The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-03-08
For Ms Gazette
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may reach, on the subject of Kansas Terri |
tory mot with re ference to its present un- |
settlsd government, but its locality. its soil, |
and i,s future prospects. a
BY reference TO the map, it will be seen
tAat Kansas. geographically speaking, is
emphstically the centre of our republic. SIT
usted q few degrees south oil the city oi
Davenport, with . temperate climate, and
soil unsurpassed in point OF fertility BY any
OF the States of the Union. or indeed tina,
OF any other country known to Americans.
IL is mostly rolliag prairie with more timber
than is found ON the same number OF acre,
il Iowa, and vast amount OF coal. ispesk
more particularly OF the rich valley OF the
Kansas, through which that beautiful river
flows. This is a stream that ia good stage
OF water 10 nasigsble about $50 miles from
its mouth. OF up 20 the Republican fork, al
which place Pawaee City is located
Fort Riley 10 situated one mile above
Tais is the starting point OF Col. Fremont's
route 10 California, along which the Paeihc
Railroad from st. Louis 10 California IS pro-
jected This Road is nov completed TO
Jeffersoa City, Mo, and Is progressing TO-
wards the Kansas valley. II will doubtless
f,sm q junction near the Kansas and Ne
bsssks line with the great Rood nov in con
temptation from New York CITY 10 San
Francisco. which is completed to lows City
and 10 to cross the Missouri river al Of near
Council Bluffs, and thence pass through the
southern part of Nebraska territory
Several beautiful and hourishing towns
have sprung into existence 10 the past
~ slve months, located on the banks OF the
Kansas river. Lawrence is the first OF note
above the mouth of the Kansas; il is nifty
miles up the river on the south bank and op-
pssite the Delaware reserve. This town
contains from ], 20e to 1,500 inh sbitants; IT
has twelve hourishing stores and large
stone hotel fifty BY seventy feet, three sto.
ries high. This is bound to be one OF the
largest towns in the territory. Building lots
are worth from S25 to 5000, according TO
their location. There are three saw mills
and one grist mill in operation here. Two
large churches are TO be built in the spring
the buildings are under contract. The
country around this town presents the APP
pesrance of an old settled country, the
farmers have their houses and barns erected
their fields fenced and their gfoand broken
Every thing presents prosperous appear.
ance. There are many claims not yet Ia
ken, within seven miles Of this town, and
he is lucky man who gets to Kansas in
time to locate on one of the m before they
are all taken in the spring. These claims
worth from $40 to SIS per acre the moment
they are pre-empted.
The next town above is called Benecia,
it is seven miles from Lawrence. The site
is q bad one, and although as old as Law
renee, either from the fact of it's being own
ed by pro-slsvery men, or the bad location,
it contains only very few cheap houses,
and only from seyenty-hye 10 one hundred
inhabitants Two miles above is the ia
nous town OF Leeomplon. This is where
the iong-eared Legislature located the Cap
itsl of the territog The town contains
one log house, man and his wife and ses.
eral slaves, and is probably larger than it
will be in one year from this time, as the
people OF the territory have located the
. Capital at Topeks, about eleven miles
show. iourishing free State town OF
about the same age OF Lecompton |, con-
tsins between seven and eight hundred IN
| habitants, and bids fair 10 become large
place. Lo,s are selling at from s25 to
/ $500 each
+ Between the two last named places, aud
| about 1--WE miles below Topeka, is town
! called Tecumseh. II is one Of the Oldest
| towns in the territory, and was laid out BY
| pro-siavery men, but the free State men
have the majority in the town, and it must
ultimately fall into their hands, particular.
| ~ If it keeps pace with the other towns in
its vicinity. The pro-slavery men admi,
the fact, that the people OF the North from
the free States can build cities. locate and
complete Railroads, establish and conduct
manufactures much faster and easier than
! they can. The fact is sels-eydsnt whe n
| you compare the Improvements ri the slavs
| States with the free States.
| The next town above Topeka is that Of
| Manhattan. II is 30 miles from Topeka.
! is we'll located al the mouth Of the Big Blue
! river, and contains shout Two hundred in
/ habitsnis. with the anticipated immigration
the coming season il will become place of
I Importance Next above il the town of
Pawner. This town POSSESSED many ad-
I vsntages, and wss growing rapidly, but wss
| owned b. free State men, !ence the oppo
siiion ithas met with from the bogus Legis-
lature, Pierce and bis minions Soon after
this town was surveyed, lots cold for from
500 u 5000 each. Pawnee is within one
mile Of Fort Riley, and from THE fact if
for no other reason, possessed quite an st-
vantage by having home market.
IL is expected that some of the towns
along the banks of the Kansas will furnish
the outfits for all the California, Salt Lake
and New Mexico emigran,s. The outfits
and goods generally brought by Mexican
traders will furnish market for all the cat.
tie, sheep, horses, n,uies, &c, that can BE-
S.,.n ..U t.,