Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IX.djvu/776

 756 KANSAo KANSAS CITY jectionable to a majority of the people. A provision was inserted in the schedule annexed to the constitution preventing any amendment of that instrument previous to 1864. The promulgation of this constitution caused great excitement in Kansas. Gov. Walker condemned it in the strongest manner, and proceeded at once to Washington to remonstrate against its adoption by congress; but before his arrival there the act had received the approval of the president. Gov. Walker soon after his arrival in Washington resigned, and J. W. Denver of California became governor. At the election of Dec. 21 for the adoption or rejection of the slavery clause, the vote returned was G,22(i, more than half of which was from counties along the Missouri border, whose total num- ber of voters by the census did not exceed 1,000. Against the slavery clause there were 569 votes, the free-state men generally abstain- ing from voting. The constitution being thus nominally adopted, an election for officers un- der it was to be held on Jan. 4. The territo- rial legislature at a special session passed an act submitting the Lecompton constitution to the direct vote of the people on the same day with the Lecompton state election, and the result was a majority of 10,226 votes against it. Congress after- long discussion referred the matter to the people of Kansas at an election on Aug. 3, 1858, when the Lecompton consti- tution was again rejected by 10,000 majority. Meanwhile the territorial legislature had called another convention to meet in April to frame a new constitution, which was submitted to the people and ratified by a large majority, though by a small total vote. Shortly after the re- jection of the Lecompton constitution by the people, Gov. Denver resigned, and Samuel Medary of Ohio was appointed in his place. The territorial legislature met in January, 1859, and passed an act submitting to the people the question of calling still another constitutional convention. The election was held April 4, and the result was a majority of 3,881 in favor of holding a convention. An election was ac- cordingly held for delegates, and the conven- tion thus chosen met at Wyandotte July 5, and adjourned July 27, after adopting a constitution by a vote of 34 to 13, prohibiting slavery. This constitution was submitted to the popu- lar vote Oct. 4, and was ratified by a vote of 10,421 to 5,530. The first election under it was held Nov. 8, when a delegate to congress and members of the territorial legislature were elected. On Dec. 6, 1859, a representative in congress, state officers, and members of a state legislature were chosen, the governor being Charles Robinson. On Jan. 29, 1861, Kansas was admitted into the Union under the Wy- andotte constitution, which with the several amendments since passed is still the supreme law of the state. During the early part of the civil war eastern Kansas suffered much from the irregular warfare, known there as "jay- hawking," which was carried on by confed- erate raiders from Missouri and Arkansas and the unionists who opposed them. The most prominent of these disorders was the attack made upon Lawrence, Aug. 21, 1863, by a band of confederate guerillas under Col. Quan- trell, which resulted in the loss of many lives and much property. During the war Kansas furnished to the federal army upward of 20,-' 000 men. See " Resources of Kansas," by C. C. Hutchinson (Topeka, 1871). KANSAS CITY, a city of Jackson co., Missouri, the second in the state in population and im- portance, situated on the right bank of the Missouri river, just below the mouth of the Kansas river, and near the Kansas border, 135 m. W. N. W. of Jefferson City, and 235 m. W. by N. of St. Louis ; pop. in 1860, 4,418 ; in 1870, 32,260, of whom 3,770 were colored and 7,679 foreigners; in 1874, estimated by local authorities at 40,000. The site, which was originally very rough and uneven, has been levelled, and now presents a moderately even appearance, except where a high bluif divides the upper or hill part of the city from the " bottom " or low lands where the railroad depots are. It is not regularly laid out, but the streets are wide, and are graded and sew- ered, provided with sidewalks, and lighted with gas. The buildings are chiefly of brick. Waterworks are in process of construction. The Missouri is here spanned by a bridge 1,387 ft. long, resting on seven piers, erected at a cost of $1,000,000. Four lines of street railroad, with an aggregate length of 13J m., run to various parts of the city and to the sub- urbs of Wyandotte, Kan., and Westport. The surrounding country is fertile, and abounds in coal, lead, iron, zinc, salt, gypsum, fire clay, and building stone. By means of seven rail- roads the city commands the trade not only of W. Missouri and Kansas, but also of N. Texas and part of Colorado and New Mexico. These lines, which centre at a common pas- senger depot, are the Hannibal and St. Joseph ; Kansas Pacific ; Kansas City, St. Joseph, and Council Bluffs ; Leavenworth, Lawrence, and Galveston; Missouri River, Fort Scott, and Gulf ; Missouri Pacific ; and St. Louis, Kansas City, and Northern. The Kansas City and Memphis and the Kansas City, Wyandotte, and Northwestern railroads are in progress from the city, and the Kansas Midland line is ex- pected to reach this point in 1874. The number of arrivals of steamboats in 1873 was 65. The organization of a system of barge navigation has been much discussed, and promises success. The sales of merchandise at wholesale in 1872 amounted to $13,844,440 ; in 1873 to $15,695,- 000 ; at retail in the latter year, to $5,555,000. The trade in cattle (chiefly from Texas) and in hogs is one of the most important branches. The receipts of cattle in 1871 were 120,827 head; in 1872, 236,802; in 1873, 227,669, valued at $3,415,035; of hogs in 1871, 41,- 036 ; in 1872, 104,639 ; in 1873, 220,956, valued at $2,131,177 60. The receipts of horses in