Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-05-07
From the LaPOrte Union.
Letter from Missouri.
ST. JOSEPH, Missouri, April II,

ST. JOSEPH, Missouri, April IL, 81.
MrL1KAN d HOLMES II am now enjoy
ing the hospiiali les Of my friend Capt.
James Heighly. formerly of LaPorte Coun-
tv, and assure You it is quite treat after
a three weeks tour camping out and ruff
ing j, in Kansas.
When | wrote you last, was at Sugar
Mound. where several days were spent ex
amininy the surrounding country which We
found to be good. When we returned to
Lawrence we found the city thronged with
emiyranls. cal eS a'e is changing hands
at advanced prices. Two steam boats had
just arrived from Quiudaro and Wyandott.
Af,er spending few days here. we lef. for
L-aven~ Ciy. We crossed the Kaw
River and passed through the Delaware
eserve in tie direction ot Lavenworth,
the first two miles in ne Kaw River is
heavy timber The remainder If the
twenty miles is rich Prairie. When we
were within ten miles Of the ely Of Leav-
enworth, we passed over that portion Of
the Delaware lands that were sold last fall.
Here we found white settlers, and some
well improved farms. the lands are more
blutty or broken as we approached the
city. Here | was disappointed in finding
the ci'y so fav rably located. The sight
is good one, good back landing. AT the
present high stage of the River. fears is
apprehended by some that bar is form
ing. which may cut off the present land
ing; yet | lhink they are grvundless. AS
commercial poin; it is not equaled in the
Territ"ry, AMI the Capital already located
will bill defiance To all attempts % rival il:
The Plan'eIs Hotel ercc ed by Mr.. McCar
" Is l2Ix9J feet. four oiips high. and
ccnStruc cd of The best ma ciiil, in mod
ern style, at a cost OF ti.irry thousand dol
lars. and is kept by the proprietor in a No.
1 syle. Many other fine buildings are in
course Of construction. They claim a
population Of from ten TO twelve hundred.
Business lots on the best streets are selling
for one hundred and twerty five dollars
per foot, and If, the high price Of real
estate does not retard l., present rapid
growth il will soon DC called the San Fran
cisco Of Kansas. Ii has always been con
81 Tered pro slavery City. but the cleo
ion a few days since resulting in the cleo
ion Of a free sac Mayor. shows it 10 be
he reverse.
Here pag:cl wi my fiends and trav-
cling companions j. p. Teeplc and T.. f.
Whic and ,ook passage on board the
Jacket Emmy upward bound. But before
lrav. Kansas wish 10 remind you Of
what has been said of the fac of the Poor
Int!ila, from ;ime immemorial CONSIDER
tha the Inlian has the better oi the White
man in Kansas. They hold large tracts of
the mos, fer,il. and bes, iimbered lands In
Kansas, to some of whom the tile has
:
pose Of them but will wait un,il the i'm +
pro,enents If the Viii man around them
confer upon their lands AN enormous value
Tn. Inditn tribes are wealthy and they
hold the keys I" the prosperor. and al
Guiding the mos. valuable por.ioi, "f the
timber which is a great dissideraIem IN the
settling Of Kansas The immense emf
grafton and hish prices of provisions will
be productive of more suffering than has
yet been fels in Kansas. Provisions are
now falling short Of the demand and the
prices are ex;ravagant. Thousands Of op-
portuni,ies are offered daily for those who
are desirous of employing themselves and
money III lucra i've branches of business,
and though they are fast being improved,
yet instead of lessoning the number it ap
pears only TO increase them. The influx
of capital into ;he Territory. during the
last sig weeks. has no parallel in our his
tory as nation except the case Of Cali or
nia. The Investment in real es!ae, in
town proper anI lands. afford rich bar
yes 5 10 those who are so fortuna as Ia
posses he cash. and are willing tn take the
risk. The rush Of capi al to Kansas is al
most iacreJi able under the present ex-
element in specula ion. | fear thai little
atten ion will be given towards cul'iva;iny
that productive soil Il is estimated that
over five hundred emig~ants have arrived
daily for six weeks. St. Joseph is fine
city Of about six thousand inhabitants, sur
rounded by rich ountry.
A. TEEGARDEN.