The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1855-08-01
&ansas Gutiturp,
For the Cadiz Democratic Sentinel.
Report Of the Committee Of the
Ohio Kansas Company.
FELLOW CIrIzENs:-

1he Committee proceed
ed according to your instructions to explor,
such portions of Kansas Territory as W,
thought would be most likely to meet tn,
wants of the company.
We have perhaps consumed more tint
than was contemplated; but the vast regions
of fertile land spread out before us, and til,
universal want of timber, and the desire t.
reap advantages from future public improve
ments rendered the task of location difficult
and must constitute the only reasons for ou
stay in the territory.
After much delay and considerable expo
sure on the Missouri river we arrived a
Kansas on the 98th of April.
Procured wagon and team; took the old
Santa Fe road on the dividing ridge between
the Usage and Kansas livers and followed
it nearly to Council city, we found beautiful
rich prairie almost the entire route, but tim.
ber and water very scarce: and consequent
ly very little Of the water claimed or occu'
pied; perhaps not exceeding Que squatter tc
every ten or fifteen miles. At creek cal
He'd ITO, and newly laid out town bearing
the same name, about 100 miles west oI
Kansas city, we took a right hand road,
bearing towards the Kansas river, and tIav-
eled two days mostly through a rough. hll-
Iy limestone country, crossing the head wa
ters of the Wakarusa; we found water scarce
an j no timber Of consequence. We crossed
the Kansas at Union town, Gan Indian trad
ing pont) seventy miles below fort Riley
Nearly all the land on the river below this
place, is owned by the different tribes of In
dians, or occupied by squatters. this portion
of Kansas is better supplied with timber
than any other.
We found the river from this up with its
wide spread and beautiful bottoms afording
but little timber, and the soil as we procee-
ded up the river became gradually more
sandy; we travelled some distance above
Fort Riley and found sand still increasing
while timber did not improve; though lime
stone and beautiful prairie abounded, and
some excellent springs were found.
Fort Riley is situated on beautiful emf
nence on the north side of the river below
the junction of the Smoky Hill and Repubi
can forks The government has appropria,
ted to itself six miles square around the fort
on which tract two towns have been laid out
and great activity manifested to bring them
INTO notice, while considerable impro, ements
are actually going on. The committee
might have located at almost any point on
the river above Uniontown, except on the
reserved township around the fort, but did
not feel justified in doing SO, believing the
company preferred location strictly for ag
ricutural purposes.
And after examining some of the small
tributaries proceeded to explore the country
watered by the Big Blue and its sources
We found on Black Vermillion six miles a
bove the junction wi the Blue, district
of country which we thought would come
nearer meeting the wishes Of the company
than any portion of the territory we had ex
amined, or could hear from. The only diff
] ficuIty that seems to exist, is the total wan
of coal and the scant supply of timber
Though your committee are Of opinion that
by strict economy with the present suppl;
and fostering the growth of such as are dai
ly and spontaneously springing up, the sup
ply will keep pace with the demand; bu
hedging ditching or lime stone must be tn
principle dependence for fencing.
We have laid off a tract of forty squar
miles extending eight miles north and sout
and FIVE east and west, embracing the Yer
million with its numerous tributaries YER
, nicely distributed on each side of the mail
creek.
We divided our township into five range
carefully noting on each range line, the sec
ton corners, and also the quarter posts, an
the crossing Of the water courses.
We made map showing the ranges, sec
tons and quarters with the principal waite
courses on it which we left with our commit
tee on the ground; one will also be presen
to you with the minutes of our proceeding
! since we left you.
! The face of the country is agreeably q
versifed with streams and hills, plains an
dales, with occasional bluffs forty feet higl
d with projecting limestone Of the best quail
!. ty for building purposes, on the face
I these bluffs are generally seen three distin
: strata of stone varying in thickness frol
one 10 three feet; a i'd usually about twelv
feet apart, these are found in sufficient
bundance to supply all the demand Of Il
. ompany, without hauling any more than
mile.
The productive qualities Of the soil '
need hardly attempt to describe.
By experiments made on some Of the Ell
: vated portions Of our claim we find ric
black mould at least foot thick underla
with 9arl strong limestone clay indicatir
great durability in the soil, and no doubt
: would continue to improve in prodncil
!, some kinds Of grain, for many years ev'
Q under the most exhausting process ofcul