New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1842-02-23
THE TRIBUNE.
A Ncw-York Colony in Illinois.
correspa.dence OF lhe Tribune.

=. taken in your excellent paper N the fat West,
aud also that YOU may become acquainted with
on. town and the country adjacent, purpose
should it meet your approbariorl) 10 give occa-
;onailv a description o, ourseluss, and OF lie
pices under which ". left oul Eastern homes, and
so1ght a home IN the Prairie land
About seven years .inci., number d inciyidu-
vs. who wished n,iihe tlc iltinds nor their bodies
crcurnscribed by the @rlls Of cities, aud ds.ifos
Of leayine the hustle AID confusion incident 10 q
cin he, determined to e.nigrare To some "s,g
c0atrg Several meetings vcre held at the old
Walton House, in Franklin Square, 10 make such
arrangements as were thought meet and proper
for the prosecution Of their enterprise Acommlt-
tee ygn. chosen. with power conferred upon them
ia ,,le. tie .nocvs subscribed fol=lhc purchase Of
Lands. and make entry. Ihcy succeeded in
finding n suicicn, bods contiguous, answering Lie
nnrpose and the wants Of hecolony, which mum
=bcred bc.wcenforty and fifty sonls, upon;l beauti
f prairie abo,lt ninl. mics in length, and viag
from three to five in width and here they pitched
their TENS.
The land is quite mdulaiin2, and Die tail grass
waves gracefully il, the breeze NolichcI soil was
ever seen, and the tcI does IN reality reap the
reward Of his labor in most bounliiiiI crops. In
Inc centre Of this prairie is our town, containing
about eighty houses, Court House, .a and
school nouse--thc former. u substantial brick cd
ire. that would honor even the city OF Gotham
Tie houses are neal, and generally painted white
--gavdc.ls adorned with, trees aud sIirubs-pre
sentng more the appearance Of an Eastern village
than anv have seen in the State.
Cur population is about 80 and are generally
from the Eastern States. Among them are many
from NeW-Yorli City, whose eyes are glaldrned
when the IRlguNE makes it, weekly appearance,
gvingihcm AZ, account OF their oid= h0mes-thcr me-
Inory Of which neither time distance can cradi-
cate. Were voucvcr far away!rom yournalve land
If not, YOU know not the cugcrncSS with winch We
look for news: and when so fortunate rs 10
iecciye a paper, vou can little imagine the feelings
ut our hearts while looking at its contcsts-cvrry
line rernndingus Of days gone by--here an account
of the am,lscmcn,s which were once participated
in l,y US. and here The announcement I'll the death
OF marriage .! some beloved friend or relative.
hayc really fell more happiness III The '!nieEcorner
Of my domici prrllsing such pages, than IN con-
es,pI;tling the beauties Of a Scott, Buwer. or a
Shakespeare.
The condilionzoi our villue,. is moi at present
very lourishing, owing TO dcranged Currency
Veocs, tiscailicS, and perhaps, in small degree,
10 Yascoiities. We have Merchants, 3 Wagon
and Carriagc-Mukcrs, : Cahinct-Nlakers, y Black
smiths, 9 Taors, Ox-A1ill, for grinding wheat
and corn Grocer, | Druggist, 3 Doctors, 3 Min
iscrs (, LAWYERS, and a, least onc=or Two OF the
loufing gentry; add to this one quite good Hotel,
and You see we have all the necessary ingredients
for country town, except Church-tlic Conrl-
House and School House being used for holding
meetings
fremont is nearly in the centre OF the County
Pckin being the river town, nine miles distant up
on the Illinois. and the landing place for this and
several adjacent Counties The TWO places are
connected bv means of a Railroad. untn!shed,)
that Will stand for many ycars=a monument OF the
pyodigaEtv and i,nbccili,v of our Legislature
pckn one OF the most important points upon
the Illinois River, is place Of great business be-
inc the depot for the produce from several Easlcn
Counties and our own. There has been ovelS50,-
coo worth of Pork packed there tins season the
price OF which would average l.. cents per pound
Wheat has been Us high as - cents, but WITHIN
ewdav- has fallen to 623 cents per bu>hei. 1t Is
purchased generally the Steam-ill IN that place
which manufactures 100 barrels oil Flour IN -
h-urs There is also considerable quantity ship
ped to the Southern Market Corn Is btlnglng ~
cents and at i times of the day ono can see the
industrious vcomanry OF our country vending ttlclr
way to market, with the products ct their hands
and the fruits OF the earth.
What changes occur in the course OF q lev
years Whenwc first called this our home, but one
house could be seen within the distance Of seven
miles; now, beautiful farms aud substantial frame
houses, with all their accnmpanimcnts Greet the
eve on every SIDE; then wolves and deer were
gambling and roaming CT the 9rcca ptali.ie. no"
the impress OF mans hand and industry are seer!
an,i felt, and could the Indian return 10 hls Old
hunting -groHml. he would attribute to magical IN
;ucncc what we kaow be but the results OF en-
crgy and enterprise Bu, when dwelling upon The
beauties, the advantages and iacli'leS OF every
Land thai our yoang State possesses We zliiih ~
what we nioM hare 6eeA, had moi the spirit OF
party. and speculation RACED So STRONGLY here Cur
ciiizens we're blinded by tie splendid bnt most
i-alvisct scheme Of Internal Improvements,
that was n brig them wealth and convey from
their doors the products OF the >o,s some sreVl
emporium; but since tn veil has been torn aSlin-
der. aud sad reality usnrps fond 'ancys seat they
find thew reasoned 1cfA0at feGS1h anu were de-
lulled hy soft words and long sreecies: and M
stead oi their uuticipaions beng realized, Us oat
an incubus, bearing US down down down ana
wien II Mill stop God oniy knows, ith q d"b'
OF between sixteen and eightecn millions. wha;
=soi We expect or even hope Emigrants love not.
taNation#1hey move on to scenes perhaps as plea
,Nn, but not more beautiful and Our own citizens
arc leaving by hundreds Tor ne>> homes il the Ter
u,orics We STRIVING 10 devise ways and
means 10 pay OFT the debt now hanging over Ia
Ike cloud. and prostrl,inS our enerslt.s and
each moment ot delay adds huudrcds and thou
SaHds OF dollars 10 it,. Some haze the vndaciry 10
propose Rean2iQfio0 but hope illinois is not
80 lost 10 i,,>;;ce, truth and honor, Us TO adopt
suc!. al alternative Several schemes have been
proposed. some oi which are feasible, and Viii