The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-06-29
From the Peoria (Hiiaois) Register.
A TRAVELLER IN ILLINOIS.

The following letter which appears in the Boston
Morning Posi, Is written in sprishlly tone, and
is as accurate as most of those which are written
after Stage coach glance at country. The re-
mark about the scarcity of water in Bureau county
may have an impression that that element is hard
10 obtain IN this portion oil our State. This is not
the fact. II The story be true, tits no disparagement
10 the country. Water is generally obtained in the
praires by digging from IL to 20 feet. The wells
spoken OF were doubtless all dug when il i'm
possible, from the ow Of waler to descend further.
Last TALL and winter were remarkably dry all over
the West and the occasion was doubtless improved
to sink the wells few feet further, whereby an
abundant supply is procured
The statement that the country about Peoria is
yet in the hands OF the government, and not in
the market may, II not corrected, mislead some Of
our Eastern readers No land this country is yet
in This situation, if we except a few sections, but
has passed the ordeal OF saleabout half Of aTly
four years ago, and the residue last fall here is
large quantity now 10 enter al Government price,
81 25 per We shall in week or two stale
how much, and The township in which ii lies
Correspondence of tic Boston Morning Post.
... SPRINGFIELD, (IllinoiS,) Jan. 10, 1889.
My DEAR SIR: Ia going from Peoria to Gaena,
we pass for The first few miles, along the bank over
looking Peoria Lake-we then enter bottom OF
some miles in extent OF the richest SOIL and finely
wooded but all these lands are taken up, either by
en- ries Or claims will explain The meaning of
"claim" by-and- bye Leaving The climber" we
again enter the prairie, where no house nor signs
OF lite appear to break the monotony. The borders
ofthe parties thai is, near the woodland, called in
the language Of The country, either !" timber" or
7" groves" are generally settled; but neshbors live
four, five, and ten miles apart
We reached Princeton, in Bureau county, late at
night. II has been settled about four years. prinCi-
pally by Eastern people 1t is on or near Bureau
creek is fine prairie country but too new TO expect
many of The comforts Of life. There is dearth OF
water-lhe driver could get none for his horses
and, on asking the landlord why he gave us tuibd
water 10 drink, he said that he had very little of any
kind in his well, some one having stolen il the night
before. On my return 10 the same place, heard a
lad request the landlord TO let him have one bucket
Of water, which was considered great boon. On
leaving Princeton, we passed over fifteen mile
prairie to breakfast, where we found new log cabin
Of settler who had been there one year. ltsnowed
fast and we were TO enter prairie twenty one miles
without house-the driver had fears that he should
lose the track; but we pushed on, and, alter hive
hours of wearisome riding, we found ourselves al
Dixons ferry, on Rock river. ms river we crossed
on the ice, and here took fourho sled and
rode twelve mesto Buffalo Grove, where we lodged
in very comfortable log cabin.
Nearly all the country about Peoria is yet in the
hands OF the Government. Many Of the towns and
villages are built on lands belonging to the U. s., per-
haps not yet surveyed or il surveyed, not brought
inlo,market. The first real occupancy of any lot
that is quarter section constitutes what Is called
a good claim" though the lille be in the United
S ates. No one can dispoSsess an occupant except
he get patent IRON the United States for the land
and, BY the rules established by and among the set
tiers themselves, it would be worth mans life TO
patent another mans claim" They, in fact, in
this way create for themselves a presumption law
simpler and more effective than the presumption
act Of Congress. These claims often sell for manv
thousand dollars, and where there is no dispute, no
conflicting claim" for the same parcel Of land, are
considered perfectly good pre- emption rights. Dix
on's Ferry Viage-quite large and thriving place,
with good buildinas--is built claims land, the
title beng sill in the United States. "A mistake
As we proceeded norihward, towards Galena, the
praries became more rolling, and, near to Fever
river, quite broken. Galena, SO named from the
abundance Of the mineral Of this name, the sulphur
of lead, has been built up from the profits Of its
lead mines. You can hardly imagine more I'M |
suitable site for town Than that on which Gaena
is located. The hills rise abruptly and the streets
form kind OF terrace, that The tops OF the houses
one street are not much higher than the iounda-
tions Of those on the street above
Galena was settled in 1926 and IS sara 10 nave
now about $500 inhabitants. They have hue |
theatre IN the place, which visited NE mouse D was
crammed, and the acting pretty good they are /
building a large and handsome theatre FROM ga
lena went on a Jumper" rude market sleigh, |
do n Fever river 10 Dubuque, 10 Iowa. Inc DAY |
was excessively cold, and from the many openings
in the river together with the want OF knoWieaSe
Of the wav on he partof my driver lost the PATH
and raj nuch risk OF drowning and pershing with |
the cold We finally reached Dubuque. Dubuque |
and Gaena are in about The same latitude as Boston,
bnl the winters are much colder. The thermometer |
s,ood II Duhnque, December 20 al Is degrees below
zero and at Galena at l3 below.
Dubuoue has been settled but FIVE years, and has |
now about 600 inhabitants. II is situated on a
bottom, principally above the overflow OF the Mis-
sissippi, and below bluff, which rises high in the
rear OF the town, and shelters it from the wind
Thus far has grown up from its mineral resources
Lead Is found in great quantities, and proucrea