Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-09-16
Hard Times in The Far West.
ST. LOUIS, August a, 1858.

D .
ST. LOUIS, August "a, 1858.
/ have just returned from trip up
the Missouri. Learned by CONVEX
sation with Intelligent farmers
whom ] met with that the agricul-
tural interest is more affected now
than ever, by the reyulsion of the
last year, and the depression of basi-
ness which it entailed. The high
prices which all kinds Of farm pro-
ducts have brought ever since lS49.
when the Irish Famine gave to farm
Ing an impetus, which railroad enter
prises all over the country served
to keep up, have vanished; and with
the departure Of good prices Of farm
products has departed also the prodi.
gious proftableness of farming. The
prices of land have fallen, and any
one can now purchase good farms
in this State al, rates which
their owners would not look at two
years ago. In Iowa and Illinois,
matters are even worse, for the
northern half of the latter State,
and a good portion Of the former,
the wheat and oat crops are almost an
entire failure having been destroyed
by the ravages of the rust and
smut. The merchants in this city
inform me that it is impossible to
collect debts In Iowa, as there is no
money in the coantry, and country
merchants there who owe for goods
and groceries purchased year ago,
declare that they do not know when
they can pay. In Missouri. matters
are in a less gloomy condition, for
an easily explained reason. The
outfit Of tina Mormon expedition
caused the disbursement. principally
among our farmers, Of something
like five million dollars, for cattle.
horses, mules and provisions. The
money has not yet been entirely
absorbed by the banks, but remains
lin the hands of farmers, causing a
condition Of things quite easy aud
tolerable, when compared with that
which exists in Illinois and Iowa.
In Kansas and Nebraska, there could
! not be found, verify believe, three
dollars 10 money to each inhabitant,
Those Territories have not yet sent
anything to market, and all the
money their settlers originally had,
has been expended in the purchase
lof lumber, furniture and provisions.
Nearly every one Of them is in debt
for such necessaries SO these, and
| will not be able to extricate them
selves for several years. Money
out there readily commands 5 per
cent a month"; fact that will give
you some idea of the deplorable
condition Of financial and industrial
affairs. Besides this, people are be-
ginning to discover that Kansas and
Nebraska are anything but the Area
;dias they were represented to be by
designing spectators. The soil is
not to be compared to that Of Nilsson
ri and Arkansas, timber for building
and fencing is extremely scare and
expensive, and springs and water
power are not to be found at all.
When you reflect that the farm
house, which the settler in Arkan-
sas can build himself with an outlay
tof only ten or fifteen dollars in money,
in Kansas, has to be built generally
| of lumber at a cost of from Sl00
to 5000; and that wells have to be
dog at an expense Of from $50 to
500, you viii understand how
sorry are the advantages which
Kansas and Nebraska offer to settlers
who have but little money. It's a
fact that there are mere persons re-
turning from Kansas, than there
are going toit. Indeed, the emigration
thither, which eighteen months ago,
was SO overwhelming, has entirely
ceased, and that Territory has sunk
unto the insignificance which it al
ways deserved. Lands which, a
short time ago, we're held at S25
per acre, can now be purchased for S..
and town lots or some magnificent
size, which could be disposed Of as
readily as hotcakes, at $500 each, now
bring scarcely anything at all. You
will see by these facts, which ]
learn from gentlemen recently re-
turned from Kansas and Nebras-
ka, that those Territories are not an
Inviting field for poor men; and if
there are any persons in our region
who desire to 60 to a new country,
let them seek homes In Arkansas,
Texas, or the Choctaw country, where
they can find game, timber, water,
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