Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1857-05-06
LETTER FROM KANSAS.
Loo PALACE, K. T., April 1ltb

L.oG PALACE, \. L., April llth 1857.
Mn. EDITOR: A letter from Kansas Territory
at this time may be interesting to your readers,
and l proceed to indite o brief one ~ -
On the lst October last started surveying
for Uncle SAM; and for FIVE months suffered
from the cold very severely, in actnearly .foze.
to death; some unfortunate fellows did;Jsand
some lost feet and some hands. Although I
was on the prairies three nights, yet came off
safe and sound. Money never cansget me on
such q trip again. was west of Fort Riley,
$50 miles from the Missouri line. Along tho
Bottoms Of the Kansas River near Fort Riley,
and the creeks emptying intoir there are pretty
lands; tue balance is rocky hills, almost noun
tains.-snot fit for, cultivation or anything else.
The Free soilers have all that country in their
possession, and are welcome to it. If it had
not been for New England Aid Societies many
of them would have starved 10 death this win
ter. "That am lemoncholy fact"
In the neighborhood of Fort Riley they have
some six or eight towns Ibid of. Manhattan has
been laid off on magnificent scale, eight large
public squares, dozen Parks, a battery, q
Market House 10 each ward, (ten or twelve)-in
fact second New York. I visited the town
and found-scven shanties. A map showing
the plan of the city, and enyrons can be seen
in every Hotel lit is larger than the biggest cir
Gus bill you ever saw, and like the said "bill"
shows more than you see when you so to it.
was offered a share 40 Lots) in one of their
towns for S20-decidedly cheap tr town lots
have taken claim of lG0 acres. about eight
miles from Missouri and one mile llosa. Olathe,"
the county seat of johnson County. This is
the richest part of Kansas, and You cannot get
claim three months from now for $40 per
acre. There is not stick of timLcr on my
land. paid S25 for logs to build me house,
twelve by ten--rails are worth $50 Il thousand
and we haul them three cr four milcs-frc wood
IS a cord and haul it. either pay $,4 per acre
to have my land broke or pay $25 for Plough
and $400 for four yoke oxcn-solne oxen sell
i. $3.50 a yoke would give $lr' Per acre
lor 100 acres of Edgefeld Pine Barren. if
mad it here. Lumber sells at the mi IL at S35
llll S 10 a thousand. Provisions are awful iglr;
but this is a fast country and no nan las any
business here without the chink.
The country is over-run with laIi spectators
and it is curious to behold their schemes. They
lay Oft town, give an Editor share or two
TO puff it up put shares at $500 piece. get up
IN excitement, start one or two houses. sell out,
$50 does tic Editor) and start another town
Two or three miles of, and keep eulng the
people at the same rate. There are over 100
towns, or rather all are called cities in this Ter
ritory. Leave out Lecompton, LcHcnsworth
and Lawrence, and old Edgciied Village is lar
ger than the whole batch put tosethcr-Kansas
ut present is without Governor Since ar
rived here she has had three or four, but she
gets along very we'll now without one. RI J.
WALKER is supposed to he the next; he need
not hurry himself as We arc doirS admirably as
we are Kansas is the grave Of every Politician
that takes the .Gubernatorial chair In June
we have an election for delegates to meet in
convention to adopt Constitution. The Free
Sellers will take no part in the election, as they
intend to apply to Congress for admission into
the Union under the Topeka Constitutions: This
election will be conducted on fair basis and /,
we will then know our strength. This county
can poll near 900 Pro-Slavery rotcs,- the Free
Sellers about so or 100; but this is the border
county.
1t showed last sunday,-icc i'll my bucket
this morning one inch thick. Very pleasant
considering its April. Semi-occasionally you
shall hear from me. We are going to have a
Penitentiary. BELL.