The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-21

lslauon, 10 spy out the land.
1t is a glorious welcome which
nature presents to the traveller
visiting Kansas. The broad bo-
som of the river is almost hidden
from view by the thick growth of
trees, more noticeable because Of
their almost entire absence elsewhere
on the landscape From the river on
both sides gradually rises the gently
rolling prairie, covered with luxu
rant growth of grass, when not under
cultivation; but In this locality pretty
generally occupied by waving fields
of corn, or where the wheat has lately
been harvested. From the wide
prairie bottom rises the more elevated
table-land, on which are situated the
farm houses and gardens, aud behind
them, still ascending, are usually
| found the orchards. Back Of all on
both sides Of the valley, are ridges or
uplands, more or less abrupt running
parallel with the river covered with
grass, and not as yet much cultivated,
adding a fitting background to as
charming a picture Of rural beauty as
one could well imagine or desire. A
| few such views are occasionally pre-
scented, as we pass along the railroad, in
| the valley of the Mohawk, the Susque-
quehaDna or the Miami but such is the
| one continuous scene as We pass along
up the Kaw valley, from early morn.
| ing until noon, and from noon until
sunset, and until the shades of night
| cover the landscape. 1t is one con
tinuous view, varied only by the width
bof the valley, the nearness and highth
| Of the uplands. aud By the frequent
confluence of a tributary river, up
! whose meanderine course there also
opens another valley like the one
i have just attempted to describe
The valley of the Kansas River va
ries 10 width, from bluff to bluff, Or
upland, from two to five miles, oily
occasionally narrowing closer than the
former limit. Usually there is rich
i bottom prairie land, entirely above
i overfow on both sides of the river,
but sometimes the upland runs
in close to the waters edge on
one side, when it Bidens out
correspondingly on the opposite
bank. The valley is designated
! by the farmers and land spectators
as the lower bottom (subject to over
| fow), the first bottom (always tillable),
second bottom, rising from four to
eight feet above the first, and then
the table land, still more elevated but
usually level or gently rolling, closed
Ia by the uplands. Such is the gem
eraI order of = the lay of the valley,
which can be seen by the traveller
from the cars, in the alternate grades
but they are not always so distinctly
marked, the one order gradually rising
to the other almost imperceptibly.
The dark, mellow loan, as it is turn
ed up by the farmer or by the excava
tons of the railroad, reveal the almost
inexhaustible richness of the soil
but If this were not enough, the fields
of corn, the like of which are only
seen on our Ohio and Wabash bot
toms, are the conclusive proof OF their
fertility. The Kansas people, in their
enthusiasm, claim thatthere Is no other
such valley on the face of the globe.
The Nile, they say, may be as rich,
but it requires the annual overflow to
fertilize and irrigation to cultivate the
soil; while this valley IS free from the
general overflow to which the other
fertile valleys of the world are sub
lject, and fully as rich as the richest.
/ tits not alone the Kaw or Kansas
valley proper which constitutes this
fertile belt Of territory, but this is
/ only the main channel, into which
flow a large number OF rivers and
streams, from the North and the
South, all of which have rich valleys,
varying In length from fifteen to fifty
or sixty miles All these valleys, for
two hundred miles, are already more
or less settled up and being oulti-
waited. In my letter on the State
, Fair, it will be remembered | men
toned some of the vegetables OF
enormous growth from Saline Coun
ty, about two hundred miles West of
State Line Station.
Il The price of this land it will be a
matter of interest to know. especially
to any looking towards Kansas as
their future home About Lawrence
4 Land Topeka. and even as high up as
this place, 118 miles, the lands, if not
in the hands of actual settlers and
cultivators of the soil, are held by
spectators for good prices, and to a
I greater or less extent throughout the
whole valley. The day has passed to
locate y Government lands now, In
all this region. About Lawrence the
price ranges from twenty to fifty dol
lars per acre, for farming pur-
bposes; between Topeka and Law
renee, from fifteen to thirty-fve dol
lars; between Topeka and Manhattan,
at from ten to twenty dollars; and
beyond Manhattan from FIVE to fifteen
dollars per acre. Up some of the
streams and rivers running into the
Kansas River. further removed from
the railroad. but nearer the eastern
boundary of the State, lands can be
had at from four to twelve dollars.
These figures only serve as some in
dication of the rate of these valley
lands, but sthe price is much affected,
Of course, b. local advantages, specu-
lative value of projected improve
.menis, &c. @
It would be proper, IN this con-
nection, to note something in detail
7 Of the general agricultural features Of
! the uplands, but 1 have only time
!, and space now to note little Of
: what | have seen, and / have not
been out of the valley of Kansas
; river, 1 j. w. +.
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} The Courier Corrected.
CAsEYyILLaE, Ky. Sept, II, 1859. g
Editors Journal.