Kansas weekly herald., 1854-10-13
From the ST. Lotus Herald: -
. .aTOsss. iss Kgasstys.

.s1z From the ST. Eodfs Her aid. 4
g"a fl Tour t1s Keg,esigs. aha
]. A gentleman who paid recent visit to
Kansas has given Us some notes of his ex-
cursion, from which we gather the follow
ing particulars. So saifi soatAtg ezis II
Leaving St Louis on the 22d uit,, in
boat for the Missouri river,. he landed at
Boonviile and proceeded by, land as. far as
Lexington, admiring as he went the rich
rolling prairie country Of. Cooper and La
fayette counties. The remainder of his
journey to the town of Kansas was COM
pleted by way of the river. From Kansas
he went to Westport, which is near the State
line, and thence entered Kansas Territory.
The first settlement yisitedwas just north
of the Kansas (or Caw) river, govern
ment post, to which are attached missions,
sustained by the Methodists and Friends.
This post is within the lands of.1eserYe for
the Shawnees; and the lands IN its vicinity
are occupied chiefly by full blood or half
breed Indians. The country is rolling
prairie until within three or four miles of
the Kansas river. The timber is chiefly
oak of no great size, and the country is not
very well watered. From the Delaware.
post he visited Parkville and the Wyandot
nation, passing through heavily timber
ed country, with water still scarce, owing,
perhaps, to the extreme dryness of the sea-
son. Our traveller, leaving Parkville, went
forty miles up the banks of the Kansas,
finding land of the choicest character and
most picturesque beauty, especially on the
right side of the river. 1t Is at present, In.
dian reservation. Uponlit are some fine
farms belonging to the Delawares. They
have some noble peach and apple orchards.
On the Route further on to Fort Leaven-
worth, the country was, fur the most part,
prairie Of the richest character, and only
occasionally broken. Where broken, it
disclosed limestone ,quarries in great album
dance. The journey to Stranger river
fifteen miles from the Fort-was over a
prairie, until within mile and half Of the
Stranger, where it is thiclIy wooded. On
this river is a settlement, where the squat
ters are asking ten dollars an acre for their
CLAIMS. This settlement is point on the
route to Forts Laramie and Reilly, and of
the California and Salt Lake trade. -
On the Nemeha, rs miles from St. Jo-
seph, there is abundance of timber, water
and choice land; also on Wolf river, about
81 miles out. Some aastern men have
gone as far as Council Grove-in the Cav
Inlian reservation-160 miles from West
GUS towns wich have started up in the Ter
ritory. 1t is yet town in embryo; but at
a sale there on the Doth lots sold at prices
ranging from $40 to 1926 an acre. SEN
ator Atchison was present at the sale and
addressed the boys in speech, telling
them, by God, sirs, if you catch an abo-
litionist in the Territory, hang him as you
would horse-thief." But the most prom
ising town in the Territory is "Leaven-
worth City," about mile and quarter
distant from the Fort, 1t enjoys the ad-
vantages of one of the most beautiful and
commanding sites on the Missouri river.
Upon the whole view, the impressions
of this traveller confirm the general reports
from this Territory. That it is chiefly prai
rie, and for some distance from the State
line fertile and beautiful, with quarries of
rock and promising signs of coal, but not
we'll watered. This description has special
application to that part of the Territory
which lies south of the river. The north |
ern part, though still prairie region, is
better wooded. -a
People by hundreds and thousands in
Iced, are rambling over the Territory
spy out the land and to make locations.-t
The immigration from Missouri is by far |
he largest and most promising of perma-
1ency. Hundreds have come from the |
Eastern States many of them, however, |
With families, and some of them with false |
deas of what is required to effect settle
nent and unfit to grapple with the tolls and
,rivations of pioneer life. Of these Eas-
ern excursionists some have already turn
ID their backs on the Territory, and many
# the same class are likely to follow them.
n fact those who have located are too gen
rally mere spectators. Nearly every
quatter is ready to ''trade off" or sell his
and. Claims are to be had at prices rang
ng from one hundred to one thousand dol
arS.
The slavery question is not much dis
ussed. In fact, the people in the Terrific
y are much more composed about it than
re the thousands who are agitating it
long the Atlantic coast. AS the result of
retty extensive and careful enquiry, it is
elieved that, although so far the majority
the settlers are Missourians, the prevail r
ng disposition among the people is and will
e to exclude slavery from Kansas And +
resent appearances indicate that this mat
sr will be managed discretely and wisely 8
he people of the Territory seem fully Ii
to its management, and will Ii
robab1y not brook much interference from II
,ithout. Either slavery propogandism or I
bolition lectures will find themselves out Il
{ place there. In short, the preyaili1lgg t
eternination is to settle this vexe1 ques.
on quietly. And the probabilities are, 1t
lat these squatters will vindicate the wis /,
om of the s'popular sovereignty" principle
y moderate and prudent, but firm and