The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-04-09

late OF Wyandott with whom we are nor
sonally acquainted, aud whom we TAX.
pleasure in indorsipg as gentleman :,
rerscity. He writes to the wyandon
flsette
DESvER CRY, Feb IL, 1853
We have been assuming more and mo,.
the appearance aud habits of civ.HEa,ion
Fhe weather has greatly favored us ,bs
lilast sunny and snowiess moath, am. has
been greatly improved by hundreds Of
energetic men in building up a town which
really deserves the name of city. The .
ground is covered for long distance
sarouud with hewed logs, which will ba
constructed into more than two hundred
houses before the first Of II ,rch. MANY
pf them will be Of good Size. Oneis six,y.
-four BY ninety six feet, another forty 6v
one hundred. aud Others of like dimen.
sions. Every lot on the street on which
| have been building, is occupied for more
than three blocks
Auraria, the town Immediately on the
nther side OF Cherry Creek, is in like
fleurishing condition. The ground, how.
ever, is low, and the buildings of an infe-
rior grade. Both togethrr-which really
constitute but one town-will contain five
hundred houses by the irst Of April.
Preparations are being made tn open
many farms, hut for this purpose the bot
tom lands alone are available, the high
lands being too dry ard sandy.
With regard To mining interests, very
little has been developed since | last
wrote you. One piece was found six
miles-from here, worth two dollars snd
fifiy-eight cents, and another worth two
dollars. Sluices have been set running,
and when it was possible to run them,
made about dollar per hour. Its so
cold, however. that little can be done in
this way. Prospecting Companies have
gone out to the Bayou Salade aud the
S uth Fork, but no news have been heard
from them vet.
One company has discovered new
wagon pass over the mountains about
twelve miles from here. They had very
favorable weather, aud an interesting trip
ot about one hundred miles. They were
eighteen days in going out aud but four ii
returning.
Elk were seen in drovps Of thousands.
aud were easily killed. Buffalo were also
abundant, but of a smaller size and
somewhat different from those found Oh
the prairies. QUE peculiarity OF which was
the dropping Of the horns.
The valley of Vascarri's Fork, extend
ing back to the iividing ride, is reported
10 lie from one fourth TO three miles wide
and very beautiful No important dis
coveries, however, were made in the way
ofgola, on account of the unsuitab,eness
OF the weather.
The winter is the most rem ukable one
| have ever seen. We have had bare
ground for more than month, with 10
storms Of snow or rain, aud but little high
wind.
Cattle are worked constantly, and yot
are doing well. have often praised
eastern Kansas, but the thermal and mete-
geological table which enclose, will show
that the climate here entir' ly eclipses that
of your portion of the Territory. Had
we the rain which you have, this would
be the best of farming CT untries. As il is,
it is more especially adapted to grazing.
though portions will yield bountilully un-
der the influence of the plow and spade.
What the real future of The country will
be | cannot say. From ichot hare sfea
and kaoD, Jeliere that digging IN most
mines nog discoueret triH yrslf bit MOLE
rate return, though all are confteat of better
ones to be found.
Ote thiug. which I believe l have rot
written in previous letters, j. the fact that
the prairies extend to the very base ofthe
mounds, and even np the raviues which
ran up into them, with no n,ore ROCKS and
stones than in E,stern Kansas. The
biuks Of the Platte here are &c gravel and
not rocky as one wouid suppose. Boulders
are very numerous ia the beds of streams,
usually quartz and granite. The soil
shows the action Of water. As deep as |
have seen il opened anywhere, it was
formed Of alternate strata Of sand. beul-
Gcrs, quartz, gravel and clay. Below
there is found coarse, loose sandstone
of recent formation-I think more receIt
than the new red sandstone. Below tbs
sand, gravel, boulders, &C., are agaia
found.
In the mountains, quartz veins, ggp-
sum. marble, and the common limestone,
arc found in abundance. A, YET, ie-
lieve, neither silver nor quicksilver havO
been found
The mania for town building is as great
as ever i, was IN eastern Kansas. The
best sites are this place. aud Fountain
City, at the mouth of Boiling Spring
riter. Between these piats there are
three towns--Forrest Ci+y, Eussellyillo
and Junction C,;y. There is a company
tdriied 10 fdifa stage across. There are
also Columla;S and Ellorada, near tho
tase Of Pixies Peak, Arapahoe, at the
base OF Table Mauaiaip, and a host Of
eihers which caunot now name.
Our election for county officers comes
OF in March. Politics VIII have 10 H..
fiuence IA il, but ii will probably be ato;:
OF free pitch ih.p
Several Companies have come through
by way Of the Smoky Hill. Their repre-
sera,ions makeit he best route travelled.
They report good supply or wood, IVA.
Ter aI,a grass. They found deposites Of
iron, coal and chalk, all Of the best qasli-
fy AID n'he greatest sbuudsuce. Tie Ir-
tiians were extremely friendly. antl ever
read y TO point out the road II is fteuui-
yersal Testimony, tnat the Indians only
require good trestment'io cpsare ihesanis
from them in return. Brl the tronble Is.
-. al. L 4