Washington sentinel., 1854-07-22
information about Kansas.

TO Tie Editor # the Mesc Tork Daily Times:
As all well.authenticated information about
this territory viii be useful and interesting to
the numerous bodies of men who are about
emigrating TO it from the free States, send
you letter written by member of the Society
OF Friends, wlo was connected with a Friends
Mission anon. the Shawnee Indians, who left
Kansas last fal, after q residence there Of two
years. II is . guarded and circumspect state
nent Of an Intelligent man. His estimate of
the healthfuln.ss Of the climate is comparative
Probably it les between Kansas on the one
hand, and New England and southern Ohio on
the other, and not between Kansas and others
Of the western or northwestern States. 1t also
appears that Turing the stay of the writer,
steamboats, dit not navigate the Kansas river
but later information states that one is plying
on that stream
SLIGO, CLIFTON Co., o. 9th Mo. 9th, 1854.
DEAR FRIEs1; Although thou art stranger
to me, take pessure in giving thee what in
formation i csa relative to the Kansas terri
tory agreeably % thy request. In going to our
mission we lea'e the Missouri river at little
town called Kansas, about one mile below the
mouth Of the Kansas river, on the west side Of
the Missouri fyer, we then 60 to Westport,
four miles distsnt---the State line is about one
mile from Wesport and six from our school,
so thou can set we lived FIVE miles from the
State line and TN from Kansas. We lived five
miles from Kanas river the nearest place.
was so much talen up with the school, &C., that
] dill not find tine 70 explore the country but
little, but will enieavor 10 answer thy questions
to the best of rnyjudgment.
]. l think If tat country should be all set
tied, timber wouli be rather scant, there seems
TO be plenty OF some quarries which will be a
great help in bulding, &c, the timber grows
on the river bottoms and by other streams.
2. Bilious feve prevails there rather more
than any place IN which have ever lived. i
do not know as there is much more sickness on
the bottom lands tam on the prairies.
3. There was quite heavy showers while we
were there, but 60 not know as tho thunder
was any more terrible than in Ohio.
A. did not hear Of any coal near where we
lived; 1t was said that there was plenty thirty or
forty miles from there. heard Of no iron in
that region. sa
5. They go up Ii. Kansas river, some with
Hat boats, but thin not with steamboats,.
q. Peaches are fbout as certain there as
here, and the indians mostly cultivate them;
apples do well where they are cultivated.
Z. Corn grows vel there. Fall wheat Is not
NAOP thSio % III ooitfc tsef't liaetot
il being sometimes winter-killed. / sQwed
some Spring wheat the two years was there,
which did well.
s. The village Of Kansas, and also Of Wy
andotte, is on the west side Of the Missouri,
and the Kansas river runs between them.
D, AS to the price, Of horses and cattle, ]
think they would not rary much from the price
here, perhaps little over.
~. As for furniture there is plenty TO be
bought there, but at higher price than at
Cincinnati.
III. As for the river bottoms there is not any
on the Missouri near Kansas, the Kansas bot.
tom may be from one quarter toa mile in width
where am acquainted.
II. The upland Is mostly prairie, and great
part Of il very fertile.
IL. The country here, az far as l am &C.
quainted, Is very wei watercd.
Now, believe have answered all thy in.
qniries, ! viii make few general remarks |
In the hrst place, viii say that believe all
new countries are apt 10 be overrated, when
people undertake 70 give q description Of them.
have, therefore, endeavored TO be guarded on |
that hand, which no doubt makes my account
OF that country sesm less interesting than IL !
would, if some Other one had given descrip- |
ton Of i. | think that place, however, has |
one advantage over most other new countries |
at the present, with regard to the market;
there are so many ssinesthrough there. on
their way TO California, Oregon, and New
Mexico Both springs that was there, corn
brought 90 cents per busheI, and oats 40 cents
In conclusion, MAJ say that feal deep In
terest in that country's being settled with pco
pie opposed to that unrehteous system Of
holding their fellow-men in bondage, and
QlOuld no tbnr. l~f orr fYnv <rlll /
have my hearty good wishes, and also my |
prayers for their success in disappointing those
who are trying SO hard TO extend slavery |
through that large Territory.
would like 70 see or hear from thee At any
time, and If thou should 20 out there, please
write me good long letter.
Now, as / have no more TO write that viii
be interesting 10 thee, will close, and sub
scribe myself Thy well wishing friend,
CORNELIUS DOUGLAS.