White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-07-15
tFrOa The HsEpr.town tsIdO Torch Lisht)
Letter from the West.
ST.. JosEPH. Mo-. May 6, 1858.

l told you OF my intention to take trlI
through the country adjacent to this, and
promised to give you the result of my
observations. Mr.. L. and were to have
left this citysOn Sunday morning, on tht
steamboat for the town of white
Cloud" which is situate in the north
east corner Of Kansas Territory, and or
the banks of the Missouri but after wa
ding down town. through mud and mire,
we arrived at the levee in time to see oui
boat turning a bend of the River on her
way up. During the day, it rained with
out intermission, and although We waited
patiently for eight hours, no other boat
came along, and we were compelled to
defer ouT6eparture until Monday evening
We En- procured buggy and two as
fine horses as ever came from a livery
stable, and started across the river by one
of the ferry boats. AS we reached the
banks of the river, a steamboat bound MP
came in sight, but we continued ouI
course in the buggy. The upper ferry
boat was up the river distance of five
miles, and lands passengers at point
called Belmont, thus avoiding, as / sub
sequently ascertained, as bad piece oil
road as four wheels ever passed over, in
q fiat neck Of land Immediately opposite
st. Joseph. A short distance back Of
Belmont, which stands upon bluff, we
left the wooded hills and struck the prai-
ries. Though May-day had passed, veg
citation did not appear to be much farther
advanced than when l left Maryland,
early in April. In large spots over the
prairies, the fires had swept away the old
stubSles, and the young grass was shoot
ing forth, clothing the gentle undulations
in green of indescribsble freshness and
beauty. The wild flowers were not YET
in bloom. although uron close observa.
ton we discovered in great profusion, the
wild strawberry vine, with its modest
blossom nesting among theyoung prairie
grass. In few weeks, the vast expanse
will be a garden Of flowers, bounded to
the view only by the horizon. In Nor.
them Indiana and Illinois, 1 had on my
way hither for the first time in my life
seen prairies. The dead level then wa:
painful to the eye, and there seemed tC
be monotony even in the richness Of thu
soil. In Kansas, as in Missouri, tn,
character of the prairie is diferent-it Il
all rolling, and if the hand of man had
moulded it for agricultural purposes, it
topography could not have been better
suited 70 the operations of the pillow. AS
we left the river, the undulations became
more gradual, and the general prospect
more pleasing, although timber became
scarcer. On high plateau, some twenty
FIVE miles from st. joe, we reached the
sight of new town, projected during
the past season, called Highland. 1t
commands fine prospect, and although
there are now there but half dozen
houses, one Of them is a large two-story
brick hotel, and on Tuesday next, the
corner stone of University building, so
by $50 feet, and four stories high, is to
be laid, and the work will continue to be
pushed into completion. 1t is attached
to the Presbyterian Church, which de-
nomination has now an Indian Mission
established and in successful operation,
bat a mile or two distant from the pro-
posed University.
The whole country around, although
perhaps as rich as any in the Union, is
but sparsely settled. 1t appeared to me that
there was scarcely human being to each
square mile through which we passed
One reason OF this is that most Of the
lands, having been Iowa Trust Lands,
and not open to pre- emptors, are in the
hands Of spectators. Knowing their
value, they bought them to hold on to,
and consequently the country remains
unsettled, and will so continue until all
the good lands open to settlers are taken
up. A few years must however cover
those prairies with habitstions, and it
will then be one Of the richest and most
productive sections of the Union. Look
ing forward to these times, great many
towns have been projected, many Of which
are already dead. Some however, will
be needed to supply the immediate wants
of their vicinity, and such from my OBJ
servation, I would take to be White
Cloud" the terminus Of the trip am
describing. This City. or town it may
vet be called-is located in valley, and
on the sides of two hills, which face each
other, and terminates on the banks Of the
river. On the town site, it is little
moro than half mile from the top oil
one hill to that Of the other. across the
valley, which is drained by 3 small stream
of water which serves as natural drain.
1t is easy Of access. either by way OF the
river bottom or over the hills. and from
It's elevation, enjoys q sslubrious atmos-
pbere. The chief advantage Of this place.
and that WITCH win perhaps put it ahead
of al its competitors, is its laading.-
Nature has provided it with q natural
levee upon a rocky base-a marked pc
culiarity upon this river. and one Of in
calcuIable importance These same rocks
possess other equally important virtues.
As building stone they can be and are
applied to all the purposes Of granite.
and are susceptible besides Of high pol
ish. But in addition to this, the stone
which is inexhaustble, has been sscer-
tanned to produce hydraulic cement Of the
best quality. Bituminous coal was few
days since struck in the vicinity Of the
cement stone, by one Of the citizens who
was engaged in digging well, and IN