New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-11
NORTHERN KANSAS.
<pondenee Of The N. Z. Tribune.


Eastern States to this portion Of Kansas Terrl-
tory.
While the Eastern emigration have all dlseui-
barked at Kansas City and followed up 'ne
Kansas River, or gone to the Usage VII INC
timber in those sections is all taken up, ana the
prairie dotted over with houses far ont from
timber and water, they have wholly neglected
the northern portion of the Territory, as If 1t
could not possibly have any attractions Tor them.
Having explored this section pretty thoroughly,
and travelled to some extent also in the southern
mart of the Territory, / feel no hesitation in say
ing that this section is by far the best suited to
the wants of emigrants from the Eastern States
The soil as a whole is decidedly better than that
in the central ana southern portions OF the Terri
tory While il is about as rich as any soil can De,
it at the sane time has just sand enough mixed
with it TO make it warm and easy to cultivate.
Indeed, if Prof Lebig himself had had the mixing
of it, and done it On tie most scientific principles
with the view of making model soil, dc not De-
lieve lie could have fixed 1t any better. lhe sur
face is broken near the Missouri, but after you get
FIVE or six miles from The river, you find high
eeuty-roing prairie, nearly all OF 1t wep adapted
to cultivation, with rich, dry but narrow bottoms
along the principal streams, seldom more than hall
overflow. Ihave heard it remarked by many whoare
familiar with the praires of the West, that this is
by fan the best watered prairie country they have
ever seen 1t is certainly much superior IN this
respect to Southern Kansas. 1t abOunds IN beau
tiiul little streams of water which have continued
running through all the extreme drouth OF the
EAST and present seasons.
There is an abundance of limestone scattered in
lodges here and there over the country which will
afford the best material for building, and coal has
already been discovered ut so many different points
in this region as TO leave reason for doubts as to
its abundance.
AS TO timber it is scarce With perhaps some
few exceptions On the Nemaha there are to be
found in this section such heavy bodies of tim
Der as on the Usage. The timber is more scat
tered The small streams and small skirts and
groves of timber are more numerous; so that taken
as whole it may be as well timbered penbaps for
the practical purposes OF settlement MS any other
portion Of the Territory. The lack OF timber in
this region is in a great measure compensated by
its great abundance on the Missouri Rver.
There is a considerable amount of oak timber
all along the river bluffs on the Kansas side. just
below the Kansas and Nebraska line there is an
island in the river containing thousand acres
or more, belonging to the Kansas side and heavily
tinbeIed with cottonwood. Opposite the north
EN- portion of Kansas and the southern por-
ton of Nebraska, on the Missouri side, is rich
bottom from ore to twelve miles wide, averaging
perhaps six miles, and fifty miles long, heavily
timbered for tie greater part with cotton
wood but interpreted with valuable groves OF
oak, black-wanut, ash and other kinds of timber.
Any amount of this timbered land that may be de-
sired can be bought now for from 81 90 to 80 per
acre the people considering the land as more than
quadruped in value when the timber is cleared off.
/ do not believe that Eastern lumbermen can
make better investment than TO buy these tim
beIed lands in the bottom and erect steam saw
mills upon them. Cottonwood lumber is now sell
ing at the mills for 800 per NJ and the mills now in
operation cannot begin to supply the demand on
the Missouri side The fencing the praries
would nearly all be done with sawed lumber if il
could be obtained at reasonable rates, so that the
demand for fencing and building from both sides of
the river must be very great for some years to
come.
There is also creek called the Big Tarkio
running through the midst of the bottom for some
seven miles, navigable through the whole year for
boats and RATS, 20 that lumber and logs could be
foated down it TO TIE Missouri, and another creek
called the Little TarkiO, which think could be
used during portion OF the year for the same
purpose. This great body of timber seems to
have been placed here by Providence on purpose
to supply the vast prairies of Kansas and Nebraska
as well as Missouri, and it is now waiting for
Eastern capital and enterprise to make it avail
able to that end, and there is can assure you no
such prejudice in this corner of Missouri as will
forbid a cordial reception to enterprisng men from
the East
The question will naturally be asked What
portion of the lands in this part of Kansas is
open to settlement have not all the data by
me, but can give nm answer which will be nearly
correct. The southern line of the present Iowa
Reserve commences ON the Missouri River
a mile and three-quarters south of the northern
line of Kansas and runs west twelve miles and a
half to the south fork of the Nemahs, the re-
mainder Of the Reserve lying in Nebraska between
the boundary line and the Nemaha. The Sank Re-
serve lies wholly in Nebraska between its southern
boundary and the Nemaba, running ii miles west
/ from the Iowa Reserve The n +. corner of the
| Kichapoo Reserve is about 20 miles from the Mis-
souri, and about II miles south of the northern
/ boundary of Kansas. From this point the line of
their reserve runs l2 miles west and 81 miles
south including most Of the country ON the Grass
HOPPER There is some land about the Iowa and
Sank Mission and Agency which is reserved for
/ their use. With these exceptions the whole cOun
/ Try rs far south as Fort LeayenwOrth and west TO
the Rocky M0untsins, is or soon will be open to
settlement INN, iately south of the present
Iowa Reserve are $50 sections, constituting tho
remainder of the Old Iowa Reserve, which accord
ing the treaty is to be sold to the highest bidder
rs soon surveyed, together with 40 sections of
the old Sank Reserve, which is TO be sold for the
benefit of the Iowas 10 compensate for lands
which they gave up 10 the Sauks All the rest is
over TO presumption, and am told that the Iowas
have recently sent in q proposition for new
tresty Ny which Government shall take these
lands at stipulated price and throw them open to
presumption instead of selling them at public sale
What the result of this move will be cannot
tell. The principal streams in this section are
Wolf River, the Big Nemaba and the Big and Lit
tie Blue. Wolf River emptes into the Missouri
near the Mission and Is probably about 81 miles