The Kansas herald of freedom. [volume] (Wakarusa, Kan. Territory) 1854-1860, 1859-06-04
lConcluded.]
The Kansas Rivsr-Tho channsl-Its Navigation

The Kansas River-Thc Channsl-Its Navigation
Tested.
The steamer Gus Linn arrived at our
wharf on Saturday with large passen-
ger list and ttUo thousand three hundred
sacks Of corn. As an indication of the
benefits Of this trade, it is only neces-
sary to state, that giving $500 pounds
for a wagon, this little steamer in one
trip has brought out one hundred acaqon
loads. This amount which we give, $500
pounds, is more than any two horse team
can take, and is the amount hauled bv
teams of two to three yoke of Oxen
Taking two yoke to the wagon, it would
have required one hundred teamsters and
four hundred head of cattle to have car
ried to market this steamers first freight.
This fact alone, tells the story to the peo-
pie of the Kansas valley.
From Col. r. II. Nelson, who was a
passenger ON board the Linn and who
went mp for the purpose of looking at the
river, we learn the following particulars.
Col. Nelson was boatman on the Illinois
river, when it was first navigated, from
1929 to 1888.
On the up trip of the boat, the river
was at an ordinary stage for April, May,
June and July, but on the return trip the
water had risen several feet. The obser-
vations which we give were made on the
up trip. The channel was found to be
generally good, nowhere less than 2 : feet
water on the shallowest bars. 1t is better
from some distance below Lawrence to ST.
Mary's rapids than it is nearer the mouth;
as the river is more confined and the
water more uniform in the channel. Col.
Nelson says that he considers it a better
river for boating than the Illinois was
from 1929 to 1888. The bottom is sandy,
no rocks being found in the channel from
the mouth to St. Mary's, except at Law
reno, and there is plenty of water. Attic
'chain," six miles below St. Mary's they
found three feet in the channel.
The worst bar in the river is at the
Delaware Crossing, twelve miles from The
mouth. As the river approaches the
Missouri, it meets the sandy soil peculiar
to the Missouri bottoms, and becomes
greatly widened, thus interposing more
shallow bars than are found on the upper
stream.
The Smoky Hill. as far as the Linn
went up that stream, thirty miles, was
found to be narrow and deep, the least
water found being seven feet. They had
no doubt but they could have assembled it
with ease from 100 to $50 miles.
Everybody seemed to be alive to the
enterprise, and everywhere the Linn was
greeted with the hearty hospitality of
Westesn people.
Large quantities of corn and potatoes,
and small lots of rye, are on the river,
ready to be brought forward to market.
1t is the confident opinion Of Col. Nell
son, that as the trade increases and the
navigation becomes more regular, that
not only the present, but much larger
class of boats will be able to make its
navigation permanent and profitable
business-and there is no limit 10 the
capacity of the country to supply any
amount of tonnage. He is emphatic in his
opinion in regard to its being a better
stream than was the Illinois, at the fist
attempt to open it to steamers. When he
commenced in 1929, freights in the Illinois
were 60 cents per 100 lbs; when he left
the river in 1883, it was % cents, and
now the usual charge is 10 cents. As the |
trade increased the number and class of
boats was increased, until it is now a regu-
larlv navigated river, and one of the |
important tributaries to the immense COM
merce Of st. Louis. So it will be with |
the Kaw.-Ra'lsas City Journal