The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-05-21
Ths Gold Fields Of Kansas.-FHHng - of he
- Terrfforv

come one of the most densely populated
States Of the Union. Our climate is un-
surpassed by that of any other region in
America The beauty of our scenery will
compare favorably with that of almost
any other portion of the world, and when
our rolling prairie is studded all along
with villas and cottages, enriched with
gardens, orchards and ornamental trees,
what other land will be able to feast the
eye with SO much beauty 7?
There is hardly foot of soil from the
eastern line of Kansas, for 200 miles
west, that may not be denominated ara
bic, while large portion Of the land in
all the New England States is untillable.
Then we have much more produce to the
acre than can be wrung from the niggard
soils of the East.
From the very opening of our Terrific
ny for settlement, to the present time, for
tune has seemed to favor its speedy pop
ulation. For time the North and South,
for political purposes, strained every nerve
to outdo each other in sending emigrants
hither. This excitement had hardly
ceased when there arose the cry of "gold'
from the eastern slope of the Rocky
Mountains. The recent financial pressure
which has whelmed so many fortunes, re-
duced to pcnury so many persons enjoy
ing an assumed or putative competency,
and pressed SO severely upon all classes,
had just prepared the country for grand
gold fever. Men were anxious to obtain
or regain fortune suddenly. The re-
ports coming from Pixies Peak were fire.
quently not weighed with calmness. Men
took counsel rather of their hopes, and
started thitber. Speedily the excitation
spread through all the West. Waking
or sleeping, the davi sacra flames permeat-
ed mems minds, till now, married and
single, husband and wife, parent and child,
! from every one of the western States, are
vending their way towards the foot of
the Rocky Mountains. There is not a
road, stream or course, in our Territory,
leading toward the setting sun, that is not
lined with emigrants. There is hardly a
highway in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio
or Missouri that is not being, or has not
been traversed by the hardy pioneer.
Whether the gold mines prove as pro-
ductive as represented or not, this emf
grafton will be benefit to Kansas. If
thus productive, our farmers will have a
good market for their produce, and we
will have large home production of gold.
If the reports from the eastern slope of
the Rocky Mountains have been too high
ly colored, large numbers of the emf
grants, the disappointed there, will settle
and seek homes among US. And every
man, woman and child WHO settles upon
our soil, is wealth to Kansas.
The number of emigrants to Pixies Peak
and its vicinity has been variously esti.
mated from $1,000 to 10000. But the
emigration is scattered along so large q
portion of country, that it is difficult even
to make reasonable proximate calcula-
tion of the number. There are some
pretty good data, however, from which to
1 calculate.
Iowa, which looses a larger number of
her people, in proportion to her popula-
ton, than any other State, is said, by per-
sons who have traversed and are well ac-
quainted throughout that State, to have
sent forth, already, 10000 emigrants. At
Des Moines, $50 emigrant wagons crossed
the river in one day. Illinois, Indiana
and Ohio are considered to have sent forth
at least 10000 emigrants each, and MIS-
souri, nearly that number.
All along the Missouri River, for the
last six weeks, there has been constant
tide of emigrants crossing it. At one of
the three ferries which cross the river at
st. Joseph, there crossed in 10 days H.
600 emigrants and about 5000 cattle.
Messrs. Jones, Russell & Co. have sent
out 22 express wagons this Spring, car
rying, in all, 500 passengers. They have
stations all along the route, at each of
which family resides, keeps COWS, &C.,
to furnish fresh food for the passengers.
They traverse new route between Solo
mons Fork and the Republican Fork,
said to be shorter than any other and well
supplied with wood, water and grass. The
old Utah or California road will be found
to be very deficient of wood, and at some
places of water. On Wednesday last sew
eral wagons started out from Lawrence
for the mines. Within short time now,
We will probably receive news from the
mines, informing US how they turn out
this Spring.
To be Fitted.