The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-12-19
WESTERN GEOGRAPHY.
DISCOURSE OF THOMAS h. BEHTou

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On th. lvAysassl Geography Of the Cesntzy ss-
tween .Ossouza and California, with vssw
to show. ass Adaptation 70 ssttlenasne saA
ths Coust vsaeelpa - Railroad.
We live In an ago when utility and progress are the
order Of the d.y and when Al proposons Of the sssss
man and Vie laws vsr we'll Of the philosopher and
mechanicsp are br ought TO the touchstons Of s
practice and dismss cd from the public mind - unws
thy Of attention II fo ,nd unable TO stand that tsst
profess to belong 10 tn school, and come here tenGe
upon your kind nvita on to discourse upon suhjsee
which will bear that tes one which has already mucl
engaged the public mind and on which practical vsws
and not speculative opinion u are wanted Ispsak q ~
country beyond the Mssiss Spp-betwsen Missouri an1
Cafornaits physical geo Apply and its adaptation -
settlement and cultivation an to the constructors oe
railroad to the Pacific OCEAN. have paid some at-
tention to this geography ndu eed BY local postios
and turn for geographic, v inquiry; and, IN .
period Of more than thirty 'sars have collsctse
whatever information was to b. obtained from ne
reading Of books the report Of tas ss, and the COZ.
versaton of hunters and traders all with view =
establish practical results and feel au hofssd to believe
from all that have learned that this vast region -
pablo Of sustaining populous communit ", ANA exAng
them to wealth and powerthat tho line Of great Saess
which stretch halfway ntnsnt IN The
in the latitudes, Pennsylvania aio, Indiana,
Of sates equally great between Missouri tCsufsrnias
and that the country is perfectly adapted the oon-
sruction Of railroad. and all sorts OF roads, avsrsas
in all seasons. This ia my opinion, and p ,oceed to
verify it and Hrst Of tho Eve States their dagr and
relative positions, and then their capabilities.
The present Territory Of Kansas, extending Usvsa
hundred miles in length upon two hundred In brt wt,
and containing above hunded thousand sq,Ass
miles, would form two States Of above 6UH
thouaa nd vrsln~ -
the Rocky mountains, embracing tho ThFso
Parks and the head waters Of the esutA
Platte the Arkansas Del and the eastern brsnchAs
Of The Great Colorado Of the West would form anoth
State larger is the opinion Of Fremont than ali ~
Swiss cantons put together; and presenting sveryAg
grand and beautiful that 10 found Switzsriaa
without its drawback Of svaanches and glaciers 1hs
valley Of the Upper Colorado from the western base e
the Rocky mountains to the eastern base Of the WahsaA
and Antcrra ranges 200 miles wide BY 200 long anl
now part OF Utah. might form the fourth-And the
maindsr of Utah. from the wahsatch to CAlifonfs,
would form the nftof which ths part this way cover
ing the Santa Clara meadows, and wahsatch and An
terra ranges, would be the brightest part Hare thsn
are I've diagrams Of territory SUFFICIENT in extent
any map will show to form Ave States Of the nrst mag.
ntude That much is demonstrated now for -
inequalities to sustain populous communities, ~
their adoption to the construction Of . railroad.
We begin with the Territory of Kansas, and dad ~
length above three times ts BREADTH and naturally e.
visible into two States by north and south line, M
way to the mountains The eastern half il bsginnng -
be known from the reports Of emgrants and explorsss
but TO understand ito whole interior the general outlo
Of the whole Territory must hrst he traccd-iu tAo
minds eye, or upon map Maps are not convensnt
in so large al assemblage the minds eye must -
put in reputation and made to follow the lines ~ in.
Gated, fhus'-Besinning on the western boundary a
that parallel wes the boundary Of New Ms
leo, then detection OF degree north to the psrasa
Of 38; and that parallel to the summit Of the Roohw
Mountains then norhwardly along that summit to to
parallel Of 70 degrees then east with that parallel -
shs Missouri line and south with that line to the b.
for the sake Of dstinctness will examine that Sec
tions, conformabc to the natural divisions Of thu
We commence with the Kansas river, on the north
aide Of tne Territory and its four long orksthc Smoky
which the Smoky Hill Is the most considerable and d
the best place for the advantage of the Territory Al
these forks now In the right directionfrom wcst =
mountains ridges between to interrupt their comu
nications, and making after their junction near tws
united waters reach the great Missouri river. All tbe
land drained by these streams constitute the Valley q
which has but little perceptible depression below hs
general level Of the country. We will consider the
Term applicable to all the territory drained BY all The
Kansas forks and all their tributaries Ono general a.
scription applies to the whole-the soil rich ike Eryu
ano anos n wDua De- 4 raised above the %
groves and meadows sprnked with springs, coursed by
streams, and warmed by sun which warns without
burning and blessed with the alteration Of seasons
which give vigor to the mind and body. Egypt thus
raised up and changed, might stand for Kansas as she
valley is high and clean, diversified with wood and
prairie, watered by springs and streams, grassy and
nowerys bosom fed with stone for building, coal for
fuel and iron for the home supply that rst Of eta
This is the Kansas OF the orKsnsas river side.
Ss ne 70
might be made-so rich and level is the country. bat
Of this part IL is not necessary to- say much tho
crowds Of engrants are directing themselves upon Il,
and veing with each other in the glowing descriptions
which they give of its beauty, salabrty and fertility.
little has been said and much is to Be told all pro-
ntab to BE- known In the arst place. this south side
includes the whole body of the Arkansas river ron
the Missouri line TO its headost spring In the
Rocky mountains length Of above seven hundred
miles straight line and double that length IN
the eanders Of the strea This gives to the Writer
second large river and in the right place. and nown
in Z. the rsh. @ p,.s, TO tn. other !: G
more than degree, and sometimes not half degree.
from each other and mountains high grounds bs.
tween them This, OF ITSELF s great advantage 70 tho
Territory for the Arkansas like all rivers in the prairie
country brings fertile borders and groves Of wood ana
travel In the next place, II gives Of trbs
taries ON each sids-each giving lines Of wood aad
ystion Some Of thsse trbptaries are Of GOOD Ienet
md dra wide the Neosho, drawing IL =.
psnded waters from the centre Of the Territory two
hundred miles long, and becoming navigable befors u
reaches the Arkansas river. The vcrdigrs but tt0N
less than the Neoho and the next above It, and Of the
same characterstics and both adapted to cutvas.sn
and pasursge. On the opposite side coming in frou
the south the Salt forf ef the Arkansas the lower
part Of within the limits Of Kansas with its salt plans
and rock sakimpregnatng the rvsr and rendering IL
waters undrinkable in the dry have eseu por
cells Of this rock salt at st. Louis cut o6 wh haxoke
by the Indians and Of the blown salt swept up Sy tns
sqssws with the turkey wing fans when tie autumpal
had evsporated ths brny waters Of the saline mars
etE useees In the hands OF ths Indiana ana ID
become so valuable in the hands OF the Whites Ascend
ing the river there continued succession Of ana
cnts from each side, al sxarclsin9 their fertilsipe
lowers upon bordering lines Of wood soil and grass asd
becoming better to the very base OF the mouutains -
that the river advantages the north side Of the Tsr
tory are rivallsd BY similar advantages the south
sde.
have spoken Of the two sides Of the Territory; now
fer the centre, and that 10 soon despatched. An e.
Iapdcd praIria To tho rich In ao (~k