46 KANSAS AND THE COUNTRY BEYOND.

Tever saw. Nota feature or a trace of grim-visaged war meets the
eye of the stranger. Even. its long-continued use asa great distribut-
ing post for the numerous forts and stations scattered over the far-
reaching “plains” is about ceasing, and ere long it will probably be
sold, including the rich and magnificent reservation attached to it. It
is very valuable property, and Congress should be well advised of that
value before it passes into private hands. Visions of a large fortune
are probably looming up before the minds of some sharp operators
even now in connection with Fort Leavenworth.

Some of the business streets of Leavenworth have much of the
aspect of our old and substantial commercial cities. Statistics of its
business would be both interesting and surprising; but it was not my
object to collect such things. I was through almost every part of the
city, and one thing impressed me strongly — the almost total absence
of apparent poverty and squalidity. Most of the buildings are brick,
and have a neat, fresh, and comfortable aspect. Outside there are
many elegant suburban residences which would do credit to any city.
And the trees !—nothing can surpass them for thrift and beauty.

But Leavenworth is somewhat in jeopardy commercially ; for unless
they bring a branch road from the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad
at Cameron to the east bank of the Missouri, opposite this city, and
throw a bridge across the river, so as to connect their branch of the
Union Pacific road, which runs to Lawrence, with the great systems
of railroads east of the Mississippi, Kansas City — which has a bridge
and a branch road to Cameron already made sure — will bear away
the palm. But let both have bridges, and both have branch roads to
Cameron, and I see no reason why Leavenworth may not maintain
the ascendancy. To bridge the Missouri at Leavenworth, however,
will be a much more difficult work than at Kansas City; but the peo-
ple of: the former place say it can be done, and that they will do it. In
my opinion they must do it, or be content to be thrown off the line.

LAWRENCE.

On my return from Fort Harker I stopped a little more than two
days in this historic, almost classical little city, around whose annals,
although brief in duration as the life of childhood, cluster so many
memories of stern devotion to principle, of heroic daring, of patient
endurance, of carnage and devastation, of horrid cruelties and fiend-
ish murders, at the calm recital of which, even yet, while standing on
the spot, the ears tingle and the heart grows sick. Twice given to
the flames by ruthless enemies, and its streets drenched in the blood
of its citizens, it has risen in superior beauty, and now stands before