The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-06-30

them; they are also so sure oft, that they
Meier try ,hcm-though as often as an
American tries the experiment, he finds
no difficulty in getting rid;of his oats fast
enough. Another about as wise disco
very is, that neither horses nor cattle will
eat salt, and it would be very injurious to
them if they should eat ii. Tell them
that we have tried, and they reply So Ii
may do for your cattle, but will not do
for ours. Il will not do here Among
other objections to my giving salt 10 my
horse, was assured that it would learn
him 10 ca, his halter off.
Milk is brought to markc; also on horse
back, in large jugs.
Charcoal comes TO market on a grand
scale also. When | first saw it in little
bags, abou! ten inches long, thought it
was Indigo, or some other choice article.
1t is put up in this manner to adapt its
measurement the comprehension of the
people, which does not extend beyond
the reals worth and medo's worth.
There Is but one man in town who has
the prerogatiye of shoeng horses, and his
advancement in this art IS truly interesting.
He makes his shoe nearly round Of a
thick piece of iron, without corks, and
puts it on with two nails on one side and
three on the other, with elevated and
sharpened heads, to serve in lieu of corks
The master genius does not degrade him
self by touching the horses foot, but has
a negro to hold it up while he performs
the scientific operation. After driving
the nails, he puts board under the foot
on the ground, and then goes around with
his hammer and clenches the nails. Ii
is very good business, as the shoe sell
dom remains on over fortnight, and
would be better if it were not for the fact
that all sound horses 90 barefootcd.
Oxen are yoked by piece of wood
lashed TO the horns AT each end, and to the
cart hung in the centre. The carts are
made with huge wooden wheels, general
ly without tires, and tile body is framed
into the tongue and aXle-ree so that
when necessary TO unload hogshcad or
other heavy article it has to be tipped up
by unlashing the yoke ofthe oxen's horns,
and iettingthe tongue and the yoke swing
together with the body. Some have gone
so far in the march of improvement as to
put tires upon the wheeis-in doing
which, a great amount Of mechanical ge-
MUS is displayed. The iron is put on in
pieces about two feet long and fastened
with spikes with heads prorudng above
the surface about an inch thick, the marks
of which are distinctly seen in the tracks
along the road.
Ploughs are made so as to turn the dirt
as much on one slide rs the other-a piece
of wood with point of iron on the end.
When the American plough was first in
troduced, the Spaniards declared that i,
would not go; it was impossible it
should, because it turned the dirt all on
one side.
The scenes which meet the eye of an
American on his arrival here are striking
y novel and amusing. He sees passing
along the street long line OF pack-horses
loaded with merchandise, then great
aumber oF weather beaten asses and
mules, some lacking an eye or an ear,
and all extremely lean, loaded each with
four great bottles Of water, each large
enough for the animal to crawl into, and
negro or mulatto mounted between
them, and beating and pounding them
with all his might. Then comes a bull,
loaded with sacks of charcoal, and noun
ted also by a negro, then horse, upon
the gallop with a load of boards-,hat is,
two boards with one end slung across the
horse, the other dragging on the ground
then horsc-oad Of live ,uykics, their
heads hanging down each side, and the
music of their squalking Ginning in fine.
" with the babbling Of the negroes and
naked children along the street; while
among Tic rest, now and then passed
Spanish Nabob IN his yolan,e with
wheefssiX lcet high, silver mounted hubs,
and two mules harnessed to it, one of
which Is always mounted by negro in
grapd'livery. i.
rl~will conclude by mentioning one
thing which does great credit to the place,
to ,-wit--.he Plaza or Public Garden. Ii
is'rwailed up around and filled in with
dirt, alsles tagged with fine stone. sur
mounted hya Handsome iron fence, and
adnrned with trees. sbs,sbs eal flowers.
Every h9iyAay evening lie public band
-,S,s $50 !, ~ z,