confluence of the Cottonwood and Neosho rivers. The location of the village is beautiful, being on a small prairie between the rivers. The town now boasts of some twelve hundred inhabitants, four churches and a district school house. The normal school where teachers receive tuition and books at the expense of the State is located here. The normal school building is of stone, and cost upwards of twenty thousand dollars. The county is also putting up a stone court house, at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. Dry goods and groceries sell nearly as cheap here as in Wisconsin. Village lots can be bought at from twenty five to three hundred dollars each. Wood can be purchased for three dollars a cord Wheat, $2.00, oats, 75 cents, corn $1.00, and potatoes scarce at two dollars a bushel

The surrounding country appears much older than it really is. Nearly every farm has its peach orchard of bearing trees. One man a few miles from here raised seven hundred bushels of peaches last season. The past winter has been uncommonly severe, and it is feared by some that the peach crop will be small this season, while others say there will be an abundance. Every stranger who arrives here is closely scrutinized, as the citizens of Kansas are on the lookout for the murderers of Brig. Gen. Joseph Bailey, late Sheriff of Vernon Co., Mo., and formerly of Kilbourn City, Wis. The murderers are two brothers, Perry and Lewis Pixley. They obtained something over a thousand dollars by their foul and atrocious crime. A reward of three thousand dollars is offered for their apprehension and delivery to the authorities of Vernon Co., Mo. They are described as follows: "Perry Pixley is five feet, eight inches high, weighs about 165 pounds small, clear, blue eyes, full face, lips compressed, light hair, very light thin whiskers, twenty-two or twenty-three years of age and talks out of one side of his mouth which draws that side down somewhat while speaking. Lewis Pixley bears strongly the resemblance of Perry, but is larger and more rough, nose is larger and face longer, about five feet nine inches high and weighs about 180 lbs., smooth face, light hair, twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and has a defect in one eye, which gives it a slightly inflamed appearance, was once shot in the left arm, from which cause he carries his left shoulder an inch lower than the right, was also wounded in the thigh, which causes a slight lameness."

The Emporians were favored last night with a lecture or speech by Lucy Stone, and her husband: Dr. Blackwell. There was a large and respectable audience out, and Lucy entertained them to their highest satisfaction. They are now traveling through this state giving free lectures on woman's rights and universal suffrage. Lucy Stone is so well known to the public that we need say nothing of her superior delivery. The Doctor made some appropriate remarks after his wife had spoken. It is said that at Topeka, Dr. Blackwell registered his name, and his wife registered her name as Lucy Stone, and the clerk gave them separate rooms. When Mr. B told the clerk that one room would do for them both, he said, "no you don't. we don't do that kind of business here." An explanation followed, which satisfied the clerk and Dr. B and wife retired to their room.

M. S. PIPER.