Year: 1859

ATcHIsoN, Kansas, May 18th, 80.


left New FORK by Erie r. r. on Mon
day evening, 9th inst, just as our fortnight
of bright, hot, planting weather was clos
ing Two hours later, the gathered clouds
burst upon US in rain which continued
through the night, though the City was mo-
refreshed by it till some hours later. W.
had glimpses of sunshine as we skirted th,
southern shore Of Lake Erie on Wednesday
and some more after a heavy shower al
Chicago on Thursday; beside these, cloudy
skies, easterly winds aud occasional rain
have been my portion since bade adieu to
the hot, dusty streets of New York. But
it is breaking away as write, and hope
to see Kansas for the first time under skies
which image her sunny future rather than
her stormy past.


Coming up the Erie Road, I tried a
" sleeping car" for the third time, and not
successfully. We all "retired" at 10 o'cpk
with fair allowance of open windows and
yirtuous resolutions; but the rain poured
the night was chill and damp; and soon
every orifce for the admission of external
air, save the two or three humbug ventila-
tors overhead, was shut, and a mephitiC
atmosphere produced in which the soul OF
John G SAKE might have disported and
fancied it elysium. After gasping while,
like netted fish on a hot sandbank, rose
to enter my solemn protest against all sleep
ing-cars not provided with abundant amp
indefeasble means of ventilation. tried
one two nights later on the Michigan South.
ern Road, which served much better, tho
still far from perfect. 1t is very true that
no arrangement can secure a healthy cir
culation of air by night in any passenger
car, while the popular ignorance is so dense
that the great majority imagine any atmos
phere healthful which is neither too cold
nor too hot, and rather laugh at the wit
than pity the blindness of SAKE in holding
up to ridicule woman who knows (and
does( bettnr than to sit all night in a close
car with thirty or forty other human beings,
all breathing an atmosphere which they in
twenty minutes render absolutely poison
ous; but the builders of cars have no right
to be ignorant Of the laws of life with
which they tamper; and two or three pre-
sentiments by Grand Juries of the makers
of unVentilated cars, especially sleeping.
cars, as guilty of manslaughter, would exert
a most salutary influence. | commend this
public duty to the immediate consideration
of jurors and prosecutors


Stopping at Hornellsville, at a. m,
took the traiu for Buffalo thence at noon
and halted at CASTLE to fulfill an engage
ment to speak at Pike, formerly in Allega.
ny, now in Wyoming County. Here is the
substance of the information l gathered
with regard to Farming in South-W esterI
New Y Ork Wheat was moderately sowI
last Fall and this Spring; but was looking
very well until the late hot, dry weather
which caused it to spindle instead of spread


ing, and would have seriously damaged the
Fall-sown but for the recent change from q
hot to a cold, moist temperature. OF Rye,
but little was sOwu, and that little is doing
fairly. Oats have been pretty extensively
sown, and promise good yield. OF Corn
a large area has been and will be planted
Grass would have suffered seriously had the
rains which began last Sunday or Monday
in Western New York, been withheld few
days longer. Now, the prospect is good.


left Pike for Castle at on Wednes
day morning, took the cars to Buffalo at
u, was 10 ample season for the Lake Shore
train At 10; ran into Cleveland a little af
Ter 5; left at 6 for Toledo, where we chang
ed cars between 10 aud IL, and we're in
Chicago at Z next morning as Aforesaid
II was quite dry along the South shore OF
Lake Erie, but is probably wet enough
since. There, as before in our own State,
it was plain that the area plowed on or be-
fore the III of May was greater this year
then ever before. With good season
henceforth, the growth Of Indian Corn thi:
year 10 the Old as well as the New States
must be far beyond all precedent. And
well it may be; for the country was hardly
ever so bare Of food for man and beast ai
ih this same May Of 1859. Flour is higher