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Jones' Pantoscope of California - Part 1 (33 pages)
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Page: of 33
112 CALIFORNIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
of the streams termed in the West “bottoms.” These, are so deeply
indented that even the loftiest trees. fringing the banks break not upon
the genial horizan. The traveller precieves them not until immediatly upon them. The trees are few and small, consisting of a few
species the walnut, the hickory oak, and a kind of Cotton Wood peculiar. to the Plains, and soon the latter only remain to cheer and
comfort the traveller.
The streams are tributaries to the Kansas, and great Missouri and
though dignified with the names of Rivers are simply drains for the
surplus water falling in the prairies, Fluctuating by the vissiccitudes
of the weather A storm arrises and in a few hours they roll a turbid
and angry flood, inundating the “bottoms” and sweeping all before
them In as short a period the floods have passed away, and in the
heat of summer, the traveller wanders along their arrid beds looking
in vein for water, to sustain himself and animels
Every days journey marks a gradual assimilation to the desert
wastes which skirt the base of the distant Mountains. The Grasses
upon the hills become thin, short, and finally almost disappear, Vegitation for the sustanence of animels is confined to the “bottoms” and
the traveller must perforce journay along the margins of the great
rivers, Such is Nebraska and Kansas, fit only for the homes of the
wandering tribes to whom it has been hitherto devoted by nature, and
our government. Without navigable streams or important mineral
resourses, Nothing but Earth and Air, Without timber to fence or
build upon the one, and fuel to protect from the inclemencies and
viscisitudes of the other. The stern necessities of an overburdend
population Enhancing the value of Lands in all other parts of the
Country beyond the means of the Masses may possibly at some future day render it profitable to import Every thing neccessary to build
up civilization and a strip about one hundred miles in width may
become dotted over with habitations of tillers of the soil Beyond this
portion the utmost necessities of humanity, Can never render it any
thing but a home for Nomadic Tribes who can readily remove from
point to point where vegitation is found to sustain thir herds
Should these Territories now be organized they will doubtless be
a gathering into them of those restless border spirits who have ever
been fleeing before the advanceing strides of civilization, and are now
hanging restlessly on the Extreme Westren Limits of Missouri and
Iowa with guns and dogs ready for the chase, and withering ponderous anathana on their tongues againt churches School houses, and
Courts of Justice.
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