Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-03-01
W1srEnE CoRH1 PqHDEacR.
For he Venaocr9f & Sentiscl.


For h< Democrsi & Seatina.
MRssRs wmTE & DEvnE:I wish through
your valuable paper, to give my numerous
friends" a short but honest account Of my travels
to and of this much -talked-of land Of promise
Kansas Territory. And in the first place, must
confess that when left my old home, left with
nv spirits considerably depressed, from various
considerations but had said would 60, and go
7 did Aud here am, fully and fairly prepared
20 confess that have suffered myself to be hum
plugged; hoping that may be Of some use to others
under like circumstances
We took passage at Pittsburgh in the new and
elegantly finished and furnished steamboat " Chi
cago," for St. Louis, Capt. Martin Mellinger; and
/ must say that more respectable. and gentle
manly crew, from the Capt. down, is hard to find
anywhere. We had long passage, but in lieu
Of that, we had first rate accommodations and ex-
cellent health all the way to st. Louis, but the
balance of the trip will fay nothing about.
Suffice it to say that we landed at Glasgow City,
250 miles up the Missouri rver, rented house,
and are all alive and enjoying ourselves best
can. Evan d. Evans and hastened on to the
promised land"--still believing ourselves fully
able to- 60 up and possess it." We arrived at
Kansas City, a small town on the Missouri river
"a smart business place) and two miles below the
mouth of Kansas or Kaw river. Here we found
our old friends, w. Lloyd, Richard Evans, and
few others Of the Penn'a party, and from them
learned the fate Of goodly number Of the Penn'a
party, large majority Of which had either return
ed to their old homes sought one elsewhere
Drs. Hammond & Gante had turned right-about
and left-Sandy is still here, making his best ieks
and many others would return only that they
had not enough of what is sometimes called the
-.ready john, to do so. Three New Yorkers left
while wewere there, cursing Kansas and all things
connected with that humbug From this point
We started for the Territory by way of Westport,
a small town on the border of Mo-, but great
place of business and trade with the Indians, pay
ing 81 for our passage distance of 60 miles, with
the privilege of walking and pushing at the wagon
up all the hills and, for fear you may think they
are small hills, / will here say that in crossing
nearly all those streams tits about like going down
the hill It Johnstown, ana snp. its mate on the
,other4sido In going through the Shawnee reserve,
we pass the NJ E. Church, (south) Baptist and
Quaker missions, all in high state of cultivation,
especially the M. E., (south) and then taking the
Tower California road 20 miles further on, passed
the n. E. Church (north) mission, together with
great many Indian farms in high state of cul-
sivatiop also, a goodly number in. low state
We crossed over and passed in sight of great
deal of excellent prairie broken in various places
with little ravines, and the limestone showing
itself in all the bluffs. We crossed Deer, Cedar,
Mill, Gill, and other creeks, and Little and Big
Wakarusa rivers, all of which we passed over as
did the Children of Israel the Red sea, dry shod,
there not being water running in any except the
Big Wakarusa, which had about as much as the
East spring in Ebensburg. Near this last stream
we slept one night with an Indian named Blue
Jacket, who lives like the whites, and gave lis
good accommodations. This tribe (Shawnees)
nearly all live and dress the whites and are civ
ilized and some of them christianized. Two miles
above the Wakarusa the Squatter settlement COM
menees, and for 8 or 4 miles from the rivers are
all dotted over with very small log cabins and on
tho first rise Of prairie is the town of Franklin,
having two houses and store in its boundries.-
Four miles further on and on the bank of the Kaw
river, is located the city of Lawrence, Yankee
town, as it is called By some, 1T being inhabited
principally by the cnigrants from Massachusetts,,
and a few from Pennsylvania and New York
Here there are three printing presses TO be located
the editors, hands, and presses, are all on the
ground, one of which is George Brown, Esq, for
nncrly of Conneautyille, Crawford county, Pa, a
gentleman of character and high sttsiusneats.-
The others did mot make an acquaintance with.
Mr.. Brown is now erecting Office. Here we
met our old friend, Chalmers Roberts, in good
hsalsh and spirits, and Ms. Barrett, formerly of
Washington City. This town is said to have a
population of $50, having about 40 buildings,
one half Of which arc built Of pales, prairie grass
and mud, or rather sods and built after the FASH
ion of tent; some of the others are Of The same
form and weather-boarded with clap-boards, and
the balance are small log cabins. The church is
of the first class of large dimensions, being about
As feet long, and sodded, about half way up the
end is tho window, and the glass muslin 1t is a
Union church, and used alternately by the
the paster of the latter is my old friend, the Rev.
Mr.. Snyder, late of Blair county, Pa This church
is also used public sleeping place, and thanks
to Messrs. Brown, Barrett and Roberts, we Jared
well, they sharing theirs with us we had COM
Portable snooze. The eating houses are the same
as the church, and about the same size. Soae Of
these inhabitants have been here since August
last, but for want of better material, were forced
to build as best they could: but for the future il
will be better, as the Aid Society has steam saw
mill upright saw in operation, and is selling
Of clay for brick, but the wood is too scarce te
burn them, and as to coal for that purpose it il
out Of the question as yet. The greatest veir