The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-09-08
6eqefai 1qteiIigsqce.
From TIE Erritoridl Register.
Kansas Surveys.

Kansas SuIVey5.
Agreeably to promise sit down to re
port progress and sketch our journey thu.
far: | do this in the faint hope that
NAV meet some one going into the State:
OH the Independence road, which we shall
cross tomorrow. The sun has just made
his appearance after a fine shower this
morning. giving us an opportunity to
prepare fora good start in the morning on
the guide meridian. This preparation
consists of washing and drying, adjust
ing chains AMI compass, patching and
mendiag. and fortifying the inner man
with an extra amount of fodder. In
truth, our men have great need of day
of rc>t-which fortunately happens TO be
SUNDAY, thereby enabling Us to keep the
Scriptures To them the trip has been
very toilsome, most of our way being
over high dividing ridges, where they
necessarily suffered for water, and were
compelled to walk all the time, the teams
havin. a hard time of it with the loade
wagons. My advice to surveyors would
be TO use oxen, they will get along in the
iisaiil Us fist as mules or heFses, ssHsl the
latter caunot stand work on grass, while
the form n are more troublesome than OK
en-, not near SO useful III tight places,
and are the very dickens in mud holes.
Your humble servant Jared little better
than the others; mounted OH my pony
secured along over the hills and had leiS-
ure to recreate myself ut the creeks while
waiting the arrival of the teams.
AS YOU are aware, on Monday evening
last, We left Leaveuworth and moved ouI
10 Salt creek, where We camped ncai
Riyelv's store From Salt creek we jour
neyed on To Crooked creek, branch o
the Stranger. BY the way, can't some
of our .'old settlers" give the origin o
the names of creeks, DC, for the benefi
of the Historical Society that WILL be es
tablished in Kansas Now is the time
when everything is fresh in our memo
ries, to commit them to paper for future
usefulness. Our road was the one lead
ing to Grasshopper Falls, and a very
good road it was | fear that this is no
Il very good season TO test the capabiliiie.
of Kansas soil, as everywhere the coun
try seems to be more or less affected by
drought notwithstanding the sod corn
which is the only kind raised, looks very
fine, superior, as remarked by some o
our company, to that grown in Illinois
The land passed over is high, rolling
beautifully, with soil of the very frs
quality. Timber seems to be the great
cry; Yet / think by judicious manage
ment. there exists enough for the present
wants of the Territory, and we all know
by experience that in settled country
timber grows faster Il an the Demand
But two things are necessary to make
timber plenty Jet the Legislature ol
Congress. or both, pass some actby which
settlers will belimited toacertain amount
of wooded land; there is no sense in &
few individuals monopolizing every tree
in the Territory, for no man mas any use
for 160 acres of timber except for specu
lation. As feel anxious to see the in
terests of the actual settler in every way
protected, and to have plenty of them. ]
do think they shouli be guarded
against the rapscity of speculation
Another necessary move on the part of
the Legislature, is TO pass some stringent
law against the burning up of the coun
try by Indians; this can be done very
easily so far as lands outside of the re-
seryesare concerned, and Congress should
be memorialized to do something on tbs
subject relative to the Indian lands. L
is the practice of the various tribes q
roam over the whole country ab taitam
and whenever they find prairie bottom
with dead grass, 1t is Immediately fired
this is done TO start the deer and TO en-
able them to be tracked upon the ashes
1t is painful TO sea, as | have done, Who'll,
groves of tine timber thus completely ru
ined, while it is utterly impossible for tn
young shoots to make any headway agains
this devastating element besides this
these periodical fires must lead to diff
eulties between whites and Indians.
think If measures above indicated wer,
adopted not only these troubles would
be prevented but also the in:eruinabl,
and -yexatious law suits among the set
tiers which must arise from disposition
on the one side to monopolize the timber
and on the other to take every advantage
OF every slip to jump claim. If the "a.
ITO OF increase Of population during last
year IS a fair criterion, Kansas must soon
be populous State. Replace the rude
log cabins with stately mansions, and all.
ter the somewhat primitive looking fenc-
es. eae could easily imagine himself tray-
cling IN an old settled country: the roads
are thronged with travel, particularly
those leading to the military posts In.
deed the presence of these ID the Terri.
'0fy' leading as they do to the expendi-