The Kansas Pilot from Blue Rapids, Kansas • 2

PILOT. COl'MY AM) TOW.W Marshall County is located in the northern tier of Kansas counties tho third in order from the Missouri river. It is reached JANUARY, 1379. C. K.

TIBliETS, TubUshcr. from his own land or the native sod under his feet, for they are equally at his command. A hundred leagues beyond him roll the grand savannas, with richest grasses for his animalj tempting him to turn the greensward for his corn and wheat fields. No fences to build, for the herd law will take care of his garden, orchards and fields and he may sleep in security. No stumps or stones to break the furrow, from end to end of his homestead.

A single team will break the sod and he may plant his sod corn, potatoes, beans, turnips and melons, and besides the pioneer garden, grow a crop the first year. Now his farm is made, and he begins the second year with a full crop of corn, wheat, rye, barley, THE OUTLOOK. The indications are that the fetters which have shackled every business enterprise in the country for the past five years, are about broken and that the country is to enter upon another career of prosperity. It may not come with siuideness and the rush of the whirl wind better that it should not but that the day of better things in the business world is gradually drawing can hardly be questioned. A revival of business at large is a revival in all its parts, and those towns and manufacturing centers that hope to profit by the propitious wind must now adjust their sn i Is to the favoring breeze.

Blue Rapids possesses advantages that no other city in the state can boast. She has more mills already in operation than can bo found at any other point. But her advantages will go for nought unless there is foresight, and energy enough among her citizens to turn these io practical account. Money judiciously invested in manufacturing euterprises; here in the midst of boundless agricultural lands, involves no hazard. A home market is found for all varieties of manufacturing products.

Let then, the OUR OIUJECT. The publication of the Kansas Pilot is commenced tor tbe purpose of giving the Kansas Home seeker information respecting the advantages of the northern portion of the State. For eighteen, months tbe bulk of immigration hither has passed by one of the most fertile, best watered, and healthiest sections of the State to counties far inland, much less favored, with water and timber, and twice or thrice as far from the Missouri river where are found the mar kets for the products of the State. The wholesale advertising of extensive railroad tracts in the western and southwestern part of the state have diverted the attention of those in search of homes from sections much nearer market, where churches, school-houses and manufactures are in successful operation. Northern Kansas has suffered in the matter of immigration by being placed at a.

disadvantage with those sections covered by extensive tracts of railroad land. With lands unsurpassed by any in the state, and possessing the advantages of an older settlement and a nearer market the northern tier of Kansas counties can furnish choice farming lands as low-as any portion of the state. Many of those who seek a home in the West never pause to consider the adran-tagcs of good towns, schools, church privileges already established as also the burden of incident to all new counties in building bridges, roads, and in getting all substantial public improvements on foot. VVe say to one and all, westward bound, go slow look around consider the choice of a home may be for a life time. Examine the matter in all its Remember that there is a Northern Kansas us well as a Southern and Western.

ADVANTAGES SET IT EM EST A recent wriiter, and one who has traveled extensively in Kansas, presented the following glowing pictures, somewhat colored, but correct as to the main bottom facts: The facilities for settlement and immediate production in Kansas are admirable. In the old States the poor pioneer must go into the wilderness, half a hundred miles in advance of railways and a doen miles in advance of settlement, and expend the best energies of a lifetime in clearing away the forest and tearing out the stumps, before he can give his wife and children a comfortable home. Hardships and privations without number must be endured before the day of fruitlion cornea. Out in Kansas it is so dill'erent. The iailroad leads settlement by half a hundred miles and as many days.

The emigrant rides into the new land of his hopes and future home, in an elegant railway train, sU'ps out of the coaeh and may plant his roof-iree and hearth-stone within sight of the station or sound of the locomotive whistle. He may build his cottage of the beautiful limestone (lagging, taken by two parallel lines of railroad the St. Joe it Denver City, starting from St. Joseph and penetrating the northern portion and forming a junction with tho U. P.

at Hastings, and the Central Branch Union Pacific, making Atchison its initial point, and passing through tho southern portion westward to tho valleys of the Solomon and tho Kepubliean. Marshall county is one of the most fertile and productive in the State, yielding largo crops of wheat, rye, oats, barley, ix, hemp, castor beans, corn and broom-corn. It is well adapted to fruit and young orchards are doing well. It is one of the tint's watered counties in tho State, and possesses bottom lands of surprising richness. Its high prairies are covered with a rich, native, nutritious grass, and almost tho entire portion of its land is cultivable.

It is unsurpassed by any county in the west for the excellence of its water powers and tlio number of its manufacturing enterprises. Tho liig Blue, the Little Blue, tho Vermillion and its brandies, all course through and unite in southern Marshall county. Coon, Fawn, Elm, Perkins, Johnson, Walnut, Horseshoe, Corn Dodger, (iamo Fork, West Fork, Clear Fork and Irish Creek, tre among the clear, transparent streams that increase its verdure and add fertility to the various sections. These streams are invariably lined with timber, of which oak, walnut, hickory, hackoerry, eottonwood, elm and maple are leading varieties. Tiio towns located on the northern road in this county are Axtell, Beatty and Ma-rysvillo.

i'nose located on tho Central Branch are Vermillion, Frankfort, Barrett, Irving, Blue Kapids and Waterville. Blue Kapids was founded by a colony from Genesee county, New York, in l7u. A largo stock company was formed, and its capital was turneU to the improvement of the unparalleled water power, which gives the place its name. A stone dam was placed across the Blue, resting on a solid rock bottom, and the work of securing manufactures commenced. At present Blue Kapids has tho largest grist mill, the largest woolen mill, the only gypsum mill and the only paper mill in the State.

Tho lust acquisition is a foundry, recently started and doing a thriving business. All are built of massive limestone, exhaustless quarries of which are found near tho mills. Other manufactures are projected or under way. The young city has over 750 inhabitants, contains seven church organizations and has three tine church odinces, a'superior public school, and a new library building containing 1,500 valuable books, tho latter under the successful management of the ladies of the place. The town, from its high vantage ground, still offers unparalleled inducements for substantial nianufac tuies.

There are thousands of acres of valuable farming lands in this vicinity, both railroad and private, which is olterod at low prices to actual settlers. WHY H. A. Fisher, the Excursion Agent of the Wabash Kaihvay, who has traveled extensively in Kansas, thus summarizes the superior advantages of this section of the State Because 1st. It is the Oldest Settled portion of Kansas.

2d. It is tho Best Watered section of the State. lid. It is a very Superior Fruit Growing section. 4th.

It is tho best Grazing and Stock Kaising section. 5th. it ha better Manufacturing Facilities than any other. (ith. It is tho most Fertile and Fr uitf section of the Suite.

7th. This section has superior Kailroad Facilities and better Markets. 8th. The Northeastern portion of Kansas is decidedly the most Healthful portion of the State. Hth.

Laud in this portion of Kansas is Cheaper and more desirable at to per acre than the free prairie Government laud farther West. 10th, The very best reaion for locating in this part of the State is that the nine foregoing statements in regard to the country are strictly true, as the oilicial statistics fully verify. The present indications are that Kansas will have a larger immigration iu the spring than during any previous spring, as that of last fall was greater than during any previous autumn. 1 broom com, a fine cbard and forest. rro rilan younc or- SHEEP WOOL.

The wool growing interest has tal en strong root in Marshall County within the past two years, and now bids fair to become one of the leading industries of this section. Several fine flocks have been brought in from Michigan and arrangements ore maae for augmenting the number the coming Spring Mutton whenever it can be had retails at ten certs a pound, and wool finds a ready market at the Blue Rapids Mills, at Philadelphia prices, less of transportation. The climate is in every adapted to sheep raising, and pasturage is, in general, free as the air they breathe. OLIt ITULIC LIKKAUY. The Blue Rapids Ladies' Library Association was organized nearly five years ago for the purpose of furnishing the reading public of the town with a choice selection of interesting and profitable reading matter, as wellas to encourage habits of.

mental improvement in the young. With a singleness of purpose, begotten of a deep conviction that the enterprise wag an. important one, the Association, organized under the laws of the State, has labored indefatigably and effectively in carrying forward the work to success. They have raised the funds and built a fine two-story stone building on the Public Square that would be credit to a place of ten times the number of inhabitants. They have coir lected over fifteen hundred volumes, some of them costly and highly valuable to a reading community.

The interest in the Library hai never been lost can scarcely be said to have ever flagged. It has already been of far more value to the town than its entire costi The Ladies have wrought wisely and well. On the rising gen- eraiion rests the obligation of perpetu- al gratitude. A VALLEY IIOAI). A general movement was made along ih Blue Valley from Beatrice, to Wabaunsee in this State, last fall, to get an expression of sentiment in favor of building, a railroad along said Valley.

The sentiment was unanimously iu favor of tuich a road, and encouragement froir. the Burlington it Missouri Company that they would extend their Beatrice branch down the Blue, if sufficient aid were extended, led to a rrespoudenee with that company. We regret that their extension interests center at other portions of their road at present, and any immediate action on their pari iu this direction is unlocked for, important as thuy consider the route. With this view of the situation, energetic business men and manufacturers are the importance of an effort to get a narrow-gauge line running down the Blue to tho coal fields. It is probable some early action may be called for in the premises.

people of Blue Rapids appreciate their opportunities, and at once strike the blow that is to give prosperity and durability to the town. Ol' II EAST AU WEST ROAD. The Central Branch Union Pacific railroad, whose western terminus was recently at Waterville, five miles west of Blue Rapids, has lately pushed westward to Beloit nearly 1U0 miles, and the end is not yet. The next objective point is Cawker City, and (he work is going vigorously forward. Two important branches are in operation the Washington branch, which will, in allprobability.be extended northwest at an early date and the Scandiu branch, recently completed The Central Branch, under the energetic management of Maj.

W. F. Downs, (General already has its eye on Denver, and will doubtless continue its westward movement till it reaches the mountains. This is an important road to Northern Kansas, and immigration reaching Atchison, its initial point, will find it the most convenient road for reaching this section of the Stale. it had To ami: fact lire I have fr sale nil the property of the Bfue Rapids Town Company, con- listing of about two hundred lots and i blocks.

(50 acres of bottom land nd-I joining the Water Power, and within i the corporate limits of Blue Rapids Icitv; the Blue Rapids Water Power I with the lots, leases and building sites. I Th's property is offered in bulk or in I retail on very low 'terms to cnpitnlist who desirw to locate and improve I There are already tour large stone mills aim in successful operation and in addition to foundry, and other improvements in prospect. The River is spanned by a fine Iron bridge, resting upon piers which sup port the bfst cut stone Dam in tho Stale. The rapacity of the Water Po.ver by survey 1500 horse power, enough to turn the wheels of 'J to 16 large mills. Ihe property must lie sold the present season, and bargains are now oifered at lower rates than can possibly be offered 2 this date.

Apply or address JOHN MrPIIERSON. Br. he Ha i' ids, Kan..