Year: 1875

At the so-called State Emigration Conven-
tion of the negroes last Spring, II. A. Napier
and others were appointed to explore the
great West, particularly Kansas, and re-
| port whether that country was what it was
cracked up to be, whether it would be ad-
Visable for the colored population Of Ten
nessee to bundle up and 90 there, etc, etc.
Napier went, and on yesterday made a re-
port to the Emigration Commissioners and
also read it to a large gathering Of col
Ored people at Lindsley's Grove, Edgefeld.
Passing the introduction, his statement
about the West was as follows:


LANDS.


"The place to which our attention was
drawn, and to which one or two families
from Tennessee have gone is Great Bend,
situated on the Arkansas river in the south
ern portion of Kansas and about 2SO miles
from Topeka. We went there with the
Intention Of selecting 3 location to
recommend to our people. The lands are
well located and are very cheap. There is
no timber in the southern part of Kansas,
the whole country being one open prairie
for hundreds Of miles. Coal is the only fuel
used, and is obtained by persons living in
that vicinity from the depot by paying s
cents per bushel for it. The Arkansas river
supplies the whole section of the country
with water. There are no springs in that
locality, but water is supplied for domestic
and other purposes from wells that are
from ten to forty feet deep, which are easily
dug in the solid earth. The soil is rich
and fertile, the prairie grass and yegeta-
bic matter having grown and died
there for years, have made the soil very
productive, so rich, in fact, that the cultiva-
tor is doubly paid for his labor when favor
ed with a good season. The soil Of the
State Of Kansas cannot be surpassed by
that of any State in the Union, and if good
soil were all that is necessary ID our wants
and condition as people Kansas undOubt-
edly would be the proper place for us to
locate; but if good timber were necessary
as well, then il would not be the place, for
over the whole scope of land in and about
Great Bend there is not a tree one foot in
diameter. Fences are not used at all on
account Of the scarcity Of timber, and per-
sons owning cattle are required by law to
herd them.


CROPS.


"The crops are good aud the yield is
abunCant this year, some fields Of corn
producing from 50 10 100 bushels to the
acre. The wheat crops we're very good and
a greater quantity is raised this year than
any previous one. Oats are finer it is said
than in any section Of the country and
everything yields very abundantly this year
But 1t is said that crops yield this way
once in about every six yeaTs-beCause the
grasshOpper or drOuth is a pestilence with
which the people there are almost constant
ly afflicted. The former damaged the
crops considerably in some portions Of the
State this year, but more damage was done
in Missouri than in Kansas. The prairie
grass, however, is abundant and furnishes
food for stock in winter as we'll as summer.
Cattle thrive finely and stock raising is
carried on TO a great extent.


CLIMATE.


"The climate is cOugenial, being about
the same latitude as ours, except during
the winter, when /. is much colder
than here. The wind sweeps across the
open prairie like wild torrents, and has
nothing to hinder it Ia its mad career, and
often brings suffering and misery to the in
habitants Of the plains. The winter, how
ever, does not last long and the farmer is
enabled to commence with his crop early in
the season.


WHAT Is NEEDED BY E8uGRANTS.


"TbOSe emigrating to Kansas should be
provided with the following: