The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-02-24
Coop INTENT, Kansas,
February II, 1870. I

and knew very little of its real merits.
What I then said was simply an opi'1-
ion, and I gave it as such only. Now,
after a residence of almost thirteen
years, I presume no one will doubt my
right, at least, to make some statements
as .tactsj and I will endeavor to do so
with all candor. What 1 then antici
pated of Kansas, I have, in a great
measure, realized. But, first 1 will
say, many extravagauces have been
promulgated through the organs of a
multiplicity Of interests, both for and
against US. The utmost extremes, in
regard to the productiveness of the
soil, the salubrity Of climate, and the
rapidity with which men rise up to
wealth and af1uence, have been Law
ished abroad as being universally true /;
and on the other hand, many who
have been unsuccessful in business here,
have become embittered at their mis-
fortunes and have spared no pains to
spread broadcast the cry of 10ar, pes
'tilence and famine. Even among
brothers and sisters who have come to
Kansas, we find their notions of the
country to be at antipodes; and to IL
lustrate this, I will give one instance,
known, perhaps, to many Of your read
ers in the southern part of Highland
county. James Duncanson, son of the
late Alfred Duncanson, Esq, of Clay
township, came to Lawrence, Kansas,
not quite two years ago, but had not
decided where he should settle. He
soon found friends ready to show him
round over the country; aud on Icing
invited to Tonganoxie, thriving lit
tie village in Leavenworth county,
about fifteen miles from Lawrence, on
the Leavenworth and Lawrence branch
of the Kansas Pacific railroad, he ac-
cepted the invitation. His friends and
he went out that afternoon, and stayed
all night at farm house a few miles
from Tonganoxie. The next morning
he was shown over the country; made
choice of a quarter section or two at,
think, $3.50 per acre; next to Tongan-
Oxie, bought a lot, bought lumber to
build a house, and returned to Law
renee to get his family-all in one day.
He then took his family to Tongan-
oxie. Employed some help, and in
Just one lUeek had his house ready to
occupy! Need say, Mr.. E,titor, that
this man is pleased with Kansas? No,
sir. Any one who will come here
with such 'Vjn1," with the intention OF
making it his home, and who will set
about it with a o0iIJ, will be sure to like
Kansas. I cannot trace Mr.. Duncan
sons history further now, but suffi-
cient to say, he went on his farm early
in the spring, and passed TonganOxie
! just five days ago, on the railroad, and
met man who was acquainted with
DuncansOn, and 1 asked him what he
supposed Duncanson's land was worth
/ and the answer was, about $40 pei
acre. Leavonworth is q rich county.
and 1 do not doubt it.
Such wonderful Instances of success
as this, are made use of by the specu
Iators to the best advantage, Of course
Now, look at the other side of the
picture. Nearly year ago, brother
to our Duncanson, a sister and her hus
band, came to Tonganoxie, thinking
no doubt, they would try Kansas
q 1chile.
Well, it was an exceedingly wet
muddy, ugly summer; and may bt
there were some grasshoppers too, ant
I may say, that whole year was al
unprecedented one. I suppose thesr
newcomers were anticipating a Para
disc, and did not find such a one a
they had pictured out in their imagin
alton, and the sequel is: they are il
Ohio agafn-in BufOrd. Such instance
as this are very rare; and I venture
guess, that neither of the three returned
Kansans is satisfied.
I have the first person to see yet
who has lived in Kansas one year ant
left it, that was ever satisfied until h
or she returned to Kansas again.
have seen those who have left her
and tried the Pacific States, the noun
tain States and territories, the Atlanti
States, the Gulf States and the LAX
States, and have returned to Kansas
and all agree that Kansas is goo
enough.
Kansas has had many hardship
through which to pass. Up to 1856
the question of slavery continued t
agitate the people and thus retard tn
settlement and progress of the country
About that time, however, it was
!. pretty we'll settled fact that Kansa
would be a free State. The Fall of IS
and Spring Of go, brought in man