ALONG THE MARAIS DES CYGNES

["Ottawa Weekly Republican," 17 May 1894, page 4 column 7]

Ed. REPUBLICAN:- In my last paper, No 2, I closed in defending, or trying to establish what I there asserted to be a truth, and a fact, not in the form of some railroad crier, which is rambling the state crying aloud the beauties of the scenery which adorn these lands which they own in the western part of our state which will soon bud and blossom like the rose on the summit of Pike's Peak; or sounding aloud the expectations and praises of some new town where a salt well or gas has been discovered, which will soon be visited by a railroad for the purpose of carrying off the large quantities of salt or gas, which will there be made, in which lots are now selling rapidly by those who were fortunate enough to be there at an early day. But we of Franklin county do not do our work in that way; we propose to show the cause and give reasons for the assertions we make, Hence, we say that in the next thirty years we shall find within the corporate limits of the city of Ottawa, one hundred thousand people, and within the county proper, one hundred thousand more; and the land which can now be purchased from ten to fifty dollars per acre, will bring from fifty to three hundred dollars per acre, according to location and improvements.

In proof of this, let those who thirty years ago stood upon the banks of the Marais des Cygnes river come with me and stand upon the same ground upon which they stood thirty years ago, and tell me what they then saw, as they looked over the beautiful and grand scenery that then hung around the now beautiful Marais des Cygnes river, and what they now see. For answer, I will let an old, gray-headed man who visited Ottawa some little time ago, whom I accidently met in one of my strolls through the park. As we met and passed the usual courtises [sic] between strangers, he inquired if I resided in this city? I told him I did and had for more than twenty past and gone years. As we were standing under the shade of one of those mighty oaks, which have stood sentinals over that portion of our city known as "Forest Park," around whose trunks, confortable seats had been arraigned for the conveniance of those who had become weary in tramping over this enticing landscape.

We sat down and entered into a general conversation, with his eyes continually roaming over the park, up and down the river, and particular among the trees that sheltered us from the rays of the sun, saying that more than thirty years ago, that he with many others were water bound upon the banks of this river which was then called the Osage river by some of the emigrants, and the Marais des Cygnes by others; which means in English, the river of Swans. I am looking about for some land marks where I hitched my mules, built a fire to keep the wolves off which howled incessantly around us at night. I think it is very near this spot, for I built a fire against a large oak tree near the river a short distance above the old Santa Fe trail which led into the wilds of the Rocky Mountains, which was the only place where teams with wagons could pass this river at low water. Many of the emigrants which were caught here as I was, would unhitch their mules from their wagons and mount them to scour the country around to notice its geography in relation to its agricultural character. Every one on his return was shouting Eureka! Eureka!- We have found it, Hurrah! Hurrah! I did not go with them as my wife was not very well, and the midnight howls of the wolf had made her quite nervous; but I lent two of my mules to those who had none, and I felt that the mass of emigrants then there, would not then cross the river, but make homes on the north side. In a few days the river had fallen sufficiently to allow fordage; some few passed over and went on to some place I did not know where neither did they. But the mass scattered and made homes within striking distance of this ford. I made several short tours around and was highly pleased with the lay of the land, yonder, pointing to the north of the city of Ottawa. When I observed that it was a spring of sufficient size to throw a column of water into the highest building which stands on the highest land within the city, and furnish sufficient water of the purest character for man and beast of every kind; an event, sir, which we confidently expect will be accomplished in the very near future. Yet, he replied, I was up on that hill yesterday, went to that spring and was sensibly struck with the commanding view it gave of your city, and the wealth of those waters to your city, if they were discharged into it. For pure water is the life stream that flows through our bodies, which I fear is not sufficiently cared for by the people as its merits demand.

From the view I had of your city, from this spring, where thirty years ago I watered my mules in its clear and pure waters. I saw the towering steeples attached to large and beautiful churches which adorn your lovely city, here presented. As I wandered over and around your city, beholding the many large and costly school houses, the splendid stores, the magnificent court houe, the elegant private residences, the superb Marais des Cygnes river with its three iron bridges tying its north and south parts together with cords of steel; and those large and pleasant college buildings with hosts of students from all parts of the state, who are trying to bridge the vast caverns of earth's wilderness of known and unknown subjects of things, yet hidden from our view under the direct care of the most profound intelligent and learned men; through its means, young men and young women may yet revel in the charms of intellectual life and greatness of God's works.

Again as I strode along over your delightful city, I observed the grandeur and finished neatness of your streets and alleys, and the fact that under them lies drains of large size, which carry offensive matter, which may gather upon the streets and in the alleys, made by the teams that frequently fill them to overflowing. From the necessity of giving place to the people from the country who bring in their products to feed this large stirring population within this city, in immense quantities, which I see is taken up by your merchants an exchange for goods or cash in hand. I like ths manner of doing business. There is a certainty of the trade which gives to the people an assurance of fair play and an equal chance with Kansas City or any other place; but to accomplish this and make it a success to the people and yourselves, you must have an elevator. Interrupting him, I said this elevator is not a new subject to our thinking men of both city and county. But the disorganization of the business men of our country and Europe has somewhat checked our efforts in the improvements necessary for the advancement of our interest both in the city and country; and not until our currency is made certain and this army of politicians are killed off, will the people again move forward in improvements necessary to fulfill the hopes and expectations engendered by the success which has attended their labors during the past thirty years of their lives in Franklin county.

Finding him a man of intelligence and great obsevation, I most urgently requested him to continue his observations and future views of the county of Franklin, and the city of Ottawa in the coming future of the next thirty years. Thanking me for my politeness, as he termed it he said: Ever since I stood in the banks of this river thirty years ago, there has been a something, a continous desire to review the lands bordering on this river and around this place where I and my good wife spent some days waiting for the high water to subside sufficiently to allow us to ford the river and push on into New Mexico to Santa Fe, the then great trading point towards entering the secret and winding paths that led through the Rocky Mountains to the gold regions of California. I should have gone on then but my wife wanted to go back to Missouri where she had a sister living ; so to please her I harnessed up my mules, took the back track and now find myself in this beautiful and magnificent park where thirty years ago I made a camp fire against a large oak tree to do our cooking with whilst we waited for the waters of this river to fall, so that we might get on our way to Santa Fe, or some other place farther west. But she had become dissatisfied with her journey so far, and wanted to go back to her sister's, in Northern Missouri, where we have since remained. Her sister is now dead, and myself and wife have no children living. We are acquainted with everybody in that region. I have a large landed estate there, and the people treat me with great respect and kindness; yet I can truly and honestly say that I feel more at home here to-day, hunting for the spot where I hitched my mules thirty years ago, than I have in the whole past thirty years. That there was much he yet wished to see and have explained, and if I would meet him on the morrow at the same place, he would be greatly my debtor, to which I most heartily agreed.

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