Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-07-09
1t is sad ono indeed, and pray God to for

the prospect of strife Tor moment, 10 spedN
OF the ready made, aud exubcrlntly fertile
and beautiful farms with which nature has pro
vided us. We have had plenty of rain thro'
April and The fore part of May, and the coun-
try wears i very luxuriant appearance. We
| sowod no rye, but that among the wheat head
ed early in Nav. The wheat is very promis-
ing The prairie grass has long been in head.
On the uplands it is little shorter than timo-
thy, and waving in the summer breeze, with
its sprinkling of superb flowers, II presents 4
scene of magnificencc-of exquisite and thrill
| ling, yet boundlcsS bcauty-togcthcr with an
| impression of eXhaustless fertility, that wIns
the mind for a time from its sorrows, and leads
| captive all the faculties OF the heart. You
may think me extrayagant in this description,
| but / assure you am not. have cndeavorcd
| to inform you truly and faithfully respecting
| the appearance and prospects of the country.
have represented its shadows-permt me al
| so to reflect its sunlight-itS promiSe-its joy.
| There has been but little sickness this season,
! except the remains of last August's asue, from
which we are recovering. Then there has
been plenty of rain this spring, which has put
| everything forward. Besides the insects which
were very numerous last spring, seem TO have
been demolished by the cold winter. Crick-
cts arc scarce, and grasshoppers are nowhere,
| Moreover the thunderstOrms have been mi!der
this scason--more like those OF the eastern
| States-and not of such terrible, tho mag
niliccnt, character as those we witnessed last
year. In addition to all these encourage
mcnts, an impression takes possession of the
mind, and keeps possession of it, that 4 very
little labor will produce an abundant living,
| together with all the Injuries of life, if we
feel dispofed to indulge in them. You viii
| cease then to wonder that We love kansas-too
dearly perhaps for our spiritual wcliarc--far
too dearly for the danger which menaces her
to drive us from her, was conversing lately
with the wife of neighbor, who has been
mourning that they were not back in Pennsyl-
tcrInla, Mo of lid creeiEGd dl letteE tr9m n SIS
she regrets that she is not again ia Kansas, and
) this lady here, in view of the danger of being
driven out by the Southcrncrs, says that she
'.just begins to love Kansas, aud that she did
not think that she would cling TO it as she now
docs, and that she could not possibly be con-
tented in Pennsylvania again. The fact is
diate trouble, and the care Of large family /;
but now she begins to awaken to the latent
wealth which surrounds her.
June 2d.-Troublc thickcns upon us. Bu-
ford's company is an arolced band Of robbers.
At all events, we begin to feel their presence
in that character. Our citizens on the road
are now robbed of money, well as arms.
Spies are securing the country to ascertain
where descent can be proftabIy made. And
the government sustains the banditt. 1t does
not disperse the robbers, but it dispcrscs the
gatherings OF Free State men, by means of a
few soldiers, which they will not fight, and
| then leaves them at the mercy Of the enemy.
y Free State man recently cXpoStulated with
the Governor, and cntrcatcd him to protect us
against these outragcs, telling him chat they
must inevitably end in civil war. Then rGr
| ii is, by God!'' was the reply. Since that he
has been somewhat softened, | understand, by
an apprehension that the free men, driven to
desperation, might speak to him in another
manner. In addition to all this, the MisSou-
rians arc now making another irruption into
the Territory. The immediate prctext is that
the free men are committing outrages on the
opposite party. In one case, some rash free
state men did notify man to leave He left
accordingly, and took several other pro-slave-
ry families with him, telling all sorts of horri-
ble stories as they went. Next we heard that
there had been a fight in another place, and
several killed on both sides. Then We heard
| that the killed were all on one side, the free
men having called them ont and Shot them in
cold blood, they having previously threatened
to burn these free men at the stake. The f.
nal account, however, is, that they were en-
deavoring to hang free man, and had one end
of the rope round his neck, and the other over
the limb of tree, when the thing happened.
But l cannot write every thing. | am not ex-
pecting to fight Immediately, if it be possible
to avoid it; and yet any letter which you may
get from me now, may be the last one. can
not tcll, but would continually rest upon the
pity of Him who has hitherto been TO me a
refuge and shield. You have my prayers,
brother; let me also have yours-not so much
that God will spare my life, as that he will
keep my soul from evil unto the end.
The survey has been suspended, L am told,
i'll consequence of the clover Houses" non
concurrence in paying for it. l wish you
would petition it to adhere TO its position, and
strike out any provision for paying for it al;
the present from the general appropriation
BILL Help us every way yon can. OH how
/ would like to see you.
II had had deed for my land early in
the spring, should have been very apt 10
have picked huckleberries on the 4alleghenios