Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-27
Western WandcrIngS.
JAMESON, DAVIS COUNTY, Mo-,
July 9th, 1871.

Editor Rutland Herald - When !
wrote you last, I was in camp near Troy,
Kansas. expected to have written you
again long before this time, but my time
has been 30 taken up with other matters,
that I have not had time to write. am
at present engaged building store house,
in the town of Jamison, Davis county.
Missouri. Jamison is a newly laid out
town on the Chillicothe and Omaha rail-
road. It is located near the center of the
county, eight miles north of Gallatin, the
present county seat of Davis county, and
twenty miles south of Bethany, the county
seat of Harrison county. The town was
laid out by the railroad company three
weeks ago, and depot built. At that
time it was an open prairie; now there is
one store completed and doing business.
The frames are up for five more, and there
are two more under contract, besides one
large hotel, one livery and feed stable,
and quite number of dwelling houses
There are as near as l can figure it, some
forty.five carpenters at work in and about
the place. 1t is to be the main shipping
point for Harrison county and the north
half of Davis county. The railroad is
only completed to Pattonsburgh, eight
miles west of here. The crops in this
county are generally looking we'll with
the exception of spring wheat, which was
all eaten by the ohinch bugs. They made
a clean thing of the spring wheat, not
leaving a field that was fit to harvest.
Corn is looking better than it has before in
five years. Winter wheat and rye made
a good crop; and the meadows will yield
well. Oats are rather light. The spring
was little to dry for them; but we have
had an abundance of rain for the last
month.
In nv account of our trip to the West,
believe we had arrived at st. Joseph
Well we crossed the river at st. Joseph on
the ferry boat and landed in Kansas just
before night, on Saturday the sixth day
of May, and went into camp for the night
about one mile from the river. Sunday
morning not being able to find any grass
fer our horses near camp we hitohed up
and travelled on to find some, and had to
travel about eleven miles before we found
supply, as the country was mostly inn
proved and crops were planted.
For the first four miles west of the
Missouri river the land is very low and
wet but there is good stone pike across
it. At the end of the pike and five miles
west of st. Joseph is located the town OF
Wathena, with about eight hundred in
habitants. We camped about ten o'clock
Sunday, and spent the rest of the day in
reading and writing. We found good
| roads on this side of the Missouri river
and the streams were we'll bridged, and
there were some good streams OF water
After leaving Wathena we Travelled
among the bluffs of the river, and our
camp on Sunday was still among
them.
Monday morning was quite rainy and
we did not start until nearly nine. We
passed Troy the county seat of Daniphon
county at eleven. Troy is located on the
st. Joseph and Omaha railroad, Is miles
west of st. Joseph, and contains 1890 in
habitants. We stopped for dinner on the
prairie two miles west of Troy, and as it
was still raining we stayed awhile, but
finally travelled on again in the rain and
camped near Wolf Creek for the night.
improvements are more advanced here
than in Missouri.
Tuesday morning was very cool, but
pleasant. We started early, and passed
Highland at eight. Highland is small
town, located in the northwest part of
Doniphan county, on the high prairie, %
miles west of St. Joseph. Still travelling
nearly west we passed over fine rolling
prairie country, with some fine farms and
the land nearly all under cultivation.
We stopped on the prairie for dinner, and
arrived at Hiawatha at four p. N. Hia-
watha is located on the high prairie 40
miles west of st. Joseph; population 900.
1t is the county seat of Brown county.
This is good farming country and well
improved, with some very nice school
houses. We travelled on to Walnut
Creek, and camped for the night. We
travelled in company with an Ohio family
to day, and went into camp together III
Hiawatha. Corn was fifty cents per
bushel potatoes sixty-fve, dry goods and
groceries are twenty-five per cent. lower
here than Ia Missouri.
Wednesday, May 10, broke camp
early passed over high rolling prairie
with very little Improvements. Passed
Sabatha at eleven. Sabatha is q small
town on the st. Joseph and Denver City
railroad in Nemaha county, near the east
line and sixty miles west of st. Joseph
The country is thinly settled, but land
looks we'll Went into camp on small
stream near Seneca, still in company with
the Ohio family.
Thursday, May IL, passed through the
city of Seneca, in Nemaha county. 1t is
a pleasant looking town with neat look
ing buildings and contains one thousand
inhabitants 1t is located on the railroad
about rs miles west of ST. Joseph.
We travelled little north of west; prai
RE very rolling and thinly settled We
stopped at Ash Point for dinner. Ash
Point is composed of two houses occupied
by three families. 1t is only ten miles
south of the Nebraska line. We Travelled
a little south of west in the afternoon
and camped on Robedoux Creek for TIT
night. We have had plenty of chick
ems and rabbits 80 far. The country il
thinly settled and there is no fencing tim
Der this side of the Missouri river on oul
road. There are few trees on all tn,
streams, but they are not fit for rail tim