Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-01-28

KANSAS TowNs.-From an article in the Nash
vile Christian Advocate, of January 10th, head
ed Common Sense-Topography
Towns-R Railroads ubbles-Facts," we ex-
tract the following:
eve propose by suggestions addressed to the
common sense, and illustrated by the topography
Of the country to show up the falacies of the pa
per towns of this region, and demonstrate the
pretensions of the bubbles that are being so in
dustriously blown, by few facts.
Col. Benton never uttered truer sentiment
than when he made the buffalo the best topo-
graphical engineer that ever explored the CONT
nent And had the government employed a
buffalo bull instead of a corps of their West
Pointers to fix upon the sites for government
forts, it would have saved hundreds of thous-
ands to the treasury-yes millions-that they
have been forced to expend to remedy the blum
ders of scientific" men. A little common sense
mixed with the science would have been inTal-
liable There is not fort west of the boundary
of Missouri that is cligibly situated. The mouth
of. the Kansas was by nature pointed out as the
site for the distributing fort of the country lying
between the Missouri and the Rocky Mountains.
A reservation was made there for fort, before
corps of engineers was sent out to make an
Icxploration, but as it was deficient in popula-
ton, and consequently women and brandy, they
selected the present site, known as Fort Leav-
enworth, that has mot decent wagon-trail five
miles in any direction.
And so of Forts Laramie, kearney, and others
that might be mentioned. And now, to cap the
climax, it issupPOscd by some meagerly- Drained
! gentlemen that commerce must follow these Sa-
pient engineers, and suqat herself in connection
with their stakes and hag-staffS. In illustration
| of this, witness the spasmodic efforts of Leave
enwOrth City to getherself into notOriety, when
she has not 1.-THE of the natural advantages OF
either AtchisOn, DOniPhan, or Wyandott, as even
a respectable eountry-town, and also the termi-
nus Of Denver's stupendouS Spider-web of rail-
roads at Fort Kearney, surrounded by an alkali
swamp and separated from population by river
| Qhe Platte that can neither be navigatcd, fer
ried, forded, or swan, by man, animal, craft, or
any means known to the present generation.
The country all along, above and below, west,
east, north, and south, dotted with paper towns,
the aggregate value of which would not run a
hOrse-mill long enough TO supply food for a COM
pany of Mormons moving by the economical
transport of q WheelbarrOw emigration.
| The facts demonstrated that the great center
of population must and is concentrating in the
Kansas Valley and its tributaries, and the out
! let for its commerce must be where nature has
fitted up and pointed out the depot. That the
mouth Of the Kansas is this point. glance at
| the map alone must determine, for there CON
verge the streams and avenues leading to th>
interior. But when the country IS traversed,
and it Is discovered that great system of ma
tnral roads, superior for nine months in the
year to any McAdamisetl road in the world, ex-
tends from the head waters of the Platte to the
upper streams of the Rio Grande and the bor-
ders Of Texas and Arkansas, concentrate at this
point, 1t becomes folly to think Of divCrting it,
aud criminal to deceive public confidence by
seeking to direct its attention to other localities
merely for the'purpose of filing the pockets OF
spectators out of the haTd-earned means Of an
honest emigration.