Bypaths of Kansas History - February 1943
(Vol. 12, No. 1), page 105.
Transcribed by lhn; digitized with permission of the Kansas Historical Society.
TRAVELING IN KANSAS WITH HORACE GREELEY
From The Kansas News, Emporia, July 16, 1859.
A correspondent of the Boston Journal [Albert D. Richardson] who traveled to Pike's Peak with Mr. Greeley [0n the Leavenworth and Pike's Peak express in 1859], writes from Station 15 [near present Norton] as follows:
An admirable traveling companion is Mr. Greeley, with an inexhaustible fund of humorous experience and mirthful anecdote, a philosophy that neither frets nor grumbles at annoyances, and an always benignant countenance, radiant with a clear conscience, a Sound digestion, and abundance of the milk of human kindness. Occasionally when crossing rivulets on foot, he sinks in mire to the knees, but maintains his Serenity undisturbed. In amusing the marvelous little "Ida," he shames her mother altogether in the use of "baby talk," and other seductive arts to captivate infant affections. Today we met a party of returning Ohio emigrants, who had mired their wagon in a slough, from which their weary cattle were unable t0 extricate it. He gave a few common sense directions about using the spade, and then took hold of the lever and pried at the wheel with a vast deal of vim. Meanwhile, one of the emigrants, having learned something of his profession, asked:
"What New York paper are you connected with, Sir?"
"The Tribune."
"Oh, yes; you're with Greeley, are you?"
"Yes, Sir," was the dry reply, the editor meanwhile tugging away like an Irish laborer. Just as the wheel was extricated, some one came along who recognized the old white coat, and made its owner known to the crowd. I think I never saw men more amazed.
Almost every train we meet contains some one who recognizes him, and the emigrants flock around and scrutinize him as if he were the seventh wonder of the world. But yesterday, on the outskirts 0f a crowd, a rather stolid looking man asked of me:
"Stranger, is that John Greeley those fellows are talking so much about?"
"No, Sir, that's Horace."
"Horace--Horace Greeley--who is he?"
"Editor of the Tribune."
"Which?"
"Editor of the New York Tribune."
"What's that?"
"A newspaper published in New York."
"No! I never heard of it before."
"My friend," asked I, "where were you raised?"
"In Missouri."
The explanation was satisfactory!
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