The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1869-08-19
JACKSON STANDARD.
THURSDAY. AUGUST 10, 1869.
letter from Minnesota.
Spring VALLEY, July 20, 1869.

way of cash. ! have not forgotten that
was behind with the STANDARD We
get it now regularly every week, aud
read it with much pleasure. The least
item of news from Jackson County is
interesting to US. / should be pleased
TO hear from you in long letter, as we
have no correspondence with any one
from that place. Two years ago yes
tarday, / returned from a trip which l
made to southwest Missouri. have
often thought Of giving you a short
account of few things which noticed
by the way. 1t is now an old story,
still you may not be entirely uninterested
in afew things in addition to what you
read almost every day of incidents of
travel from the West. was just get.
ting over a severe spell of lung fever,
and having heard often of the Ozark
Mountsins,and in hopes to improve my
health and see the country, started on
the eth June, 1867, for Springfield. /
passed through the northwest corner
Of Iowa by r. R., then by the river to
st. Louis, then by the Pacific r. r. to
Franklin, and by the South West
Branch to the terminus, (Jerome.) }
From there to Springfield travelled in
common carriage, had a very good
chance to see the country, the most Of
which is broken thin land. Along the
Gasconade the hills are very high and
rocky. 1t ig timbered country most
Of the way The timber is short and
scrubby, rs is generally the case in the
west Though tie land is poor, it
produces grass where there is not too
much brush, and stock Of all kinds
looked well, and grain too on the bot.
toms was good There is a great deal
Of Government land in this part of the
State, and ] think will be for years to
come. Nearer Springfield, though that
Is said by Mr.. Parker in his hand book
Of Missouri to be near the summit of
the Ozark Range, the country is more
level, and some good land, and occa.
sionally some fine springs, but no ap.
pearance OF mountains | took but
little notice of Springfield, as passed
through it with the expectation Of re-
turning that way, but did not do so.
/ stopped for week at Walnut Grove,
in the northwest corner Of Green
County. There is some fine land here,
but there is much very poor land, and
also brushy. Though this is an old
settled place, there is considerable game
here yet there is so much brush that
they can hide from tho hunter The
soil is what they call "molatter" soil,
the clay beneath is as red as brick.
Grain does we'll when it is wet, but
every other season Ia said to be dry
one, and l was told by men that bad
lived there rs years, that 1t never
failed. think that Green County is
ono of the best fruit countries l ever
saw apples, peaches, cherries, grapes,
and blackberries, were abundant. There
10 some prairie in this County, but ii is
not thought to be 80 productive as the
timber land. Considerable of the fenc-
ing Is done with rock, and the rails are
generally shorter than is common in
the east, owing ! suppose to the short.
ness Of the timber. | left Walnut Grove
for Sedalia, distance Of over a hum
dred miles Here too found a rough
country for the first half Of the way.
The effects OF the war were yet to be
seen along these roads. A great deal
Of crosswaying done by the soldiers,
and in many places fields and orchards
without fences, and chimnsys without
houseS. To me much Of this country
seemed to be an isolated region, it tax.
ing teams about eight days to make q
trip to the railroad. After / crossed
the Usage River at Warsaw, the country
had much better appearance. There
is some very 6ne prairie, much Of which
was still unimproved, between the latter
place and Sedalin, but timber and water
seemed TO be scarce. think thOy
have some fever and ague along the
streams. From Sedalia ! travelled by
railroad to Leavenworth, Kansas, but |
saw but little OF tho country, as | went |
most Of tho way by night. From Leav-
enworth to st. Joseph saw some very
6ne corn on the Missouri bottom, but |
the green SCUM on the water in many
places on the bottom denoted fever and |
ngue, as 1t looked almost thick enough |
70 bear up frog. From St. Joseph !
went 10 Savannah, and into Gentry and
Nodaway counties, back to st. Joseph,
and by the railroad again to Quincy,
ILL.,, took the cars again for Dunleith.
] saw but little of tho country between
St Joseph and Quincy, travelling most
Of the way in the night. From Quincy
70 Mendoza Travelled In daylight, went
through Knox County for distance of
$50 miles between the two latter places
exceeds anything saw In my route
for beauty DO. The country is In .
very high state Of cultivation, but II is
no place for poor man to get land.
] arrived at home a7th July, well pleased
with my trip, and much improved in
health Then was only able 10 walk
around a little. On returning walked
l2 miles before breakfast, and waded a
stream without feeling any the worse.
Travelled In all near two thousand
miles
We aro now in Minnesota thirteen
years-have seen frost and snow TO our
hearts content--have had my nose and
ears nipped with the frost, and eyes