The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-07-19
THE uNpEYEL0pEn WEST

! VIZ "l' lHu'DNl W lHc NdllONdl l'UDllSn
ing Company" FOR some % specimen page,
of Il work now in press entitled the Unde
veloped West; or, Five Years in the TER i
tories" by j. IL. Beadle, author of" Life in
Utah." &c. The object and nature of the
book are explained by the author as follows
Another book on the West? Yes and why
not? The West is the future home of millions
now living in the East, and there is more that
ought TO be known of its wonders and capa
bilites then is likely to be published by the
| few who have devoted themselves 10 the
work There ought to be new book Oh the
West by some careful observer and thorough
explorer, at least once year; for so many
and 50 various are the changes, so important
the new discoveries, that volume is but
Thoroughly read before the facts it narrated
are old
The work is simply personal record OF
my hye years travel and residence in the new
states and tcrritorics-whcrc | went,
what ana and what | thought about.
Two points, however, of practical interest
have kept steadily in view: to give carefully
arranged facts in regard to the lands still op-
en- to settlement; and to correct a number of
popular errors in regard to the soil and eli
mate. The chapters treating specifically on
lands in Kansas Nebraska Iowa Minnesota,
Dakota, California, Oregon and Texas, it is
hoped, Will ald i'll the first object in regard
TO the second object, have pointed out most
of the prevailing errors-to call them by no
harshcr namc-tound in numerous land cir
'culars and railroad reports, and reiuted them
by general statement of fdcts
The following extract may be interesting,
not only as a specimen of the wri ter's STYLE
and work, but as an interesting passage con.
corning Il subject of particular interest to
some of our readers We copy from the chap,
ter entitled statistical Kansas"
All the contradictory reports Of Kansas are
true-if We apply each statement to an ap,
propriate section. There are 10000 square
miles of the most fertile land; as much of
good grazing country, and more of dry and
scantily clothed plains.
Bear in mind that the country near the Mis-
souri, ranges from 500 to 1000 feet above sea
level, while the base of the mountains at their
most eastern parts is from $500 to 5000 feet
in elevations thus the traveller, start where he
may, must proceed up Il general upgrade
from 400 to 700 miles across the 'plains,n
crossing the narrower part of Dakota, and
the wider part in Southern Kansas.
Kansas stretches two thirds of the distance
westward up this incline; hence, while the
eastern border is comparatively low, the
western part averages nearly 1000 feet in
height. Down this long plane, more or less
flow all the streams of Kansas to
the eastward; the average moisture incrcas-
ing with continuous regularity and with its
timber and the productive fertility of the
land, while salt sand alkali, and other char
acteristcs untriendly to agriculture, increase
westward IN an inverse proportion. We
should thus naturally look for the best land
along the eastern borders Of the state but
little difference is observable un.
til we get from 100 to $50 miles out from the |
Missouri river, there the rich prairie of the
border begins to yield rapidly to ridges |
scantily clothed with grass and the halfdesert
Of the plains. Of course there is no fixed line !
Or point at which we can say agricultural |
land ceases, and that fit only for pasture be
gins; wide and fertile valleys extend far be |
yond the assumed border; far reaching fer.
tile slope extend miles along all the larger
streams, while occasional depressOns present |
thousands Of acres of rich, natural meadow, |
)r perhaps an entire township of firstclass !
irable land.
The book is issued by subscription only
md canvassers Will find it orth their at
ention. Copies can also be obtained by adj
lressing the publishers, at Philadelphia
chicago or St LOUIS.