The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1870-07-27

many others in the West, that has
since the war, by it's rapid growth,
"astonished the natives" When
the war ended, it contained four
or five thousand inhabitants, and
not one Rail Road now it claims
forty thousand inhabitants, and
has seven RAJ! Road radiations,
and expects soon to have three
more. 1t has several daily pa
pers; several fine hotels ; a theatre;
any amount Of lawyers, doctors,
kid gloved gentry, waterfalls and
grecian bends Of course, besides q
great many other fine things
The city is situated on the Mis-
souri, at the mouth Of the Kaw,
which divides Missouri from. Kan
sas. The surface of the earth on
which it is built was, until recent
ly very broken. AS [ was told
'it was down one precipice, and
up another" But SO far as the
city lras yet extended, tho rough
places have been made smooth
I saw a citizen of the place point
out a block Of splendid buildings
in front Of the Pacific Hotel and
remark, "Threo years ago where
that block now stands was q high
knob of earth with a log house
upon it," I was informed that
the rough craggy hills in the su-
burbs Of the city sold readily for
one hundred dollars per foot. 1t
seoms that the moneyed men of
this place carry on a regular busi-
ness of gambling in real estate.
In fact I heard Kansas City called
,"The Real Estate Gambling Hole"
One would think to set about
the hotels and hear men talk
about nothing but trading and
making money, that this was a
very applicable term for Kansas
City, as we'll all the other towns
in Missouri. This seems however
to be the spirit Of the ontire West.
Politics are scarcely mentioned.
Money and Rail Roads seem to
absorb all other thoughts. This
is the greatest objection I have to
Missouri. Everybody seems in a
good humor, but nobody seems
settled and contented. Every one
appears to want that which be
has not, and to be dissatisfied with
that which he has. | often heard
the remark that it was doubtful
If there was q man in Missouri
who would not readily sell every
thing he had. This restless spirit
is astonishing to one from an old
State.
I will attempt now to say some
thing about the country south Of
therlyer between Kansas City and
j Jefferson City, including the coun-
ties of La Fayette, Seine, Jackson,
Cass, Johnson, Pettis, and some
others. Ofall the beautiful and fer
tile regions that I have ever seen,
noae touches this. The traveller in
passing over this section of the
State, sees some of the finest coun-
try in Missouri, and I expect, in
the world. The landscape is beau
tiful and imposing. In summer
the prairies resemble a vast carpet
of green spread out before him,
dotted here and there with herds
Of cattle that crop the luxuriant
native grasses, amid flowers Of ev-
cry hue and color OF the rain bow,
which perfume the atmosphere
while they dazzle the eye of the
beholder, and he can hardly dismiss
the idea that the cattle are tress-
passers upon this artificial parterre,
which seems to have been culti-
waited and carefully dressed and
set in groves, and skirted along
the streams with beautiful parks.
The level, or rather gently un-
dulating character Of this part Of
the State, together with the small
amount of timber enables the
traveller in any portion of this
rich region to cast his eye in any
direction and see thousands and
thousands Of acres Of land. As
he gazes across the billowy sur
face he finds that the husband
men in the fields, the cattle, the
trees, the houses become lost in
the hazy distance. This is the
portion of the State for a man to
visit if he wants to be thrown in
to fts-of ccstacy. 1t will no
doubt be inquired, if the scarcity
Of timber is not a great drawback
to this country? I can readily
answer, none hatever. Although
timber seems very scarce, yet |
noticed the fences were good, but
the old fashioned rail fence will
soon be supplanted entirely by
hedging. This is already rapidly
taking place. l was told by an
intelligent farmer, tba. when the
country becomes set with hedges,
there would be no use for wood
except for culinary purposes, ow-
ing to the fact that few feet be-
low the surface of the earth there
is bed of coal varying from three
to fifteen feet thick. This is not
the case in few places only, but
if extends over the whole face of