The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1858-12-22
Notes of n Trip into Southwest
s..s. Missouri.

| L.
The attention ofeastern and northern people
i has been turned somewhat of late to the state
of Missouri, as an inviting field for immigration
Few, however, have knowledge definite enough
to act upon AS it came in my way, short
time since, to spend few days in one or two
counties toward the south western corner of the
state, which appeared to me attractive and
where land is to be had cheap and on easy
terms, in quantities large or small, to suit pur-
chasers will, with your leave, give your rea-
ders, in this and one or two other communion
tions, some of the results of my observations
The order of the counties on the west line of
the State, from the southwest corner as far
north as the Missouri river, is as follows: Nc
| Donald and Newton, adjoining the Indian Ter
! rltOry then on the Kansas line Jasper, Barton
| Vernon, Bates, Cass and jackson. Barton
has been so recently Setoffas not to be set down
on many of the maps, and in the north half Of
what was Jasper. Vernon and Bates, also, on
most of the maps, are transposed by mistake.
J In Barton and Jasper, the title to a very large
amount of land was obtained by the counties,
for school purposes. OF this, there are now
more than two hundred thousand acres for sale
at low figure, nearly all excellent land, with
a genial and heaithful climate, and other advan-
4 tages, presenting rare opportunity for colo
nies or companies Of settlers TO select desirable
locations or for any person indeed, who would
go into stock. raising or other farming on large
or even on moderate or small SCALE a... :
What | shall have to say Of this particular
locality will perhapse be betterapprehended. if
! we. first take cursory view ofthe state as
whole. i i"".
The state of Missouri, in its peculiar combina-
ton Of natural advantages its rich SOIL fine
climate, nexhaustible mineral treasures, abun-
dant water power and forests Of timber with
its location and other facilities favorable for
commerce, stands unequalled ON the whole by
any other state in the Union. Causes are at
work. also, which will bya constantly increa-
sing and Inevitable force, continue to lift from
| it by degrees the incubus Of slavery which has
thus far impeded its growth. These causes
are quite another thing from the result of this
or that election in politics; are too strong to be
| greatly affected by any such result; and must
be expected to be tardy in indicating them
selves in that way. H
! The State as diOjded By tie Missouri River.
That portion of the State north of the His.
souri, River and designated as North Missouri,
lis favored, over almost the whole extent--the
extreme South eastern corner eHcepted--with
a rich soil suitable forcutivation, better in gen.
eral toward the west than the east is trayersed
by numerous streams, and furnished with a
moderate supply oftimber olerabIy we'll distri-
buted. Rl
The Missouri River is walled in, on the
Southern side of its course, by high bluffs; and
that portion ofthe State south Of the river is
generally an elevated region, from two or three
to five or six hundred feet above the Missouri,
say at Boonville, and ofcourse still higher above
the Mississippi at st. Louis. Many of the
I, 4I, nna II
amec for instance, cut deep and and run along
beds not greatly elevated above their points Of
discharge. e.. ..+....
The surface Of this part Of the State, the low
swampy section in the south cast excepted, is
thrown into ridges, or swells, which have a gen
eral direction from east to west or north east
to south west, as pretty we'll indicated by the
courses ofthe streams and the lines of water
shed, which may be traced on the map. Here
are the Ozark Mountains, so laid down on the
map, but somewhat difficult for the traveller to
find, especially where they are really the high
est. They are in fact everywhere and nowhere
over nearly all this division of the State Though
some parts are rough and broken, much of it is
a kind rolling table land, which is swept by
) dry and healthiul breezes. The air is trier than
in North Missouri Here are the metallic trea-
sures--the ores of lead zinc, copper and iron.
Here, either or ninety miles west of south
from ST. Louis, by the Iron Mountain Rail
road, just finished, is the Iron Mountain, near
ly solid mass Of ore Of the best quality, 228 feet
high and covering base of 500 acres, which
amount to circle a mile in diameter, below
which, also, the mountain mass extends and
widens to an unknown depth. In Shannon
|; and other counties are immense beds and veins
ofcopper ore, toward the development ofwhch
. little has yet been attempted.
The lead mineral, for which Missouri has long
, been noted, abounds in very many parts of tn is
division OF the State, is difIused indeed over
more than half Of this section. But near to the
south western corner, in Newton county and
that vicinity, are mines and prospects of lead
, Of somewhat recent discovery and developement
which, it is believed, exceed any that have been
known elsewhere in the United States. o.
these, more by and bye.
Division, as witbjn or withom the CoalfeM.
The COAL Of which there is in Missouri a su.
perabundant supply, lies mostly within the i'm
mense coal field which includes all that part
of the State lying northwest of line which
g may be traced from the Mississippi at Marion
: county to the Missouri at Boonville and ther
south westwardly and again southery down by
: the eastern line of Barton county; and ther
south westward through Jasper, by the corner
+ Of Kansas on into the Indian Territory. The
Igeologists say that these coal beds can furnish
ever one hundred million tons per annum fol
thirteen hundred years. In Galloway county
: is bed of the finest camel coal, near to thu
e Missouri riever, and said to be in places eighty
a feet thick. t.,..E
p The country over this great coal basin is BY
far the most fertile and best portion of the STATE
: for agriculture. Almost all the land is goot
e and some of it the best in the world Tht
t counties within it which lie along the Missouri
! River form the most wealthy and populous sec
tion of the State, leaving out of consideration
the city st. Louis. ei aIt
l The division by means Of the diagonal lin,
|, above defined, is the most important Of any
r that can be made, in order to give corrcc
general view Of the State as . WHOLE and ofth,
characteristics of its different parts. The sur
face over the coalfed is in general smooth ant
/. Eundulating; while over much of the other sec
4 tion it is abrupt and broken. The other sec
ton embraces nearly all the localities of til,
Q metallic ores A marked feature Of it appears
u also, in the fragments Of lightish colcred fin
!, ty stone, sailed Chert by the mineralogsts, in
termixed in quite too great abundance with thu
D clays which in general form the superficial de-
posit everything the rocky strata; the latter con
sisting mainly Of different varieties oflmestone
Y sandstone, or clay-slate. These cherry frag
9 ments are Of all Sizes from coarse gravel up t
!. stones ofseveral inches diameter, and sometime.
q larger masses. They are always sharp or angu
lar and not waterworn They lie in seams ant
oEpatches, and appear on the tanks Of almost al
D the hills. Much ofthe soil is so full of then
as to make 1t difficult to cultivate, and render 4
4 drer and less fertile On some cultivated feldl
: they are SO thick as to furnish material 70,
stone fences. Some of the best soils for grair