Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-06-29
For the Waterman and JoufnaL
Letter from a Vermonter in
Kansas.


many reports now current at the East, re-
! fleeing upon the climate. health, morals and
industrial advantages of Kansas. BY letters
| from my friends, and such statements as |
can gather from the few Eastern and North
ern papers chance to meet with, appre-
bend you are already trembling for our fate,
and look upon the entire Kansas enterprise
as rash and fool hardy swindle. You hear
that we livel country where a subsistence
is steady warfare upon circumstances
where the soil is sterile with drouth-vhere
high winds scatter dust and colds without
mercy-where muddy water from the knw
river is the only bevefage-where the chOl-
era is sweeping off victims by the hundred
where Colts revolver constitutes the
head and pillow Of every iamily-and worst
of all, where slavery is sure TO establish her
throne, already dyed in blood. ] learn too,
that Kansas matters have become the theme
o. every household, and Kansas items are
the most searched for in many localities, and
form the nucleus of common interest at the
North. In the midst Of that medley of con-
trsdictions now issuing from the public press
upon these topics, what can you believe -
Such confused current of idle or malicious
reports as are trumpetcd through the land,
must form the most formula BILE obstruction To
emigration from the North, and the South
are making desperate efforts to poison the
channels of popular sentiment, and throw
the deceptive veil of their own civil leprosy
over our gOodly land. hut we despair not
yet, hoping that in the end, facts rather than
sophistry will prevail. 1t is true that in some
instances charges have been made against
Kansas, that were true when made, yet false
now. This Is the very theatre of change
We are living demonstration of the most
thrilling history-and to scan the teeming
events that surround W, seems unlike any
I thing | ever realized in life before. | can
1 only compare It TO seeing the reality, simul-
taneously with reading j, rapidly from an in.
tcrcsting volume, where heroes and rev
oluuons" occur on every psge.
In the month of April, or about the time
the first parties from the East arrived here,
everything looked more dscouraqing than it
had for twenty years in this territory. The
wind blew like tornado about one half OF
the time, and black dust from the prairics
where the fires had ragged covered every ami
mate and nauimate thing with its smulty
coat. Almost any day, tables or chairs would
be :hickly covered IN one half hour, in any
house IN Lawrence. The atmosphere at this
time seemed extremely dry. so that its pc
cuilar electrical or rartied state made my
hair so still and brlsily that it would almost
stand on end, and 1t was next to impossible
10 cut my beard with good razor wash
ed 4 silk handkerchief and held it in nv
hands before the wind, and it was thorough
ly dried IN less than one minute and half
by my watch The air was so dry that
found It difficult 10 convert It into liquid
music" In other words, whsting and sing.
ing were far from spontaneous. Negetluon
was very backward, the soil dry, ami many
went back after brief solourn with curses
on their lips. | can only wish every such
person back here now, and | am sure they
would strike hands for Kansas forever
The fore part Of May our high winds near.
ly disappeared, and about the middle the
rains came on and we have had an abund-
ance ever since. Our praires are loaded
with an cxhuberance Of grass and flowers
and cast of no more dust--culivated fields
are rapidly giving sure promise Of a bounil-
iul harvest and no brcezes from the vine
yards of Italy were ever more genial and sa-
lubrlous than those that daily wait along
this wandering river. There is no place in
the world more admirably adapted to the
taste Of all strong lovers Of life, luxury and
health than this central oasis. have hard
ly known Of the least symptom OF cold
this season, and believe that after this year
the place will be extremely healthy. Now,
most are obliged to live in houses made with.
out 4 ors, many of them made Of turf, with
no venillalion-whilc they live upon dry
principally bacon, flour and molasscs.
Recently however most can obtain a fair va
rety. The weather is often hot, and the
thermometer rises above 100 degrees. Be
10 l.
wholly auc~ IN the world. many overdo, 10
their injury. Now il would be singular in
any climate, unier these circumstances If
there was not some sickness There Is some.
nut they generally recover soon by the rest
ing cure. Bilious arrangements and chron-
nc diauhea have been the only fatal epldem-
lcs. You hear that we are fast dying of with
me cholera, but our best Physicians say
there has not been n case of genuine chole.
IA IN tins part Of the territory. No per.
son has been troubled with anything an.
preaching II who was previously In health
Only three cases have occurred that have a,
ny alhnl'y TO cholera, and they oil had been
conlendlng with chronic complaints for
weeks. ! don't believe the cholera can ever
prevail IN such n vigorous atmosphere as
inns. II we have few transient cases they
VIII all be traced to causes within our CON
troll.
The water Of Kansas is generally excel>
lent, often flowing out at the foot of a bluff
Ike the crystal streams of New England.
never found better water in my native state
Than we have within our city limits in Law
renee, from four or five different springs. and
those who croak about cur drinking river
water, are base slanderers of ourselves and
our country.
AS to starving, that is impossible. There
Is no better soil for farming IN the Union.
and our gardens are already excelling those
we have left at the East. In consequence
OF the dry season, gardens were all broke |
very late, and the prairie turf is not the best
material for fine gardening, still we have
just partaken of peas, radlshes, lettuce, &c,
grown this season IN Lawrence, and we shall
not long be dependent upon the States for
our bread am now living as well as 1
would wish to, aud nearly as cheap us could
in Vermont.
am proud to say, that the citizens of
Kansas generally, and especially in the vi.
clnlty OF Lawrence, have more intelligence ,
mental culture, and untirng enterprise than
any community of the same number | have I
ever met IN the East. Go out upon the dis /
ant helds, with bluff rolling against bluff as /
ar as The eye can scan, and every half mile s
n any direction brings us to a lowly cabin i
y turf, cotton, or wood, and within, instead a
II hnding some profigate or hermit, as s
would DE expected in such crcunsta noes in ,
many places, we find stern, though perhaps
lnshayen countenance, and a mind that re- I
ulres no rituals TO prove the recent disci. ,
line of old Yale or Harvard. Better look G
ng or more intelligent ladies' | never saw, i
nan come INTO our new city every day from h
ne up country" TO trade, often attred in 4
ull bloomer costume, sometimes riding in '
x teams, and sometimes coming miles on r
Dot, convincing us that "some things can be 4
one as well as others"
had designed to say something of our r
lsll relations and the state of feeling in ref. L
renee TO the late election, but must defer. f
will only add that the question is up, wheth-
Z II is the duty Of the free state men elect o