Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1858-09-24


newspapers that are published in tho for
mer place have not scrupled to intimate
that Kansas City is the first town in the
territory, and very many persons do not
know that the facts are different. II re-
mains to bo seen whether the people of the
territory will support their own towns or go
over into Missouri and help to pay the tax
es Of slave state. Tho natural advan-
tages of Wyandott are certainly very great;
its location tho most beautiful of any town
on the river, and in few years we cannot
but look for tho swift approach of the "Pa-
cific Rail Road" engines, and for telegraph
ic wires that shall bear intelligence not
only to US but TO Leavenworth and St.
Joseph; and as the Kansas river is naviga-
bic as far as Fort Riley, when the steam
boat begins to ply her waters the wealth Of
the territory must naturally find its outlet
at the gateway which is Wyandott. At
this time there is a great excitement con-
cerniug the gold which has been found at
"Pike's Peak" which is at distance of
fifteen days travel on horseback from this
place, and thirty days journey by the reg
uar trains of wagons and oxen. The most
exciting accounts arc received of the
amount off gold which has already been dis
covered, and companies arc forming every
week for pilgrimage to the new sGoldcn
Land ut is believed that il will be great
ly to the advantage of this place if gold is
to be found in largo quantities at tho
"Peak," as many companies will ''fit outr
here for that destination.
Many persons at home fancy that be-
cause we live in the vicinity of Indians out
here, we must necessarily put up with many
privations, and that our privileges arc but
few in comparison with what they would
be in an older town. But as far as the mat
ter of living is concerned, we have all that
we need of the comforts and as many of the
luxurios of life as we are able to pay for
Those who have been here long enough to
build houses for themselves, speedily gather
such convenicnces about them as cellars,
wells, cisterns, DC. Those of us who arc
the latest pioneers must be content to live
awhile in small rented houses, and to have
water brought to the door, from the river
and the spring. The Kansas spring is a
jet Of water as thick as mans arm gush-
ing out from a solid bed of rock; therc are
several smaller springs in this vicinity, and
every morning and evening numbers of per-
sons, men, women and children, wend their
way to tho bank of the Kansas, with pals,
pitchers and buckets, which they fill with
water from this cool, crystal spring. Like
a company of Jews at Jerusalem travelling
each with his or her vessel to the pool, "they
fll the water pots with water" and wend
their way homeward again.
I have been, SO far, singularly exempt
from the trials and difficulties in my house
keeping experiences, which many women
complain Of as being part of life in Kan
sas. am living in a house with three
apartments in it, which was formerly used
for public purposes. The sign of Banking
and Land Office" is painted in largo capi-
tails over our front door. Our largest room
is of good dimensions, being eighteen BY
twsnty-one feet; tbs neatly papered and our
friends tell us it is one Of the pleasantest
parlors in town. There should be some
thing of the charm of association about this
room too, as both the Lecompton consttu-
tion and Mr.. Englisha infamous "substitute'
were here voted upon, and were both indig-
nantly rejected. In the corner OF the apart
mont whore our bookcase stands with
its treasury of books, an old stove with
blackboard resting upon it served as a ta-
BILE, and on this stood the box which held
tho ballots, being candle box, that in this
same room had twice before been used for
a similar purpose.
While we were cleaning, and our
furniture and housekeeping utensils wero in
state of Confusion worse confounded," we
took our first dinner from a mahogany CEN
ter-table, using Fremont Journal for a
table cloth. We bought furniture, table
linen, DC, at Kansas City, and at quite as
reasonable rates as we could have bought
at home, The Missouri market wagons
bring fruit and vegetables in town every
day. Very good peaches wero sold at the
door yesterday for one dollar bushel; ap-
pies may be had in abundance; the dear
est article that l have seen, being lemons,
which can be bought for fifteen cents piece.
The rates of living out here average the
same that they would at home, with per
haps, few exceptions. Rents are at least
one hundred per cent higher. Money was
plenty here last year, but when the times
began to be little easier in tho States, the
"hard times" began to be felt in this terri
tory; yet notwithstanding money is scarce,
the prices of labor arc not diminished; day
laborers getting one dollar and half a day
mechanics from two to three dollars
Laundresses charge one dollar a dozen