The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-11-12
From tie Boston Journal.
Jotnngs from the Far West.
CHocTAw NATION, Indian Territory,l

than half the State still consists OF public
and swamp lands. The public lands are
mostly misunderstanding been in mar
ket more than twenty years-and subject
to entry at from 12la to IS cents per
acre. No one can enter more than 320
acres at these reduced prices, and then the
law requires proof that they are taken for
actual settlement and cultivation. As
usual, however, where public land is to be
secured, the law is evaded by all sorts of
chicanery, and sometimes by perjury
With land warrants one may enter as
much of this land as be can pay for, at u
cost of from 80 cents to 81 per acre, ac-
cording to the price of warrants.
The Federal Government, through con-
gressional enactment, usually donates
swamp lands to the States in which they
lie, for school or other purposes. The in
tent of the laws, clearly expressed, is on
ly to include such low, marshy tracts as
are unfit for cultivation until reclaimed"
by ditching or some other process. The
county officers appointed to examine the
public lands and select and condemn such
as come within the meaning of the law,
are sworn to perform the duty faithfully.
But they are allowed, in compensation, a
per centage on all the swamp land they
find; they have an interest in swelling
the school fund of their county, and they
sometimes hold the opinion which seems
to prevail in the new country, that the
"chief end" of public land is to enable the
people to bleed Uncle Sam freely.
Consequently, hundreds of thousands oI
acres are selected and condemned, which
are no more ''swampland" than the w mite
Mountains. Whole sections of the rich
est rolling prairie, and even hills too dry
to raise corn, are unscrupulously reported
"swamp lands" and donated to the States
In Missouri this has been done on gigan-
tic scale, and am told that the same i:
true elsewhere. There is no danger o.
making the school funds too large; bu
then, as shat good old man." Jack Fal
staff, hathit, "Lord, how the world is Civ
en- To lying "i ts- -H
Many northern people fancy that slave.
must be like Mrs. Toodles' coffin, "a very
convenient thing to have in the house,
Any one holding this theory should trav
el through the interior of Missouri and
Arkansas. > Unless utterly regardless O
the good things of this life, he will soor
abandon his delusion. In rich stock rails
ing regions, he will find sweet milk fo
his tea and coffee a rarity, and for drink
ing, myth. Butter will seldom visit hi
table but will, sometimes confront hin
| nearly in a liquid state, or laden will
odurs that are not of Araby. Of stron!
coffee, sour milk as a beverage, molasses
hot and heavy biscuit, in which the sal
eratus is svisible to the naked eye," anC
fat pork floating in gravy, he will fnc
abundance. Pastry may haunt his dreams
but seldom his repasts. Though mad
from meal much richer than that fount
at the North, the inevitable corn-breat
will often come in such questionable
shape as to have no temptations for hi
palate. -t...r .....
OF course there are many exception:
but the above will be his general expe
rieuoe. lie viii be very likely to retur
free from any lingering desire for "ehat
tels,p at least in his kitchen, and with
most profound respect for the homely
wholesome fare Of the New England farm
| house. oN tLe tf- aoi
An old gentleman in Western Arkan
sas, with the utmost gravity, relates tn
following as has experience Il have bee
living down here below Fort Smith fc
twenty years. The desk in my Office
at the head of long flight of stairs, an
4 in the haste of business my inkstand
often Knocked off and rolled down. Fo
a long time l could get no material tha
would stand this Usage. Glass was on
| OF the question. Stone broke like crock
cry. The hardest wood could find 500
gave way. Finally lucky though
struck me. / sent up to one of my neigh
bors-the widow B.-for piece of he
corn bread. After running several fin
tools, | succeeded in following it out an
shaping it into an inkstand. That wa
ten years ago; and, stranger, I've use
that inkstand ever since, and I reckon it
! good for at least two generations longer
4 l have alluded to the frequency of Law
less affrays in, Fort Smith, but neglecte
tu mention one prominent cause. Wit
population of three thousand, and with
out single public school, the city cor
tains forty establishments licensed to SCI
intoxicating liquors 81. .a .,s
Among other institutions, Fort Smit
has eight religious societies, an old an
flourishing Masonic Lodge, and lare
body of Odd Fellows, with rich aecuml
lated fund for those genial charities whic
are characteristic of the order.
: 7- Your correspondent, having at last e'
capped from the thraldom of his physician
is once more enjoying the free air an
change Of scene. But as Margaret Full,
once wrote of an old house. that it locke
as if somebody's grandfather lived in i
so to casual observer be must appe;
like an ancestor of the second generatio
for his trembling steps would not i'll b,
, come an octogenarian. After all, even
sick room has its pleasant and gratefl
memories. Never did invalid anon
, strangers find kinder friends, or recei,
more tender and assiduous care. 1t ca
, only be attributed to warm hearts an
native hospitality for the people of A
, kansas have hardly adopted the theol
put forth by Mrs Howe in her delightfl
Cuban sketches, that newspaper corespol
dents ("Black Republican, and al) a
!, angels in disguised
\ Taking the "0verland" stage yesterdr
, morning, we passed the fort, descended
steep, rocky hill, where divergence
two feet from the narrow road would ha'
r sent our coach rolling down precipito
bank, crossed the Oporto river by shah
f ferry boat, and we had ceased to be "A
kansas travellers" and were in the Indi.
Territory. A. D. R.
Bayard Taylor has realized $500
from copyrights. He has a new volun
in press, called at Home and abroad, beil
collection of interesting personal exp
, riences.