Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1854-11-03


DELIVERED rs VINE ST. CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
LAST MONT.
A large and highly respectable au-
dience filed Vine Street Congregation
al Church TO hear the report Of the
Rev. G. Boynton, who, as agent of the
Kansas League, had made an extern
sive tour of exploration.
The reverend gentleman introduced
his remarks by stating that he proposed
to give but an abstract Of the contents
Of his forthcoming printed report.
On the wall behind the pulpit, was
exhibited large outline map of Kan
sas anu the lecturer introduced his
remarks by showing its natural di.
visions, the natural courses of its
trade, and the direction of its water
courses.
There are no towns yet located di-
rectly at the mouth Of Kansas, but
there is an excellent site for one in the
Guyondot reservation. The Kansas
river at It's mouth is 800 yards wide,
and even at Fort Riley il is 600 yards
wide. We, said he, saw it il. a dry
season. yetitwas a fine rapid stream,
we'll suited for purposes of navigation.
II is turbed, but not as much So as
the Missouri, and the streams which
empty into it are limped as New Eng
land brooks.
Big Blue River mt its mouth is 800
feet wide, and is a clear. beautiful
stream. Grasshopper river is. 100
feet wide at its mouth, but though a
fine stream, was low when We saw it.
The Arkansas is one Of the princi-
pal rivers in Kansas, running up into
it 500 miles. The country through
which it passes is comparatively un-
known, but is represented to be an
exceedingly fertile and delightful
valley.
Kansas might be divided into nor
thern Kansas, whose natural outlet
will be by St. Soseph, and the railroad
TO the Missouri river at Hannibal lies
on the head waters Of the various
tributaries of the stream just named.
Central, or Valley Kansas win re-
quire an outlet city at the mouth OF
the Kansas. Weston is laboring to
gain this trade, and a town will be
located in the Guyandotte Reserva-
ton.
Southwestern Kansas will need an
outles at Council Grove, or some un-
known point.
This latter portion may have its
commercial outlet at Neosho in Mis-
souri,, which will connect with the
South west branch Of the r. R. from
st. Louis, and thence connect with the
Texas Pacific r r. A fourth district,
comprising the Arkansas Valley, may
also have distinct outlet.
A line drawn North and South, 200
miles west of Missouri and comprising
goo square miles,is considered the ag-
ricultural region of Kansas. The 200
square miles west of this has been rep
resented unfitfor settlement on account
of drouth, and want of rain. Last
year the records at Fort Riley prove
that there was more rain there than
even here.
1t feeds immense herds of buffaloes,
and the streams when we travelled
there, showed that it was not dried
up, or unfit for settlement. The Off
GERS at Fort Riley, said it was as well
watered $50 miles farther West as
there, and It was there as we'll water
ed as the eastern portion. A soldier
from Santa Fe. declared that for one
hundred miles back OF Council Grove,
il was as we'll fitted for settlement as
at TT. Riley. Far back at the base of
the Rocky Mountains, the country is
like New England, with its valleys, its
sparkling streams and glorious scenery
but it is as rich in minerals as any
other portion of this continent.
As whole, Eastern Kansas is one
of the most fertile and delightful re-
gions ever seen. We, said the lectur-
er, travelled over 800 miles in 1t, and
we do not think any portion OF the
United States equals it in general fe-
tility, or in the rare beauty of its roll
ing prairie scenery. We did not see
swamp in Kansas, and the soil is a
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