The Kansas herald of freedom., 1856-04-05
~,, 10 Fort Riisy.


visit to the prettiest and best part OF
Kansas-the upper country. The roads
were in an excellent condition for travel
ing, and three days ample time to
make the iearuey The dissanceis near
.ly, if not quite. z hundred miles. As
newcomers may desire some information
in regard to the route we will briefly
state what We know about it. There are
two roads leading to Fort Riley, one on
the north and the other on the south
side of the Kansas river. The road on
the south side has been lately opened,
we believe, and is said by those
who have travelled both. to be something
like twenty miles the shortest. Settle
ments are frequent along it, with the ex-
ception of one stretch of twenty-five or
thirty miles, where there is no sign of q
human habitation. In good weather,
floaded teams will get along without much
difficulty. This road crosses the river
at Manhattan, where there is an excellent
ferry-boat. The road on the north side
of she iisse is the great military high
way between Forts Leavenworth and Ri!
ley. Persons starting from Lawrence,
must keep on the south side of the river
until they get to Tecumseh, or Topeka,
or the Baptist Mission, five miles above
Topeka. We have crossed at all these
places, and our preferences incline to
Smiths Ferry, at the Mission. It is
somewhat out of the way to cross at Te-
cumseh and the path through the woods
from the Topeka ferry to the military
road is but poor one. Most of the
crossing is done at the Mission, from
which to the military road it is three
miles. Once on that, and you would mt
have to draw very largely on the imagi-
nation to fancy yourself jogging along
over an old-fashioned turnpike. Proven
der fes steck, and accommodations of the
best kind, but at round prices, can be had
anywhere along the route. All the large
streams are bridged. and there are no very
'.bad places" for teams on the road. The
Government bridge across the Big Blue
was swept away during the last freshet,
but frst-rate ferry boat is substituted
until it can be rebuilt.
Crossing the river at the Baptist Mis-.
sion, you enter the reservation of the
PotoWattamie Indians, (wonder if there
is any correct way of spelling that name?,
which extends up the river thirty miles
The road from the river intersects the
military road at Silver Lake, or 10. LA.
FRANCOIS, one of the chiefs of the Pot
towatssnie Indians. The traveller ought
by all means, to stop with him all night
il he wants to get good fare and an ink.
ling of how the patriarchs of old lived
Laframboise, being law-maker in his
own nation, and unrestrained by the pre-.
ljudices of his pale-faced brothers, il
! blessed with two wives If he were q
white man, folks would say, che love.
not wisely but t,Oo WE'LL"
i, Twelve miles further on, is St. Mary's
Mission. This place looks like tidy
village, with its neat, white cottages and
church, its well-improved fields, and
the generalair of civilization and improve.
ment which surrounds it. Something
, near thousand Indians, besides mission.
aries and other inhabitants. live at and
, in the immediate vicinity of the Mission
Tone can't help making his horse tro
faster as be nears the broad opening te
its streets, nor looking back rather re
|luctantly as he departs.
!. The further from Lawrence one
goes, the further he gets from excite.
ment. Politics are discussed good deal
of course, but Missouri is some distance
off-the Border Rufians have not pene.
| trated that far ''into the bowels of the
land"-and consequently the feeling is
not wrought up to such an intense pitch
The people do not feel the necessity sc
, keenly as their more unfortunate friends
1 in the eastern part of the State, of firmly
and increasingly resisting the aggression,
of our invaders. But we do not pur
pose talking politics in this article. We
; will merely remark, that there is lament
| able indifference among the settlers IL
the uPpsr Country. in regard to our DO
litical affairs. They have no excitements
lno wars, no murders or outrages or any.
thing else to stir their blood. We hope
, sincerely this blissful state will be of long
, continuance:
The old town site of Pawnee has 3
melancholy sort of look. The numer.
GUS piles Of rubbish, and other evidences
J of premature decay, bear witness to the
forcible means which brought about its
ruin. The Rise and Fall of Pawnee
would make an interesting history-or
the Destruction of Pawnee BY the u. 8
Government. Pierce's Administration
has been signalized by two warlike
] events-the Greytown affair and the
Paxnee affair."! The spring business al
the Fort has opened briskly. A large
--..i. l. 8. L.. -. AZ.