The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1858-12-25
Discell aQeoQs.
The Markets Of Kansas.

The Markets Of Kansas
LIST. A home market. No person of the
Union possesses better soil than Kansas,
and few so good. This is universally con-
fessed. First, the civil war that enwrap-
ped our Territory, then the mad specula-
tive endoavor to get possession of our town
lots and unimpfoved lands, and retain
them in idle hands, prevented the deyel-
opment of any of our resources, except |
such as were necessary to feed the VIC
Tins while the fever was raging. The |
immense mineral deposits that lie below
the. entire mass of our rich soil were
known, and upon their wealth most of the
speculation was based. Coal crops out in
innumerable places from one to five feet
thick, and from one hundred to two
hundred feet beneath that layer. Prof.
Swallow, Missouri State Geologist, states
there are coal beds from four feet in depth,
upward-six feet being perhaps an everage
depth. Iron ore is found in abundance in
the neighborheod Of coal and copper ore,
yielding at least ninety per cent, and tin
has been discovered. With a country
of unsurpassed agricultural and mineral
wealth, it will be many years before we
can change our farm productions into
fabrics of iron, within our own borders,
and send them as we'll as copper, tin and
perhaps lead, to seek as a market every
portion of the globe. Steam is already
the principal mechanical motive power,
and with the food of the artisan raised
within our own borders, requiring no
transportation, we can compete with our
wares with any part Of the Union. We
can create home market as great as that
of Pennsylvania.
End. A Western market. The only
reason that it will not long be necessary
to continue SO many forts west of us is
that the strong outpcsts of white settle
ment now advancing towards the Pacific
with giant strides, are greater defence
against the Indians than any government
Notifications, and the overland routes are
daily becoming moro secure on that &C
count. Where one soldier leaves. ten
hardy settlers with families take his place,
and if they do raise their own pork, corn
and wheat, every thing else they require
is purchased in our cities, and they form
but the nucleus for immense and general
settlement. A vast tract of country must
always be tributary, in measure, to our
| Territory, as even when railroads shall
have cut up the vast tract of country west,
all their goods must be transhipped at our
river towns.
The immense business that Kansas
already does with the West is almost
beyond belief, and it is yet in its infancy.
3rd. A European market. To say moth
ing of Southern and European market
for our manufactured goods, when enter
prise and industry shall have developed
our mineral resources, we shall, before
many years, be shipping the productions of
our soil to Europe with as little expense as
Ohio can send her productions to the same
market, and Ohio has reached her present
proud position entirely from her agricultu-
raj resources. We believe that railroads
will entirely supercede canals; that when
the system is perfected, as few years will
see it, transportation can be effected as
cheaply, and certainly more expeditiously
by rail than by the canal. From our
southern boundary to an excellent port in
Texas-ssy Galveston-is but 500 miles;
from the center of the well settled portion
of our Territory, it is not over 700 miles.
From the center Of Ohio TO New York city,
the nearest seaport, is, in round numbers,
700 miles. Why, then, cannot we have
the same facilities as that giant State? 1t
may be answered: "your road or canal
would run through asparcely settled coun-
try, consisting partly of Indian country
all of which is quite true, but the Indian
country is occupied by races of civilized
red men, who have displayed a character
for seh-governmcnt and liberality that
few white communities can excel, and the
sparcely settled country is through State,
whose government is wealthier, in ready
cash and lands, than any other in the
Union, and which has displayed more lib
erality in furtheriDg projects Of internal
Improvement than the General Govern
ment ever did, and not surpassed even BY
the State of New York. A railroad in
Texas, munifcently endowed, aiming to
connect with us, has not merely been pro-
jected, but We understand $50 miles Of ii
have been already constructed, and much
more is under contract. For our end a
charter has been obtained, and we believe
an organization effected under it. We
car confidently expect government aid in
the shape of lands, and we believe it to be
a road eastern capital win gladly under.
take to build. Consent has not yet been
obtained from the Cherokee, Choctaw and
other nations through whose lands it must
pass, yet assurances have been received
that not merely right of way, but assist
ance can be obtained.
We say nothing in all this in regard to
those newly discovered mines Of wealth
and power, on the tributaries Of the Platte
for young Kansas. No sensible man can
say otherwise than If new California has
been developed in Kansas, nothing else
would be necessary to assure TO tia future
as proud and magnificent as any commu-
| nifty in the world can boast-Palevme
Lender