The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1866-05-17
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For the Pioneer.] -
SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, April %, 1866.


SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, April %, 1866.
FRIEND WILSON: -.F
Dear Sw,-Will you have the kindness to
allow me, through the medium of your ex-
celleHt paper, to say few things to my
numerous friends in and around Sandusky,
in regard to what | have seen and heard
Of the great State of Missouri? Taking
it for granted your answerwill be affirm
ative, | proceed by saying, 1 arrived in ST.
Louis on the 18th inst. and spent one day
very pleasantly looking around the city;
found it to be all I had anticipated in a
commercial point of view, but not all my
fancy painted her. The busines portion
of the city is not very prepossessing in its
arran cement. Business of no kind was
moving with that vitality which charac-
tcrized it in former years. Taking the
Pacific Railroad, / passed on through a
rough portion of the State. passing the
inducement to one insearch Of flourishing
towns and fine country. The country
from st. Louis to California. in Monitan
county, is not much improved. though
there are some very nice and expensive
dwellings for several miles out from the
city The soil and climate are said to be
well suited to grape growing, and many
enterprising Germans are coming into
these hiHy counties, and turning their at
tention to tie cultivation of Fruit of all
kinds, but more especially the grape. My
first stopping place after leaving St. Louis
was Sedalia. county seat of Pettis county,
which is quite a lively town. and grow ing
rapidly; all the various tricks of trade
are fully represented, and competition has
brought goods ofarl kinds down to nomi-
nal prices. The land owners there have
.:city on the brain,'' and are running the
prosperity of their town by asking fabu-
lous prices for lots-ordinary frame dwell
l, 70
are renting at from $25 to $50 per month,
and store-rooms at from $75 to $3.50 per
month. The buildings are all frame eX-
i.cept three or four, and hurriedly built.
The place receives a large trade from the
South West. which I regard as only tenn
porary. The. country around Sedalia is
handsome, being gently undulating prai-
rie, interspersed with small groves of light
! timber The land is of moderately good
quality, and held ut prices ranging from
So to $40 Per acre, according to quality,
distance from town, improvements, etc.
My next stopping place was " arrensburg,
| county seat of Johnson county. Here
there are. two towns. old and new. The
old town, is located about one half mile
distant from the Railroad, the new town
being directly ON the line of the road, has
taken the trade of the country, and left the
old town in; a very forlorn condition in
deed. l visited the :. Old Town. and the
IOOQuty SOuit III G0eo1OiL, oCCPpCu
into the courthouse (Which / think had
been used as astable during the wary to
see what kind of an assemblage they had
there, and with the exception of the judge
and three or four lawyers. think1 never
gazed upon q harder looking set of chaps
in my life. The principal hotel here is
near the railroad, and / found it a very
| respectable house by the way,sI think
! hotel keeping the best. business in this
country. At this place / witnessed the
''lion and the lamb lie down together
| tfigrrative). I saw an ex-rebel Brigadier
| General (CockoreD cutting up the steak
for a one-arnled Union Captain who sat
beside him at the table, and they seemed
1 to be on very affectionate terms. The land
itabout Warrensburg is of about the SAME
Equality of that heretofore named3 My next
/ stopping point was Pleasant Hill. in Cass
county. This is also a fiourishing little
town, and completely filed W ith goods of
all descriptions The country here is roll
ing prairie, and OF better quality than any
heretofore named, thougll not SO rich and
lsso we'll adapted to all purposes as are the
lands in Lafay yette, Saline. Jackson and
cooper counties, where they produce a
/ great deal of hemp, and land. that will
crow hemp to perfection viii produce any
thing else. In the above named COMMITTEES
Hand can be bought at from SO to $50 per
1 acre. except in the vicinity of Lexington.
in Lafayette county, where it commands
from $50 to $780, The time for purchasing
cheap farms in this portion Of the State
has passed. Six Or twelve months ago