The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-08-07
Experience OTFree State men fss
kanSsaS,

Kansas.
NJ. w. King, Of Racine, gives most in
tercstng relation OF his experience in Kan
sas. After relating the circumstances that
led to his gration--his arrival in Kansas
City, in Missouri, with his family-.he writes:
Leaving my (amiiy,l started for the prom,
ised land travelled just one hundred and
eight miles, according to the survey, before
could find sufiicicncy Of timber to war
lant me in all attempt to build IA house. Al
Pawuee, the capital as projected by Cover
nor Reeder, or rather within distance Of
five miles from that paper city, succeeded
in making claim OF eighty acres, on which,
after much severe labor and priVaton, sue
seeded in ~Sisng house that would shell
ter myself and family. During all the time
of my struggle in the wilderness | was aid
ed aud assisted IN every way by my neigh
bGrs ,Diirsourjans, and indeed never had to
wait long, for their help than they saw
wherein they could as7ist me.
My claim mad, and my house, such as it
was, completed, ] started for hansas City
to brig my family out. Judge Of my erl
iugs when | learned thai for nearly the whole
. time OF my absence my child had been lay.
ing at the point OF death, and my wife, the
mother, among strangers. too, And re-
member, also, that these strangers were ali
"border ruffians." OF course, was anX-
ious. questioned my wife. how did you
get along! What ddy you do! Why, she
answered me, no people could be more kind;
all took an interest in our suffering and sor-
row; never saw a more kind hearted and
generous people. | was astonished, con-
fess it. OF course, said but ittle-what
could I say! They asked me-the "bordcr
ruffians'-of my politics. | told them
was an out and out Free State man. The
answer was invariably, "That's right, Mr.
/ King, vote just us you think-we wish eve
ry man to enjoy his own opinion"
For many weary days walked around
waiting for the returning strength OF my
child, and during these days | saw many
things that would have been disbe ieved by
myself if stated to me before left Racine
and while was a reader Of and believer in
the New York Tribune. saw maDy-ve
ry many poor families at Leavenworth-
sent on by the New England Aid Society
who had not the means to bury the dead o
their company. Men, women and children
were there, sent on by these Aid Societies
without funds to purchase one meal of foot
after landing. They came there, expecting
no one knows what, but in Us destitute q
condition as ever emigrsDts landed at the
docks of New York.
The men of Missouri. the border ruGians,
took them to their homes, they fed them
the living ones--and buried the Jead--they
gave them clothes, food, and kind words
they acted, in short, the part of noble, gen
erous, Christian men, and their reward hal
been abuse, contumely and misrcpresenta
T ton.
That the men of Missouri felt and fee
Oggrieved, is MT to be wondered at by ali,
who know any thing of the facts. The
have been flooded by companies sent out b.
: Aid Societies of men who at home cou
not command the respect, hardly the for
q beGrance Of the communities in which the
lived; they have been obliged not only t
feed these men, but to listen to their scurri
: lous abuse, and now, when they have sougf
e nothing more, as well know, than an equa
and just share Of the advantages Of the new
ly opened territory, they are beled by pres
and pulpit through the entire North AS
said before, hate slavery. and never byat
= or word will give it aid or countenance, bu
] hate it so'much that cannot bear even t
e see the mistaken Qhough believe honestI
e mistaken) supporters Of it lied about an
~ abused