The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-09-16
THROUGH THE FAR WEST
H.
MISSOURI.
The Pacific Railway or MlssOurI-A
Beautiful Region OF Missouri COun-
tPy-EmigFatlOn 90 the state It's
Attractions and Disadvantages.
Editorial Correspondence.I

Editorial Correspondence
KANSAS City, Mo, Sept. 10.
The Pacific Railway Of Missouri is
the chief railroad of the State, and
ride over it from St. Louis to this
place enables the traveller to see more
Of the variety Of topography and soil
than any other single route within is
borders. We have already noticed In
the JOURNAL the marvellous feat, even
in this railroad age, OF complete
change of the gauge Of track through
out its entire length Of 800 miles an a
single dag. l found the track in good
condition, the road we'll equipped with
first class rolling stock, and In all re-
spects entitled to the position which
it claims as one of the leading trunk
lines of the country. For its present
efficiency and success, it is chiefly in
debted to its Superintendent, Colonel
H. G. Moore, one of the best railroad
managers in the West.
The beauty of the Missouri country
is not seen in its most attractive agri-
cultural features until after we pass
the Lamine River bridge, 6 locality
very familiar to many Of the soldier
readers of the JOURNAL, by the Win
ter camp lite of 1862. Between that
place and this city, and extending In
a wide belt from the Missouri River
| south, over broad expanse of terri.
| tory, is to be found one of the most
attractive and fertile agricultural re-
gions onall the continent Before the
war it had been seen aud admired by
emigrants and land spectators, but
/ it did not rapidly improve and settle
up. The blight of slavery was upon
| the fair face Of the country, and free
| enterprise and capital were passing
/ over it into the Kansas regions
beyond. But the past FIVE years
have wrought great charges Ia this
/ who eight years ago marched
and countermarched over it, and were
so greatly charmed with its loneliness
Il and fertility, and were surprised al
its backward state of cultivation.
passing over the same route to day
! would discover a wonderful change in
the face Of tho country. Sedalia
which was then q mere railroad sta
ton, Is now a thriving young city OF
Ave or six thousand inhabitants
| Warrensburg, Pleasant Hill, indie
pendenee. and other places which
were languishing under the anti.
progressive, slavery domination, are
| populous aud aspiring, and the eoun.
try all about them is being thickly
settled with an energetic and intelli.
gent class of farmers from the Free
States. The immigration for the pas
| two or three years has been very great
and il is stated still continues, though
much of it is now being attracted Il
Central and Southern Kansas.
There is no finer land in Kansas
than in this section of Missouri, anC
taking the State throughout, it il
| probably as cheap and less specula
tive considering the relative situa
tion Of markets for produots) than IL
Kansas. With its vast breadth o
splendid farming land still in the
market at fair prices, with its bound
less mineral resources, Its navlgablt
rivers and operating and projected
railroads, Missouri, to-day, ought Il
offer to immigrants temptations Il
settle equal, probably superior, to any
other State or Territory in the West
And yet, while the tide Of immigra
ton IS very considerable, there is
: social hlndrance which is having
damaging effect upon this State. Dur
f. Ing the late rebellion, in all the coun
] | ties west of Jefferson City. ana soutf
OF the Missouri River land in man1
counties north of it, there was. We Ger
a relentless guerrilla and nre6atory
0 warfare. When the national bnstiiil
ties ceased this strife was sIov7 =
! come to close. The rebel soldier,
! and guerrillas returned to their oI5
i homes to find the offices filed am
\ the power IN the hands of friends q
the Union, many of them the despise,
Yankees" and the hated Dutch
+ and they have in too many localitie
: refused quietly to submit TO the polit
Q zeal situation. The old aristocrati
element in society, also, was til
slaveholding class, which had il
: source of pride and power destroye
with the destruction of the rebellion
: and this class was very 10th to receiv
! with good grace the new state {
society. Between the turbulence an
, outlaWry of the former and the al
:. tempted social invidieus discrimina
y ton of the latter, in many of tn