The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-08-07
FROM KANSAS AND NEBRASKA.
NEBRASKA TERRIroRY, June Sth, ls5


advance OF the train, pause long enough to
write you line. We passed out Of the Kan
sas Territory on the 9Th inst, and are now
travelling up Little Blue River through a
very broken country. We are all in fine
health and progressing finely. We will reach
Fort Kearney TO morrow. We have passed,
so far, unmolested by the Indians. We are
now among the Pawnees, said to be as dan
gerous tribe as we will have to pass through.
think we will pass out of their country to-
morrow. ehave been in their country for
more than a week and have not seen the first
one. They are out on their buffalo hunts
This has been great country for game, and
probably is yet. though the CRANE is kept
back from the road by the emigrants. see
great many buffalo heads horns, dc, but
none Of the animals. When we get where
we know there is buffalo we are going to stop
few days and have general hunt. zee a
great many elk horns, but they are all very
old looking and are very large. Their length
is from four to six feet and we measured one
that was twelve and a half inches in circum-
ference. They look much like deer horns,
though much larger. l can't see how they
can run so fast with such a load to pack
Kansas is all prairie country, and think
very broken. We passed through the terri
tory distance of near four hundred miles,
and am certain if all the woodland was
thrown together that we have passed through
it would not be half an hours travel
There is more timber on this little river we
are now on than have seen in the territory.
The soil along the sti cam is black and loose,
too much SO to yield well, and the water is
very bad have not seen single spring or
well since I've been in the territory. They
do not have rain enough to make their crops
they have to irrigate. No Southern man
can live here in the winter and do any thing
If man had any timber or could get land
with timber on it, he could make a fortune
with a saw mill. Lumber is worth $40
per thousand, and can't be got at that.
A good steam saw mill will saw from three
to FIVE thousand feet per day, which would
make quite neat profit. If had any no.
tion of settling in Kansas or Nebraska |
would get me portable saw mill and follow
the little ravines and streams, making the
dwarfsh little trees into lumber Cotton
wood is the best growth here, at least it is
the principal one. They have some black
walnut hickory, sycamore, and some other
scrubby little trees. Kansas is not the coun-
try for me We crossed Kansas river 29th
ult.-quite small stream. Fort Riley stands
on the bank, near the crossing. 1t is quite
a nice Fort. 1t is commanded by Col. Cooke,
though at present Maj. Armstead has com
mand-Col. Cooke being out among the Sioux
and Cheyennes. as they were somewhat
troublesome TO the emigrants last sea.
son. | visited the tomb Of Brevet Major e.
A. Ogden, the founder of Fort Riley. He is
buried on one of the highest mounds near the
Fort, and quite nice Monument erected over
his remains. ! can give you some idea of
camp on the prairie. About o'clock of an
evening the wagons are all run together,
forming a half circle, (for catching the oxen
in the mornng,) little trenches are then dug
in the ground about three feet long and some
six inches deep. and about eight wide, to put
your fire in to keep the wind from blowing it
off. The tents are then pitched, facing the
fre--the horses all around your tents, drag
ing long lasso. with picket pin attached
to the end, to fasten him with at night
cattle in every direc.ion-boys all around
camp, some guiiedup on their blankets asleep.
some talking and laughing over the incidents
Of the day-women scolding-the fire wont
burn good-the boys wont bring them water
fire fying--cbldren crying, and here we
have it--al kinds Of sounds that fretted
man wants to hear. We have some rough
times. and some rare fun--putting both to-
gether-it is not such an unpleasant trip after
all. We see antelopes and prairie wofs every
day, but the antelopes are so wild you cannot
get nearer than two or three hundred yards
of them. Beavers are very numerous along
this little river. Some of the boys have seen
several. see plenty of dams but no beavers
| will write again at Fort Laramie, and pro-
baby that will be the last letter you will get
from me until we land, as l do not know
whether we will go through Salt Lake City
or not, they talk Of leaving it to our left. ]
regret very much that we do not go through
it, as have a great desire to see it. The
train has gone by and are some two or three
miles ahead SO will 60 for fear an Lngan gets
after me.
Again in advance of the train, and will
finish my scrolls. have given things as they
suggested themselves to my mind while fight
ing buffalo gnats and musquetoes They are
rs troublesome as the flies we've in the days of
We will strike the Platte River at
Fort Kearney and will go up it for several
hundred miles. If you or any other Tennes-
.eean has any notion of Kansas or Nebraska,
would advise you to look at the country
first. A. NJ. V.
R The following scrap Of philosophy,
which we find in the June number of Black
woods Magazine, is new TO us; il is very
4 a asnl.s