The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-03-31
From the Cra'Jard, Pa, /
Letter from Kansas.
TOPEKA. K. t., Jan. is, 185!


TOPEKA, K. T., Jan. 16, 1855.
Mr.. EDITOR In my former commu-
nication / left myself at Kansas City,
Mo-, preparing for departure into the
interior of Kansas Territory. I shall say
no more concerning either myself or my
journeyings than this: that in due course
of time started upon, and made, the
tour of the Territory, visiting the princi-
pal points of attraction and learning what
1 could, both by seeing and hearing, of
the past, present, and future of this coun-
try. That, then, which I,saw and heard,
enables me to make this report: that
there is no better country in the world
than that portion of Kansas extending
west from the Missouri line distance of
two hundred miles, and between the ter
ritorial lines on the north and on the
south. This will make tract of coun-
try two hundred miles square, immedi-
ately west of the State of Missouri, and
about as large as the State of Ohio. Of
this entire tract it may be safely said that
every foot is farma5le. The soil is a rich
black vegetable mould, of from two to
six feet in depth, under which is hard
elayey substance very closely resembling
our eastern "hard pan" in It's consistency
and compactness. This clay enables the
soiltoretain its moisture for great length
of time, and thus eounteract the effects
of severe drouth, such as visited us
last season, better, perhaps, than the soil
of any State in the Union. In fact, even
at this time, the soil contains measura-
BILE degree of moisture, Notwithstanding
there has been scarcely any rain for
eight months. and the Kansas and its
tributaries are lower than they were ever
known to have been before. This, togeth-
er with the exceedingly mild temperature
of the climate, is producing results that
would startle our good old Pennsylvania
Dutchmen; for they will scarcely credit
it when tell them that here in the Ter
ritory the farmer has not yet housed his
stock-that on Christmas and New ear s
days men were busily engaged in cutting
and storing hay-that there is neither
snow upon the ground, nor ice in the
streams-that the young, fresh, and ten
der grass puts forth vigorously, and that
the strawberry is in full bloom; yet these
statements are true.
ALI these, however, while they attest 10
the fertility of the soil and the mildness
of the climate, are not so attractive to the
farmer as the exceedingly beautiful clay
of the land" | have not seen swamp
or marshy piece of ground from which
diseased or miasmatic water might arise,
since / have been in the Territory, nor
have heard of any. There are no rap
id blufs-no dead levels-but the entire
country is that ever rolling or undulating
prairie. interspersedwith beautiful streams
and luxuriant groves picture with
which the eye never tires; and which,
beside being the surest guarantee of the
health of the country, inspires the human
breast with those sublime anil pleasure
BILE emotions which are akin only to those
emotions that the bounding sea inspires.
Excellent water may be obtained in
great abundance, mostly from the living
fountain, and always by limited digging.
OF timber, while we shall not have a
great surplus to give asccy, yet am sat
isfed that, with economical usage, togeth-
er with such substitutes as the ingenuity
of man win supply, there viii be enough
for all useful and practical purposes; es-
pecially when considered in connection
with the fact that every day brings addi-
tional proofs that there will be found an
inexhaustible supply of coal. There is
no scarcity of any of the materials requi-
site for the erection of stone, brick, or
concrete buildings. This latter-the con-
crete-is the much talked-of building for
the Territory; and should it prove as
cheap and durable as its advocates are
sanguine twill prove, then will the squal-
id little turf or log hut of the hardy
squatter sooH give place to large and ell
egant residences.
Nothing falls short of my expectation
in coming to Kansas, except the quantity
of game. OF course this is no objection;
for, to my way of thinking, the less the
game, the less the amount of idlenesS.-
A few hungry, half-starved prairie wolves.
and now and then prairie chicken. are
the only evidences of game that have
seen. But / am credibly informed that,
west of Fort Riley, game of all kinds
the buffalo, deer, elk, bear, wolf. turkey,
sn1irrel. DC. Sc.-may be found in great
abundance.
OF the Territory iuest of Fort Riley. |
have not much to say at present 1t can
never be an agricultural country; though
some portions are tolerabiy well suited
forgrazing. But lead. copper, iron, coal,
and other minerals abound and who
shall say but that in the eastern deelirity
of the Stony Mountains, and ia tie Ter
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