THE SANTA FE ROUTE. 13 
terraces on the south side that extend to the foot of a wooded bluff 
capped by ledges of limestone. 
Near Lakeview several old sections of river channel or oxbows are 
conspicuous. They are now abandoned by the main stream, which 
passes north of them, but are in part filled with water. 
Features of this sort are common along streams flow- 
ing in a wide alluvial flat, for in nearly every freshet 
sand banks accumulate which dam up an old course 
for a few miles while a new channel is scoured out by the strong 
current deflected in another direction. 
Long ago Kansas River cut its valley about as deep as is possible. 
with the low grade finally attained, and since that time the flats have 
been in process of being built up. The valley is being widened, how- 
ever, for every few miles along its course the stream cuts into its banks 
and removes more or less of the limestone and shale. This cutting 
shifts in location from time to time, and some of these old cut banks 
now rise from old channels long ago abandoned. As its banks are 
cut back the river valley gradually widens, and if the process con- 
tinues sufficiently long the side valleys also will be widened in the 
same manner and the ‘adjoining highlands disappear. 
In the region west of Lawrence the ice sheet of the Kansan glacial 
stage extended several miles south of the present Kansas River valley, 
for the south margin of the drift covers the greater part of the high 
ridge between that river and the valley of Wakarusa Creek. The 
drift margin continues in this position to Topeka and beyond, but it is 
hardly perceptible to the traveler on the railway, which follows the 
relatively recent river bottom. The rolling hills that can be seen on 
the upland in places north of the river consist largely of glacial drift. 
Lecompton (see sheet 2, p. 22) was the capital of Kansas Territory 
from 1855 to 1861 and was named from D. 8S. Lecompte, chief justice — 
| of the Territory. It was a noted proslavery strong- 
Lecompton. hold and a rival to Lawrence. The “‘ Lecompton con- 
Elevation 846 feet. stitution,’’ under which the proslavery party wished 
Population 386. : 
Kansas City 51 miles, Kansas to become a State, was drawn up at a consti- 
tutional mina called at Lecompton in 1857. 
This constitution was overwhelmingly defeated by popular vote. 
Toward the end of the free-soil troubles the Territorial legislature was 
accustomed to convene in Lecompton and adjourn at once to Law- 
rence. Those days of political turmoil are happily past, and now 
Lecompton is a quiet little village. 
Between mileposts 38 and 39 the Lecompton limestone crops out 
in ledges south of the track for some distance, but farther west there 
are wooded slopes which show limestone — at intervals. These 
slopes continue beyond Grover. 
97579° —Bull. 613—15——_2 
Lakeview. 
Elevation 830 fee 
Kansas City 45 a 
