New-York daily tribune., 1856-05-24
FACTS FOR THE KANSAS ENiGRANT.
Correspondence Of TIE n. Y Trbuns.

0ebyCre0 10 use my eyes hnJ ears 10 Tue Dcst ae-
vantage, ! have gained iome information which
think may be Of some practical value to emigrans
AID others interested ia Kansas afF1ir.. II your
judgment Of the value Of the Information comedies
with ny OVID, will ask YOU to present the follow.
ing synopsis Of it to your readers.
S'eImers-aDd very comfortable ones they are
too, OF b much higher grade than | expected to
see-go up the Missouri from st. Louis, touching
st all the prominent points on the river every day
Indeed il is not al uncommon circumstance for
two, and even three, boats to leave on the same
dsy. 50 far Ms the rates of asssge are concerned
there is DO competition among these boats. Their
prices are the same or nearly So From 81. Louis
TO Kansas City. tie trst point at which passengers
leave the steamer for places in the Territory, the
fare is SIP: 10 LeavenwOrth City, few miles
beyond the same: To =. Joseph, about $40 miles
above the mouth Of the Missouri, and quite in the
northem part of the Territory the fare is : 10.
Meals are always included in the price of passage
Oh the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. The time
occupied in going up TO Kansas varies from four 81
six DAYS l should think tour and half days not
far from the average time. The boats are all
crowded 10 their utmost capacity. Consequently,
some Of those passengers who register their names
late will be wofully disappointed if they are
tions. TO make sure of q state.room, one must
apply to the clerk at least day or two before the
tine for the sailing of the steamer.
On the whole, | incline 10 the opinion that eDI-
grants especially if they are in search of
claim" would do better TO stop at Kansas City
than to proceed further up the river. True, this
place il not in the Territory and you may be told
that il il unwse and unterrtorial to help build up
borde. town in Missouri But sensible men,
.h.; hadl trtll
generally prefer, fancy, to land at the most con-
venient point, even though in doing they should
happen TO put dollar or two into q Missourian's
pocket.
And here let me say word. | wish it might
prove very loud word TO those who are removing
into the Territory with their families. They
should come furnished tch beds, nth provisions,
and Nth cooking utensils. A great mistake is made
in this particular by many families coming here,
and the result is untold hardship, and often dan
cerous exposure. Ii should be borne In mind tnat,
in fine ing desirable claim it may be necessary
to penetrate n hundred miles toward the interior,
over bad roads, where travelling with heavy ioads
IL exceedingly slow, and where, when hiRht over
takes th. family, they may encounter nothing III
tbe shane of a house not even the poor accOmmo-
datiohs Of an indiana cabin
As 70 the soil of Kansas. have travelled over
large part of the eastern section Oh H. ana uouo'
i'll have seen 100 acres except III the case oi swamp
land (and there is very little OF that,) which IS
not rich and productive III the extreme 40 hpl
believe that in our widely extended country such
choice land can be found anywhere out of Kansas.
Its cspscities are immense. / have never III my
life seen such gigantic stalks as those OF the
rsst wears growth which ! saw on the Kansas
lrairits.
These praires sre all rolling, some more and
some LEES There seems, At first view, to be
scarcity Of timber in most parts OF the Territory
Which ! have visited, hut careful observation h1s
satisfied me. that though the settlers will have no
timber for export they will have enough for their
own use for many years to come. Black walnut.
OAK. hickory and sycamore are most abundant. l
have seen 40 pine and think there Is but little, II
any. in the Territory. Black walnut, however IS
a GOOD substitute for most building purposes. aud
i, il not at all unusual 10 houses covered and
finished entirely with this timber. The scarcity oi
timber. which We have heard So much about, Is
more imaginary than real; still there is, and VIII
be for some time TO come great detctnc! 10 the
,unnly of eyery description OF Sared lumber. The
saw. mills in the Territory cannot perform one
tenth of the labor necessary 10 supply the demand
The prices Of all kinds of sawed lumber al Kansas
CITY at Lawrence al Lecompt0n, at Topeka, at
Ieayeuworth. are enormous If man is ambitious
of making fortune be could scarcely do better
than to establish ssw-Dills in Kansas
In proceeding westward from Kansas City the
traveller for forty miles, passes over d UscI oil
country which throws the Eastern farmer into
state of perfect and perpetual enthusiasm. tbs,
indeed. | verify believe, some OF the hnest lana
the sun ever shore on. Unfortunately, however,
tlis rortion OF the Kansas Eden Is at present
ieyond the reach of the squatter. 1t Is occupied
nv tIe Shawnee Indians According to the last
treaty they made with Uncle Sam, they were TO
occupy the whole OF II up to certain tlmc (hett
Autumn. think when they were to select sucn
ICrtions Of il, amounting TO speclned hunoer
ef sousre miles, aud abandon the rest to the
whites When this land. thus abandoned. IS
brought into market there viii be great rush
for il. 8,
Most emerants landirg at Kansas City proceed
M the valley Of the Kansas River 10 Lawrence
snd so on westward, in pursuit OF good claims OF
course. There is 10 available land within the COM
PASS Of soue tlirty-hye or forty miles, as the
StAwute lands extend that distance from the
Missouri Inc. Nor is il I'll easy matter now TO
find any good claim unoecupied within ten or more
niles from Lawrence. Iuoeed, following the
valley a the Kansas River. the valuable clsins
are taken up great part OF the Way to Fort
h1ev. Pu, there IL no c, nsderable advantage 70
lie ssined in being near the riyer. Navigation on
il is prtcarioGs; not beat has been up this
season. though several attempts have been made.
fuierauts UlO have few hundred dollars with
item can often do far better 10 purchasing claim
~ rthll improved tHhA lu' tau "th. "ie'' 'hn"!
sdventurers secured their claims with no intention
Of perm 81 tltly occupying them: and some OF the
eusrter secti ms with plenty of timber upon them
though in the highest degree desirable, can often
be obtained Tor o yeiy trihDg bonus.
/ AIN satisfied that the tide of settlement, which
.s low setting westward on the narrow strip Of
lard bordering on the Kansas River, will soon turn
into more southern channel The land on the
tributaries Of the Arkansas i- perhaps desirable
in most respects as that which is now IN such high
repute. ard timber is more abundant there. The
lsbd on the NeoshO, likewise, fine stream which
fows directly into the Missouri, is very valuable,
especially for grazing purposes.
Let the emigrsut, as soon 40 be steps bis foot
UPON the soil OF the Territory, beware of interest