Squatter sovereign., 1857-01-06
For the squatter Sovereign
Il. T., Jan. 3d.. 81.
Dsar Sir


K. T, JAN. 3d., 81.
Dear Sir -
/ received your letter
by the mornings mail and feel much
pleasure in placing at your service any in-
formation / possess on the subject Of which
you inquire. Ysu ask me if would ad-
rise you to "try your luck IN Kansas p
certainly would, and what locality
would reconInond Z" An answer TO the
last question imposes responsibility from
which I wepld willingly be excused, but as
you request ay opin:sn every consideration
Of friendship forbids me- to shrink from
the duty. ! have travelled much between
the Missouri River and the Republican
Fork, and between Eestpert and the Ne
braska Line .and can assure yeu that much
within these limits is as fine land as ever
rewarded the. farmers laboT. Wood IS
scarce according to your notions OF the ar
tiels, but rock, coal must be taken into the
The calculation. both Of which are atun-
dant. Kansas is as we'll waiered as any
par: of the Union. Many new and thriF
Ing towns have grown up in the Terrific
~. but in tho nature of things. Only some
Of Of these can become places OF impor-
lance. Along tie. Missouri River at ere-
ry few miles there IS a town and, indeed,
each OF them do a great amount OF bnsi-
ness taking their number and the state Of
the country into the eslima ie. Some Of
these fso.n the favorable position they oc-
cu2y and other advantages will inevitably
become places Of importance. Leaven-
worth city short distance belou the F 'ort'
has grown fast. but soDe people say not
heaIlhiiy. kickapoo, some miles above. is
teo near Weston 8Io. Port William, higher
up still, will probably become like other
small Missouri River towns, Atc;iison
comes next you will see by The new map
(of which / send yeur copy, rs pecu-
liar position, the remarkable bend of the
Missouri River pushes this town west
ward considerably into the heart OF the
Territory. One OF the Paral!e! lines run
ming from the guide maridian, (72 miles
westward Of Atciison,) TO the Missouri
River passes through the town site. The
same parallel carried out to the '' Repub-
Iican Fork viii insersect the newly sur
veyed route TO Utah and California, and
which is 800 miles kllorter than tle usual.
ly traseIed route. From that point Of IN
tersection O road down the parallel will
bring the travelling 10 tie Missouri River
at Atchison 800 miles shorter than any 9TH
er way he can adopt making Aicllisen coo
miles nearer cur trsnsaonlane brethren.
ceeilingy favorable place for any one
seeking town as the place Of their o2er-
ations. The site is good and has the advaG-
tage oi a number OF exceile eAtsp prings Of the
Furest water. Tie land in the vicinity is
good and is mostly occupied and much q
IT under cultivation already. It speak:
we'll FOR the citizens that not e single lie
has yet been lost by violence in the town
q boast which scarcely any other town II
the Territory can make. | have thu:
noted some OF the reasons way think
you and your friends would do well to SGT
tie in CT abou, Atchison. Come however
and judge for yourself. II you will write
from ST Louis will meet you at the land
ing and ofler you aay service in nay powsl
10 perform.
ana, SIR, yours respectfully,
D. P.