The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-03-27
g he Il II i o II !,

The Smoky Hill Valley as Route to the Gold Re
gions and Place of Settlement.
Any person, unbiased by local prejudice
after careful examination Of the testi
mony offered for and against the Smoky
Hill and Platte rivers, the two great com
p.titors for the travel to the Cold Region!
and the Pacific, cannot but decide in favor
of the Smoky Hill as being the most feast
and practicable route, combining as it does
the grand desideratums of an abundance Of
wood, grass and water, good road bed, and
its being shorter by some one hundred
miles than the Platte, by actual measure
ment made by Superintendent Green, in
the spring and summer of 1860. Green
found no difficulty in finding an abundance
of grass and water along the whole route,
surprising both the Platte and Arkansas in
this respect Wood, also was to be obtained
in considerable quantities almost the entire
distance, while Joiis dc cache, or the Buffalo
chip, was to be found in the utmost abund-
ance,
The almost entire absence of sand is
without doubt one of the creates: advan-
tagcs that the Smoky Hill Route has over
all Others. It is a well known fact that a
team cannot haul more than half the
weight over sandy road, that it can over
a road with good, firm bed. The Platte
road is bed of sand, as is well known to
all who have travelled over it, while the
Smoky Hill is one of the best natural road
beds in the world, free from sand and high
elevations.
Another argument in favor of this route,
is its capability of sustaining settlements
along its whole line, and it is now settled
upon for over two hundred and fifty miles in
a direct line, west from the Missouri river.
This is of the highest Importance to the
traveller, enabling him to procure feed for
his stock at any season of the year, at
nominal price. BY reason of obtaining
corn and other feed for stock at so great
distance west, on this route, freishters and
other moving westward, can start from the
Missouri river from four to six weeks
earlier than by route where they have to
wait for the grass to start in the spring.
From our own experience and that of
gentlemen who have travelled
over the different routes, we would advise
all who intend migrating to the Rocky
Mountains or the Pacific coast, to take the
Smoky Hill Route. And to the immigrant
We will say, that there is no part of the
United States that offers more and superior
inducements to the settler, than the Smoky
Hill Valley. Well timbered and watered.
, soil of exceeding fertility and most
climate, it is region Of country
The following letter, dated at Nevada,
Colorado Territory, written to Mr.. George
E. Dummer, of this city, and who kindly
furnished US with copy, was the occasion
# the above remarks, aud shows what is
hought of the subject by those who have
travelled"
"From what we hear from divers sources.
ve are led to believe that there will be
leayy emigration to this country the COM
ng season, and as it may benefit emigrants
o know the shortest and easiest route,
vould advise all who wish to save time and
money, to come by the way of the Smoky
Hill Valley. 1t saves over one hundred
niles Of travel, as shown by the survey of
S60. There is much better feed for stock.
here is not near as much sand as there is
n the Platte and Arkansas routes. And
can be travelled month earlier than the
'latte route. The longest distance with
ut water is twenty-five miles. Corn can
c had within 500 miles of Denver for ten
ents per bushe! The same distance on
be Platte, corn is worth from two to three
ollars per bushel, and is scarce at that. l,