The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-01-05
Notes OF = "Trip into South West
Missouri.
10: IL

In Barton County spent several days after
which passed down through Jasper, into New
ton, and then back to Spring Geli, through
Lawrence county. The situation of Barton and
the northern portion Of Jasper, has been such,
III relation to the routes of travel and the cen
tcr5 orpopulation, that the wave of emigration
has hardly yet fairly reached it. Barton Goun-
ty has now, however, over three thousand in
habtantS, and is said to have doubled its popu-
ton within two years. Lamar, which had on
ly two houses year and halfsince, has now
about forty.---There have been settlements made
from time to time along all Of the streams
But the plairies remain, for the most part fresh
and beautiful from the hand ofnature; and
have seen none more beautiful in any part Of the
West
The timber is lroa half mile to two miles
in width, along the streams, rs thcy appear on
Coltou's Pocket Township Map of the State,
besides now and then an upland grove. 1t grows
large, and is of valuable sorts, chiefly oak, with
enough ofhickory and black walnut. Tthc tim
Der is sufficient for the prairie, and where most
distant, is not over three or four miles off. Coal
OF Il good quality is abundant for fuel, and to be
had at the diggings for five or six cents bush
cl. The Usage Orange JoiSF arc they call it,
may be grown to advantage for fence.
either gently rolling or high rolling, and lies
well Tor drainage. Enough oft is covered with
deep black soil The subsoils. in which there
is some variety, are all porous, through rarely
in the least sandy and are fitted to endure
iroaghth as well as wet. Up to the first OF
September, there had been hardly any rain
since the harvest in June, though copious rains
then and previous. Yet the corn in most pla-
ces had not suffered excessively, and in some
scarcely at all, and the grass was everywhere
fresh and luXul0nt In the counties east and
south Of this, the corn had for some reason suf-
iered much more. The dronth was unprccc-
dented iu all that region
Stone for building is a@Dndatt. In the cas-
tern part of the country it is generally light
c0ored sandstone, aud in the western, a lime
stone, under the ground ut depth more com
monty Of ten to twenty feet; Though on some
of the ridges coming ncasly or quite up to the
Fsuriace; cropping out also on the banks of the
streams ana ravineS
There is occasionally q mound of this rcck,
! thlnIy covered with soil Oh the top, but ilankcd
with rich growth Ofgrass. These mounds,
rising as they do sometimes, from one to two
hundred Ieet above the surrounding prairie, pre-
sent from their tops the most magnificent views
for the eye to feast upon. The bcholder finds
himself as 1t were on lofty island, in the midst
ofa sea Of verdure, which roll away for miles on
every side, generally bound, but again it may
be intersccted or dotted by belts or groFeS OF
timber, which in some directions fade away in
the distance. Here 4 man may fancy himselGas
sitting and overlooking his herds and 1iocks,
| though they should eXceedthe wealth Of the
patriarch OF w in his latter days. Or, he may
imagine the more varied beauty with which the
hand OF man Will, in the course OF years, adorn
the view. Or, going down and looking back
from below, one can hardly help seeing, i'll an,
ticpalon, the SloWnS sides clothcd all round
with vines, extending row above row, laden
| with clusters OF the nPening lrult. Some hall
/ dozen deer described rom one OF these mounds
seemed to me more IKE rats ana nice and such
sm2!! deer than the rangers OF the oreSt and
! praire--So deceptive is the estimate Of distance
to which an Eastern man is liable on these
praires of the West. From one of these mounds
some ten or eleven miles east oi the Kansas line,
| | could see another SIMILAR bat presume lar
GER and higher one, which vas told lay lai
over in the Territory.
Much Of the prairie that rode over, was
covered with very thick grwth OF a fine broad
lea:ed grass free from weeds, higher than to the
horses belly and over the feet of the rider 1t
Wouu Hlahc ScNeFal toio VI SOou nay 10 Tic acre
do not know whether this is a different spe-
cies from the tall, jointed gross, of which
measure some higher than my head, sitting on
a horse of large si@.Other portions were Gov
cred, besides the grass, with tall weed bear
ing q larger yellow mdiated flower, but believe
not precisely the 'rosin weed" of the Illinois
prairieS; and other places still, with other flow
ering weeds. Thep ent year was indeed "a
vorabIe one for grass; but large part cI the
country scenes exceedingly we'll adapted tc
this product saw no "tame grass" there
but in Dade, Co, some heads Of timothy were