The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1858-04-07

Capt j. j. P. johnson, formerly ofthis county
but now Of Missouri, to ]. g. Sampson, of this
county will be read with interest
NEw BLooMFIELD, Galway Co, MOI
March 18th, 1858.
JOHN G.. SAMPSON, Esq--ST.-I received
your letter Of March lst, this morning. l win
endeavOr to answer your inquiries in detail.
Our soili generally good limestone and
very productive; the surface varies in appear
ance from steep bluffs to more rolling, then to
the most beautiful lands that mans fancy cod
picture. Our climate is about two degrees warm
er than in Harrison county. Our winters are
about month shorter. AS regards health, /
think this is about as healthy country as /
have ever been in; we have been here about one
year, my family have been on an average about
l6 in number, and there has not been an hours
SICKNESS in my house since we came. The
farms here average about 240 acres each, with
an average Of improved land of about 40 acres
each. The buildings are not generally very
good, but are improving very fast. Grain and
Fruit, and in fact everything else that will grow
in Ohio, will grow and do well here. l think
that apples and peaches do better here than in
Ohio; considerable amount Of them are raised
and are in good demand. Potatoes do well
and are always in demand. Col Tarlton, oppo-
site our city, raised last season, three thousand
bushels of Potatoes, on ten acres of ground,
and sold them at the field when dug, for so cts,
per bushel, making $3.50 from ten acres, off
Of one crop.
Sweet Potatoes, and all kind of vegetables do
well here. You wanted to know if there were
any improved farms for sale here. There is a
considerable quantity of land for sale, but it is
raising in value very fast. You can purchase
land at from Sc to $40 per acre, according to
improvement and location. The terms are al
ways cash, or its equivalent.
This is a timber country. The best timber
in the west grows here in abundance Coal
also abounds here, both Ditumious and Camel
The veins vary IN thickness from to feet
One bank near me has shaft sunk 81 feet in
solid Camel coal, and no bottom yet.
The wild game here consists principally Of
deer, turkey, geese, grey squirrel foxes, rabbits
&c.
Springs are scarce here, but when God crea-
ted the world, he pronounced itgood, and where
this country lacks springs it is no great loss,
for you can sink cistcrn and wall it up with
loose rock, and put spouts to your house, and
then you will have plenty of the best water in
the world; instead of the water spoling like it
would in Ohio, it becomes purified, and gets
better than any spring water
In answer to your question, as to the morality
OF our people, feel safe in saying that we have
better morals here, generally, than in and about
Cadz. The people here are friendly and socia-
BILE, and a stranger, if he conducts himself like
a gentleman, will be treated with more polite
ness than in Ohio.
Schools are not asplenty as we would wish,
but think they will soon be quite numerous
We have number of aourishing high schools
in full blast. Churches are as plenty as in Ohio
and, | think, more true religion.
You inquire if the institution of slavery in
terferes with me? | will try to explain my
views of it. I am not stakeholder and |
never intend to be- but the institution was here
before I came, and, therefore, l will not inter-
ere with it, further than by example. If want
help, hire white nJn that will do more work
than two slaves, and if they get sick, they loose
the time, and pay their own doctor bills, and by
this means convince them that white labor is
the cheapest. They sometimes say that if they
could procure white labor they would not have
black, which costs, on an average, $l20O each,
besides an annual expense of from $500 to $3.50
for board, clothing doctor bill, &c. Now
claim that there is plenty ofgood white laborers
in the east that would be glad to hire at $3.50 a
year to do all the labor Of the west. | brought
some hands with me from Ohio and Virginia,
that makes slaye labor look "trifing" beside
! theirs At the same time, believe the negroes
are better off here in slavery, than the free
negroes of Ohio. They have plenty to cat and
good clothes to wear are well cared for gcner-
ally, and are kept in their place better than in
any free State. If we must have nggers about
US, I want them to be slaves until their masters
get tired enough Of them to send them to Afri-
ca, where they belong.
1t is the prevailing opinion here that this will
shortly become free State. Many Shareholders
are selling out and going South on that account
They say that there is SO much emigration from
the north and cast, that they will soon have q
large majority, then down goes slavery in Mis-
souri,. If you intend settling in the west, come
and see this country before you purchase
think man can do better here, with the same
amount of capital, than in any place in the west
The raising of stock Of all kinds, pays well
here, but mules pay the best. Sheep would
pay big, if we had such as you have in Harrison
county. Our stock of sheep are regular "wood
rangers"-'large but coarse" Our hogs also
need improvement, but we can compete with
the werldfor fine cattle, and good horses and
jacks. have young jack, two years old
which is II hands high, with nearly five inches
to grow; he is worth $500. | also have my
celebrated "Bellfounler" horse | found it ne
cessary to train him in order to compete with
other fast horses here. Since he has been train
ed, he makes his mile inside Of 2.40-he has
once made it in 231. | visited the different
fairs last fall, and beat everything brought out,
with ease. AT Columbia, | had to contend with
| 4 H. |, { Il..aL ~