The Kansas herald of freedom., 1857-09-19
Tbs paehelor Homes Of Kansas.

tiyes. This was jokingly called the car
pet bag emigration. Not having the IN
families,they moved readily
to any part of the Territory which suited
their fancy, and took claims and settled
down. If troubles came, they were on
hand TO suppress them, 50 that Kansas
might no longer depend on.Missouri for
a posse to keep the peace.
We have many pleasant acquaintances
among these young men, and have fire.
quently met them in their Kansas homes.
One we met in the road elont 20 miles
from Lawrence. He insisted on our Wis
iting his cabin and taking dinner. We
gladly accompanied him. He had beau
tiful claim-part timber and part prairie,
with creek running through it, and a
small pole cabin, without fireplace, stove
or floor. The bed was pile of hay in
one corner on the ground, and an Indian
blanket, which answered for cloak by
day, and bed cover by night.
On introducing us into his cabin, he
invited US to sit down on his trunk, and
excuse him while he iran over to Jim,s.
and borrowed little -four for dinner
| am out" said he. He obtained the
flour and commenced making batter cakes.
in the meantime entertaining us with his
new mode of life, and the pleasures at
tending it. In the first place, the people
were all free and equal, 'fat, ragged and
saucy," and cared for nobody. He had
not had his clothes off for two weeks, and
had violated no custom or fashion of the
neighborhood. He had but two cooking
utensils frying pan and coffee pot
| He did not know what else he wanted,
for he was perfectly happy. 81 should like
mails to come once in while, though y
| said he, " for we have had but one papei
since we came here, and that is an old
n. Y. Tribune, which we boys have read
through so often that we know it by heart
advertisements and ALL"
After eating hearty dinner, made
sweet by hunger, we left, wishing oul
friend health and prosperity forever He
was a PRINTER, scholar and patriot.
Fifty miles farther on we heard of eul
friend H. We had formerly known
him as tall, handsome, gentlemanly fel.
low, with dark curly hair, dark eyes, the
manners of a Chesterfield, the learning Of
scholar, the skill of an artist. He play.
ed the violin to perfection, and was the
center of attraction and the soul of en-
ioyment wherever he went. We had di-
rections to his cabin, and drove up before
the door and called out his name, lie
was lying yet rolled up in his blanket, OF
the door, which he had taken from it.
hinges and laid upon two chunks for {
bedstead. He reused up at our call, and
on being joked about his bedstead, hc
gave as reason for this economy, that i
was warm weather now, and the door wa
not needed to stop the hole in the logs, 81
he put it to this use, for the sake of lying
up higher from the ground. We made
long and pleasant visit here. Seating
ourself on the bed, we watched our frienC
get breakfast He was cold water man
SO our repast here was even more simpl'
than the other. The only cooking uten
sil was frying pan. The only article o
diet was batter cakes, made of -four ant
corn meal, with butter and molasses.-
The fire place was four or FIVE stones, ou
of doors, where the fire was kept. w
: took our tin plates on our laps, and ate
very pleasant breakfast. Soon after thi
was over, two young gentlemen, travel
ers, rode up and enquired for vacar
claims. He replied that he could Civ
them no satisfactory information, the coun
ty being mostly taken up. After ltd
conversation, they left.
'Did you not tell me,'' said we, 'tha
there were several good claims nea
here?''
"Yes, did; but am keeping them 70
families. am sick of this kind of soci
ETY.. We old bachelors go around ant
visit one another, and it is perfectly sick
ening. We see no signs of life-no chick
ems, or dogs, or babies creeping around
and it is too lonesome-it is not human
to live so, and am going East
"What! not to leave the country?'
go no. | intend to return. But
must go East"
"Ah! yes, 1 understand. There is /:
star in the East, and you are going tc
worship Come, own up"
81 must CO. You see my nice garden
and fine spring, and the beautiful farm
shall have one of these days, and wha
good will it do me if l can have 10 ono
to enjoy it with. [ am going East and
if the girls love me as well as they used
to, l shall bring one Of them home-that
is as certain as you live
81 am glad to hear that. May success
and happiness attend yon. Good byel''
So Harry has gone East. In this man.
ner our bachelor friends are dropping of
one by one, and we hope before long to
lose them all the same way. There are
probably 5000 such homes in Kansas, some
better and some worse than the above
but all equally lonely.
GA large number are determined
not to go into the election, and these in
tend tn lot tho othaTS do aS {ho--z ,,f,,,s., -