Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-08-29
LIFEIN KANSAS.

The following extract from letter of a
Kansas immigrant shows something of
lie In new country, and will be found
interesting:
Unlike the timbercd States in the East,
(except upon the rivers and water which
are verdantly dotted with trees, from one
to three miles in width, as far as the eye
can reach, the beautiful rolling prairie
lies spread around like sea ofmeadows.
The timber is a mixture of oak, hickory,
cherry, black walnut, elm, locust, &C.,
DC; the shubbcry scarce but beautiful,
consisting Of wild pIums and grapes.
The Prairles are now decorated with
growth of most beautiful flowers, and
grsnd as the brilliancy of the stars. The
soil is rich and fertile, from three to ten
feet deep, and generally composed Of rich
black mould. 1t produces in abundance
wheat, corn, and many other commodi>
ties, together with sweet potatoes. Hor-
seS, cattle and hogs, though of inferior
breed, are tolerably plenty, and raise
themselves by grazing in the vast prairie
in summer, and feeding in the bottoms in
winter. The wild game consists of geese,
ducks, quails, prairie hens and turkeys,
which are abundant.
There is a breeze continually blowing
on this prairie, which prevents the mos
QIltns from staying about in these parts
The roads along the prairics are rs good
as can be. The ground for miles is as
level rs th" third avenue, and interrupt
cd now and then with little knols, which
you would not call hills, and in fact our
horses Of the North would not think Of
walking up them. All farmers admit
that tho country has no equal, as regards
quality OF land, III raising stock partcu-
Iarly. | think have now described the
land, and can only add that in regard 10
the land as to quality, as far as can
see there is no humbW9. The objections
IN the most parts is the want Of good WA
ter "nl timber. Yet. as regards the wa
ter, We must wait until the settlers have
dug wells, DC. AS regards wood, of
which there is scarcity. nature seems
to have provided coal, which, from what
little has been seen of the country, is here
IN great plenty.
AS have said before, we started in an
OK cart, and travelled over this beautiful
prairie the wagon or cart being covered,
protected us from the sun, and by open
ing the b; OK we had a fine breeze contiu-
uaIIy playing through. This was the
most delightful ride l ever had. We
made about three miles per hour. All
the company seemed to be in high gIee,
the children were scampcring over the
prairie gathering wild flowers in fact, it
was impossible for them to keep still
After sundOwn, we halted at an Indian
lOCr houCn h,, 11,l I'll
war dance, and the house was left will.
a negro slave, who gave us some corn
bread and ham, and we added prairie
hens, which shot on the way. After
dinner or tea we smoked, chatteG, DC,
and then concluded to find out how we
were to sleep. There being but one room
in the house, there could be no Quarreling
about that. There being two beds, my
family had one, the rest took the other
bed and floor. By crossing my family
sideways in bed, with our feet on the di-
nlng table, we managed all to get in.
The slave intimated that if tue Indians
came home in the night they might be
drunk, and in all probability ugly, so we
examined our pistols, placed them under
the pillow, and laid down. All went on
we'll through the night, except that more
travellers asked to be accommodated with
lodgings, permission being granted them
to sleep under the shed. In the morning
alter we had breakfast, we started again,
and we passed the same description of
country as have already noted.
We arrived at the city of Lawrence
ABOUT dark. We were ushercd into a
mouse called hotel, the only one in the
place. 1t had about one hundred guests at
tea' winch consisted Of tea, bread, no but
Uer' nam anc moIasses. Board one dollar
per day' Alter tea, we were told we could
not be lodged, as the house was full but
II we chose we could lay on the dinino ia
Die, but that they could furnish us with
nothing except the cloth, which we ware
welcome to use as sheet. HAVING M otL-
er alternative, we were left in the nosSoa. NJ @
sion OF the dining table, to shift as best
we could. After spreading our blanket
ana then the sheet or table cloth. we
turned IN on the dining table. On the
SeCo1u moor above us, there were no bed
S.e@uS' put there were hunks built up five
S1etS nlSn' ike an emigrant ship in these
punHS Uney put three persons, making the
sI1 Dunks anu moor contain about 100 persons.
Inc lunDer contained in the building was
cut IN Inc forenoon, and the building put
up IN the afternoon of same day, so You
can Judge OF the quality of tie house
Alter dreaming for awhile of the rood old
Ilmes OF Adam and Eve, we were stariIsJ
~ man singing out, there "was a id
olg snake in his bed" You know tha
was enough for me I made one iumn
oot Of bed, and lit on somaihino. saet