The Kansas herald of freedom., 1855-03-31
General 5qteIhgepee.
a Letter from Pennsylrania.

A Letter from Pennsylvania.
The author of the following letter, says
the Olive Branch, published at Norris
town, Pa.,w was formerly of Lancaster co.,
in this State, and may be known to many
of our readers. He is man of charac-
ter and veracity. and his statements may
be relied on. He went to Kansas soon
after the Territory was organized. This
letter was written to one of our citizens,
who has some idea of going to Kansas
Although he does not speak of the sub
ject in this letter, yet Mr.. Coates is OF
opinion that slavery can be kept out of
Kansas only by extensive northern emi-
grafton:
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. Z, 1856.
Mr.. L. H. CAUSE: DEAR SIR:-Yours
of the 9th inst. is before me, and l hasten
to answer your interrogations.
Kansas is mainly prairie country.
There is deficiency of timber, which
strikes one from the East more forcibly
than one from the West. This defect (if
it really be one will doubtless be over
come ere long. The Usage orange viii
Immediately come into universal use for
fencing. Bricks, limestone, marble, &C.,
will be used for building, and stone coal
for fuel These abound in the Territory,
together with gypsum, and valuable min
erals, such as lead, copper, dc.
have seen no other country so well
adapted to agriculture and grazing. hav-
ing travelled hundreds of miles over the
Territory without seeing so much as five
acres incapable of cultivation, and scarce
ly one of marshy ground; and yet east
ern Kansas is not deficient in water: un-
less we view it with the eve of an eastern
Pennsylvania, and even then there would
appear no serious defect.
They have in western Missouri and
eastern Kansas as fine stock, including
oxen, horses, and mules, as can be pro-
dueed anywhere in the United States
There is no difficulty in procuring agri-
cultural implements at any of the towns
in Missouri borderingon Kansas, as West
port, Kansas City, Weston, &c. They
will doubtless be manufactured in the
Territory the approaching season, as all
kinds of legitimate trade and mechanic
arts will be carried on generally. will
say generally, that all the necessaries OF
life are procurable on the border of the
Territory, and, indeed, to a considerable
extent in the Territory itself The towns
on the border to which 1 allude, are (as
you doubtless know on the line.
Kansas, to me, is the most attractive
country have ever seen, and for fertili-
ty of soil, and beauty of undulating sur.
face, unparalleled. For men engaged,
or wishing to engage, in any of the or
binary pursuits of life, l consider it the
most promising field. The lands are
ready for the plow, and the soil as fer
tile as nature can make it. The settlers
have not to struggle through years of Sc
we're toll in subduing the forests, before
receiving their reward. AS soon as the
sod of the prairie is rotted, the land will
yield as bountiful crops as twill ever pro-
duce.
ANY further information which you
may desire, it will afford me pleasure to
| furnish.
If you contemplate moving to Kansas,
it would probably be well for You to call
upon me at my Office any time before the
1st of March. Yours, very truly,
X. COATES,
sff 81 North Sixth ST., Phila.
Since the above was received, have
seen published letter from Gen. String
fellow, who is the leader of the pro-sla-
very party in Kansas. Hemakes anear-
nest effort to convince northern men they
cannot live in the prairies, and is just as
earnest to prove that southern men can
grow rich there. The letter contains val
liable information, and convinces me that
it is far easier for northern men to make
a home in the prairies than in densely
timbered country.
He says that it requires six yoke of OK
en- to plow the prairie sod but after it is
rotted he admits it is as mellow as an ash
heap. 4
He thinks northern men cannot COM
mand the labor and capital to do this
He seems to forget that they can combine
their forces and their means, and thus be
more than equal to STAKEHOLDER with
one or two negroes"
A similar reply can be made to his ar
gument in reference to fencing. They can
join teams, and haul rails, with as much
success as lazy slaves, who have no heart
in the matter.
He admits, also, that it will only cost
about SO per acre TO have the prairie
plowed; but says it is impossible to hire
teams. Query: VIII not some enter
prising Yankee see that he can make a
"spee" by making it business to break
up the virgin soil? He says, 'fTo one
who can command the requisite labor, it
is far easier and cheaper to make farm
in the prairies than In timber land He
says the proper season for breaking up
prairie is from the first of May to the mid
die of July, up to which time corn can
be planted It win usually mature and
make good corn, if planted as early as the
first of June. That planted later viii
make good stock feed.
Prairie may be broken as late as the
middle of August. and will. if sown,
yield wheat crop equal to any that can
be afterwards grown on the ground.
To one who has stock to feed, the crop
of corn on the sod is always worth the
cost OF breaking, and VIII, in 3 good sea-
son, pay for breaking and inciosinq =
{ Mark that-the first corn crop win paw
for plowingand feneing.) He Continues: