Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-01-03
Communicated,
FROM KANSAS.
"a" ihteresting Letter-ATrip Westward-k an.
sas Landslide Prairie, the Highlands
and Observation-Disclosures.

ooinihg IRON bleeding" Kansas will
DC welcome 70 many OF the readers
OF the Herald, | am induced 10 say "a
few words in regard 10 Ill. perh9ns
no State in the union has been rs
much over-rated and under rated
subjected 20 unmerited abuse. and
extoiled beyond all shadow OF truth
as drouthy Kansas ii the tcstimo-
ny of homesick settlers ia good for
anything, Kansas is annually visited
by grasshoppers, rivaling the old
time Invasion of Egypt, and at the
same time total stranger to plentiful
showers ard abundant harvosts On
the other hand, if one might believe
the flaming pamhlets put. out by rail
road companies, apecuatOrs and land
agents, pecuniarily interested in its
settlement, it would appear q second
Eden, containing within its limits
the most fertile soil, having the most
delightful climate and more natural
advantages than any other portion
of the globe
Leaving Wisconsin March II, 1870,
in the midst of the soverest storm Of
the season, with tho highways and
byways blockaded with snow, we
entered Illinois at Warren, making
about thirty miles the first day
With the early morning light OF the
second day we had cleared ourselves
from the snow drifts and were speed
ing along over the Illinois Central
IN the vain endeavor to make up lost
time. The snow was constantly ii
minishing not SO the cold La Him
ois the storm commenced with rain.
and turning cold, it bad decked the
trees with tho most ponderous icicies
ever beheld. We reached Sc. Louis
about midnight, and from that time
until morning | suffered more from
cold, in one Of its hotels, than had
fallen to my lot during the whole
winter in Wisconsin The following
day we were hurried across the State
OF Missouri, bringing up in Kansas
| City, where we were more comt0r-
tably quartered. The next morning
as | walked down the dusty street
leading to the TT. Scott r. r. depot,
enjoying the genial warmth and hap
Ply sunshine, it seemed as though |
had just awaked from Rip Van
Wrinkle sleep which had carried me
into early May. Early in the season
as 1T was, the cars had been crowded
with emigrants from the Northern
States, in search Of homes and, busi-
ness prospects; and that morning
they all seemed TO have eongrcgated
at the Ft. Scott depot. Southern
Kansas had lately been opened for
settlement, and thence, with them
we will take our way. A few miles
onward and we had left the Missouri
river and its timber behind, and were
rolling along through Johnson coun-
ty, on the blllowy prairie, just rolling
enough to make it attractive There
may be better land than is found in
Johnson county, but have never
seen it.
The conformation Of Kansas differ.
ering somewhat from Wisconsin, il
may be well to speak of it. The
streams. OF which there are o good.y
number, are almost invariably accom-
panied with timber, and Immediate
~ adjoining comes the bottom lands,
sometimes divided into 1st and I'd
bottom, according to height. In
some places you pass out upon the
upland prairie by insensible grada-
tons, at others, and oftencr, the bot
toms are terminated by rugged walls,
ascending which, you stand upon the
uplands, resembling the prairies Of
| Wisconsin. The streams all have
high banks, and such a thing as q
marsh or pool of stagnant water |
have never seen. There is an ire
presslble conflict waged between the
residents of the bottom lands and
those upon the upland prairies, each
claiming their own the better soil.
Time will perhaps decide the dispute !;
which way, | will not venture an
opinion. The bottom lands are al
ways settled first, owing to their
closer proximity to timber. have
passed over miles of gently rolling
prairie, unsettled and Of excellent
quallty-equal to the better portions
OF Wisconsin-wbere, so efiectuaIly
does prejudice blind the eyes and
Judgment the settlers upon the bot
tom lands would say there were no
CLAIMS good for anything open to
settlement.
Southern Kansas is filing up as if
by magic. Large villages have
sprung into life whore, few wears
ago, the prairies echoed to the tread
OF the buffalo, Railroad after rail-
road is being built; saw mills and
grlst mills are already erected, and
perhaps 20 country was ever moro
rapidly developed. Wilson county.
one year ago, had an estimated pop
ulatlon OF 1000 the census this wear
gives US over 6,900 Probably two
thirds of that number came in DURING
March, April and May last. Emf
grants must now go on beyond us
to find government land and day
by day an unceasing train of white
covered wagons, treighted with fam
iiies and their household goods, arc
filing past, bound for Howard, But.
Ter, Crowley and other counties west
of US.
| should like to speak Of our beau
tlful Summer, and, if possible, still
more beautiful Fall and Winter of
the prospect Of laying 10 our sum
mer's supply Of ice when, as vet. il
has not frozen thicker than window
glass, and score Of other things
which suggest themselves, but |
must refrain lest l weary your read
ers' G. NJ.
Guiiford Wilson Co., KAN Dec. Z, 1870
THE ALPS BoRED.-A dispatch
from Lusa announces that the Alps
were pierced through on the oath