Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1854-10-07
Correspondence of the spy.l
KANSAS BY ONE OF THE PIONEER PARTY FROM
BOLTON, MASS.


What tce rant and 1ehat zee don't sca,,t.
KANzAs Territory, Sept, 1854.
1t has been just one month and three days,
since we arrived on our town site in Kanzas,
and, with what experience and observation
have at my command, proceed to send my
thoughts, through the Spy, to my Eastern
friends and acquaintance The natural seem
cry of Kanzas is very beautiful, covered with
its mantle of green and gold, and its rolling
surface, Its hill sides, Its gentle streams, ra-
vines which widen and deepen as they APP
proach nearer the river dotted, as they are in
this vicinity, with the oxen, cows, horses
and mules Of the settlers, that are preparing
their new homes. These, with the continue
GUS line of emigration teams that are passing
into the country to select their location, and
build their cabins, as well as others that are
returning for their families and effects, having
already prepared homes for their reception,
and the already operating farmer that is turn
ing over the prairie with his magnificent team,
thirty inches at a furrow, frequently putting
to flight the plover, the prairie hen, the quail,
and, sometimes, the wild turkey,-the deer
and its tawn, (who no doubt view their new
neighbors as intruders), and many other birds
and animals, too numerous to mention, all
taken together, form collection of Natures
beauties too rich for my pen to attempt to por-
tray.
The climate is beautiful and healthy, the
weather being mostly dry and clear, with oc-
casonal showers, and beautiful soft breeze,
that commences about nine o'clock in the
morning, and continues until the evening,
comforting all nature with its genial inhu-
ence and rendering the toll of the laborer
pleasant and healthful. myself have labored
every day, right along, experiencing less heat
and oppression than l have done in New Eng
land at this season of the year. L have never
enjoyed better health in my life, than have
since my arrival in the territory, and so says
every one. The soil cannot be beat i'll the
world, as the experienced farmers from all
Places here congregated together say, either
in its richness or its adaptation to the necessa-
ries and Injuries of life. have eaten of its
apples, peaches, plums, and its water-melons,
which, by the way, are equal to any that can
be found in any market. Its sweet potatoes,
as well as the Irish potato, so called, are ex-
cellent, and very easily raised.
The wheat. both fall and spring, of which
l have seen and eaten, are excellent, as well
as the Indian corn, of which this county is so
prolific. There are also fine fish in the river,
three of which we drew from its bosom at one
haul, with a small line, on which there were
several baited hooks. The three taken to-
gether weighed ninety pounds, averaging thir-
ty pounds each.
As design, at some future time, to give
some further account Of the products of this
new paradise, and their mode of culture &C.,
will close that subject at present.
l think that no good working man, who
loves to enjoy the sweet repose of the laborer,
after his days toll, or his sweet sabbath Of no.
ly rest, after his six days labor, need fear to
come here, if he has money enough to bring
himself and his family, and to lay in rea-
sonable stock of provisions for the winter, and
little to help erect his cabin. AS we have
no mills yet to saw timber, we have to be con-
tented with comfortable log cabin. Any
man, willing to labor and knowing how, may
get plenty to do. | would here mention, by
the way, that purchased beautiful COW and
calf, such as | should have had to pay forty or
fifty dollars for in Massachusetts, when | left
for which | paid thirty-one and quarter dol |
lars and, what is better, have earned the
dimes that paid for her, since the pioneer par
ty reached here, besides doing a good deal of !
other work for myself.
We want, however, men of capital, that are
willing to invest it in some profitable business,
as such opportunities are plenty. We need, |
first and most of all, saw-mill, to saw boards
for floors and doors for our houses We want
wood and timber hewers, brick Makers lime
burners and coal and iron diggers, as we shall
have an abundance of business in these yari-
Gus lines. If not many of our hills are COW
cred with timber, yet they have rich stores in
their bosoms. We want men with muscular
systems, qualified for labor by being accus-
toned to it; in other words, hard listed men,
and free men, in the true sense of the word,
who will make no compromise with the me-
malls or the bloodhounds of Slavery. We
want men, who, while on their way to this
land of promise, and in sight of that memo
rable Alton, where our beloved brother, Love
JOY, dedicated himself tothe cause of freedom
and sealed it with his blood-who, while
standing on the bosom of that magnificent
Father of rivers, with their eyes on the very
building where the fatal deed was done, will
have their whole souls kindled anew with ho-
ly indignation, which shall burn, never to die
or be quenched, till the hydra headed monS
ster is driven from this land, and Gods world
blessed with universal ireedom--men whose
benevolence and philanthropy are of too high
a stamp to be frightened from them by threats,
or bought by paltry promises of preierment-
Men who have an interest at stake, of the
highest character-who have families to edu-
cate here-whose influence will go directly for
the establishment of schools and churches,
that the minds and morals of the community
may bear the impress of intelligence, of love
to God and our neighbor.
As want of convenient opportunity pre-
vents my finishing this communication as l
designed, l shall draw it to close at present,
hoping to take the matter up again, in a short
time, if leisure offers. In the meantime,
have to chronicle the arrival of the last COM
pany Of Emigrants under the auspices of the
Emigrant Aid Society, all in good health and
spirits, only few getting homesick for their
mothers, or perhaps some more powerful at
traction, that was, thoughtlessly, left behind
Our first and second companies have both
fused into one, and are going on steadily, and
with determination to make the most delight
full country in the world, with proper auxilia-
nes from you, and the rest of the northern
and eastern freemen.
Yours truly,
JOHN G. ARCHIBALD.