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Volume 4: September 11, 1885–December 31, 1885
- Michigan State University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
Volume 4 September 11, 1885-December 31, 1885 September 11, Friday 1885 at 6.30 Belle + I arrived at Independence Kansas: started from Chicago Thursday noon the 10th left home Monday afternoon the 7th1 Kansas Independence Tuesday September 15-'85 I have just come from dinner at the Colwell House-and expect to have this afternoon to devote to my Journal and letter writeing we have been so busy since we came that our correspondents have been neglected. We arrived here on Friday eve 6.30 were met at the deapot by Mrs Crawford + Mr Harris took tea at Hotel. Mr + Mrs Spencer called in the eve and invited us to tea 6.0 o'clock dinner next day. Take all our meals at the Hotel. I have met a great many pleasant people Belle has a great many friends here and all vie with each other in making it pleasant for her. Adam and I left home Sept-7. '85 for Buchanan.2 stayed at Aunt F's all night in morning 6-o'c-started with Uncle John for Chicago.3 Belle, Minnie + Charley met us at 22 St. shopped awhile there Adam + I went to Lake View to visit Martha spent a pleasant evening. started at 8- next morning for city Met Uncle John + Belle finished shopping spent eve at Minnie Smith Met Asa Mc + other invited company. At 12.30 Thursday said good bye to Charley, Will. S. & Adam on 22 St. and turned our faces toward the "far West." lIndependence is located in southeast Kansas, about fifteen miles north of the Oklahoma border. 2"Adam" is Julia's sister Adeline. 3"Aunt E" and "Uncle John" were Belle's parents, Frances and John Graham. 145 146 JULIA GRAHAM'S KANSAS ADVENTURE Charley introduced us to James Smith who prooved an agreeable traveling companion. he lunched with us and we dined with him in the car. we took a section in the sleeper,-quite a joke, but we vow secresy on the subject.4 Were awake when we crossed the Mississ.-River at 1 a.m. It was very star light + the train rumbled slowly over the bridge. as tfte Hew ffiSSH The morning found us very sea-sick + all that day we suffered volumes Mr Smith was very kind + helped us to change cars at Kansas City our tickets from there to Independence. were 4.90 from Chicago to Kansas C- 10.50. The expence of a section, we ascertained was 5.00 &.&. At K. C.-we met Mr Stich and little daughter who went with us the rest of our journey.-I am staying at Mrs Crawford's + takeing meals at the Colwell House. She is very nice + kind to me so are all the people in fact and I am having a very pleasant time. The floods are so bad west of here that the train is not running on the direct rout, so probly will not leave untill Saturday morning for Harper. Sat for my pictures yesterday. at Al Brown's, 5.00 per doz. Sunday we went to church at the Presbiterian. in afternoon + eve we had 14 calls + water-mellin for refreshments. It is very warm at least it seems so to us but the people here say it is nothing compared to what they have had. We fan generally with one hand and write with the other. We can hardly find anything cool enough to put on. We have had several hard rains here + the mud is dreadful-it is almost as bad [as] banana peeling to step on + almost impossible to get off but the one redeeming feature of the roads they dry off in a half a day + are already getting dusty. We have a delightful breeze all of the time. Bed-bugs are simply awfu1.5 I spent a few prescious moments in cracking bout a doz this morning so they wouldent be quite so thick to night still I left hundreds of them walking over the mattress. Sept. 18-'85 Wednesday Got a letter from Adam. Mrs. C. and I got our breakfast this morning. she went to the store + I did up the work-Belle came over from Mrs. Spencer + we decided to lunch instead of going to the Hotel went down town. 4"Section" here referred to the berth in the railroad sleeping car, but also to a 640-acre "section" of land that Julia hoped to acquire. 5"Bed-bugs" are a wingless, bloodsucking...