The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-03-15
TER N Sc
80 100 PER ANEUM, IN ADVANCE.

SuDSSIiOCA -os A@"e me- o., So'stSS Ia :
formation in regard to Kansas. We have
divided his letter, and placed each inter-
rogatory at the headof paragraph. with
the answer following. the same inter
rogatories have been popounded by
many different persons. and our answer
is designed for each, as well as for all
other persons who wish information in
regard to our State. Our correspondent
says:
"Will you give. through the columns
of your paper, a general description oi
your Territory. whether rolling, like the
Western States generally, or does it be :
come rough and broken as you advance
west 81
The eastern part of the State is rolling.
with ravines of sufficient depth to carry
off the surplus water The surface gent
lY slopes towards the Tsvires, leaving no
really level ground save on the bottoms
Of streams, and then for only few acres
in a place. AS the traveller journeys
west he finds the country still more bro
ken but for two hundred miles from
: the eastern border there is no waste land.
The rise from the bottom to the uplands
is usually gentle, and of easy ascent
Col. Fremont, who is familiar with the
country, and has travelled overit several
times, says it is susceptible of being con-
yerted into continuous cornfeld for two
hundred miles after leaving Missouri
Our own observation, for one hundred
miles west from the eastern boundary,
would confirm this statement. There is
ne waste land. no low bottoms, and not
foot of swamp land, as is the case in all
other countries whore We have travelled.
"What is the depth of the soil, its COM
position and fertility ?"
The soil ranges from ten inches to six
feet in depth, and is not excelled by any
country on the globe in fertility. Intel.
ligent gentlemen, who have travelled
over Europe, say it reminds them of the
bottom lands in the Netherlands, and the
ehoisest alluvial deposits in Italy. It's
composition is vegetable mould, mixed
mith-s black, tenacious, loamy substance,
with clayish sub-soil. The uplands
are nearly as fertile as the bottoms,
though the depth ofsoil is not as great.
is the country well wa,ered, and is
the water hard or soft 90
The country is not well watered. On
the contrary, until the present season, ii
was thought to be poorly watered. A
general drouth had prevailed throughout
the country, which was protracted for
two years. The result was, the springs
and small streams had become dry, and
all joined in saying chat the country was
no. well watered. The rains of last au-
tumn, and the snow of the pat winter
have changed the appearance ofthe coun-
try, so that the tourist of the present sea-
son, ifnot influenced by the opinions OF
others, would report the country as
abundantly supplied with this element.
The water partakes of the rock through
which it flows. and is generally hard, +"
and this whether found in ravines,
springs or.iNeils. There are but few
good sites for water-power in the eastern
part of the Territory, though on the
Grasshopper, Rock Greek. and Big Blue,
very superior mill sites are found. At
Lawrence there is rapid in the Kansas
river which will ultimately be damned,
and viii furnish power sufficient for all
mechanical purposes. Indeed. capital
is only required to make it the great
mechanical city of the West. The river
at this point has rocky bed, and this is
the cause of the fall. The south bank of
the river, on which our town is built, is
from seventy to 100 feet above the bed
of the river, with rocky barrier to the
progress of the river in that DIRECTION
The north side is forest several miles
in width, with loamy deposite. The
river is about two hundred yards wide.
Stone could bequarried out of the bank in
any qusntisy for the dam. A lock would
be necessary to pass steamers. The
whole cost Of a perfect dam. with Ave to
six feet head of water, would not exceed
$4,000.
Is there timber sufficient to supply
the wants ofihe country when itshall be-
come thoroughly populated What
kinds are most common ?.'
The pioneers from Nsw England and
other tinbered countries. say there is no
timber here. whilst those from the prai-
rie States say there is an abundance.-
There is, large amount of most excel
lent timber here. which is, scattered all
over the State but itcahnot be found on
every claim on the CONTRARY, there nav
bsseveralclaims intervening between tim,
Der lands. iihs timber enuld be pro
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