Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1843-05-20
From the Ncw- Harsn Palladium
dEN, MANNERS AND THINGS IN
snW

II IL matter ef surprise how little tho ins
t~elligsnt inhabitants Of New. England know
Of The country West of tbs mississippi, and
especially Of this Territory. Ask The first
intelligent man you meet lof the geography
Of Iowa, and. In The nine cases out Of ten. he
can give YOU no definite idea Of its position.
lie knows it Is territory lying q sonlswhsro
cut West" and this la about The SUN Of his
knowledge o, tie subject. Tell him that in
1879 the white man made his fl, et permanent
settlement on It's soil, and that now 1t con-
taihs a population Of over seventy thousand,
distributed among nineteen different counties,
each thoroughly organized, with it's seat Of
justice, It's judicial and executive ~efiirerF, its
%soiioels and churches tell him that Iowa
Contains several cities already risen TO
commercial Importance, aud exporting an
nnally millianH of dollars in value Of The pro.
duetions Of the soil tell him that throughout
its whole extent are scattered Furnishing in
land towns. where may be found taste. re
tinenent and education, and your auditor will
listen with ihcredullty, If not with positive
unbelief Such is, or rather was, two years
ago, when | was #tio,g yo,, the state Of liz
formation in regard to this portion Of lie Cni-
ted States.
| suppose you Of the East consider The pre-.
sent residents Of Iowa the very pioneers Of
the West. Never was a gfeatsr mistake
the true Western pioneers have pushed on
beyond us, or, if here and there one still lin
gers. it Ia only that be tnay dispose Of bis farm
aud improvements to push for a new country
Strange, restless beings are the genuine
pioneers. Among them YOU may find some
who have helped to lay the foundation Of
every State frsm the old thirteen hIther,
men who have successfully held seats In every
Legislature from Virginia to Iowa. inclusive,
but who are now moving tn a new country,
again to make a claim again 10 act n eonzpicu4
GUS part in the community IN which they live,
again to run The political race, become The
members Of a Legislature of some future
State, find themselves thrown in the shnde by
those OF greater attainments who follow in
their wake, and again to push for : the new
purchase
Fearlsssness, hospitality aud in1epetdent
iranknesE. united with restless enterprise and
uiquenehable thirst for novelty and change
are the peculiar characteristics Of The Wes-
tern pioneer. With him there is always n
land Of promise farther West. where the
climate is milder. The soil more fertile, better
tintbef and finer prairie. And on--on--on-
he goes, always seeking and never attaining
The PlRgah Of his hopes. You, Of The old
States, cannot readily conceive the everyday
sort Of business an old settler makes Of sell
ling out his : improvements hitthing the
horses 10 the big wagon, and, with his wife
and children, swine and cattle, pots and ket-
ties, household goods and household gods,
starting on u journey Of hundreds Of miles TO
find and make a new home.
just row Oregon IL the pienser'H land Of
promise. Hundreds are already prepared TO
start thither with the Spring, while hundreds
OF others are anxiously awaiting the action Of
Congress in reference to that country as the
signal for their departure. Some have already
been to view the country, and have returned
with a f1attering tale Of the Inducements il
holds out. They have painted it 10 their
hsiEhbers in .i,@ bftghtsa, eolsrs th@aa have
told 1t TO others The Oregon fever has
broke ent, and is now raging like any other
coatagion. Mr.. Calhoun was right when he
told the Senate that the American people
would occupy that country indepen lent Of all
legislation, that in a few years the pioneers Of
the west would sverrun it and maintain it
against the world. Wilson, said |, "A few
days since to an cid settler, "Hn YOU ar6 90
ing 10 Oregon" Well, I IL, herse Tice
Pitt was ont locking at it last season, and no
says ~ - u lsbtis tle ITSaiGAt country VI wv
face Of the airth. So I'm hound TO 60"
" How do tho old woman and the girls like
the idea of such a long journey = "They
feel mighty peert about IL, and Sukb says she
she shau't be easy ill VIC start"
The recent purchase 10 attracting cot1sid-
cradle attention ut this time we have just
heard Of the ratification II Gov. Chatnbers's
Treaty made last Autumn with the Sac and
IT, t,J,...s h, ,,,I;-t, tbn, rale1 fS thr
United States a large tract Of country lying
OH the Dcsnoines River, West Of the
present eettled portion OF this Territory.
This 10 Il part Of Town, and by this cession
comes under the Territorial jurisdiction. 1t
10 a valuable purchase. having an excellent
soil, we'll watered and Astounding in timber
lKqg.beve SILENTLY interspersef throughout the
prairie. The Indians arc to yield possession
OH The first Of May. Now come. a rush and
a scramble for town sites, mill privileges,
country seats and spring tract, such AZ ne
one but an eyewitness can have any idea Of
Fer more than eighteen months pastf settlers
have been crewding to The frontier in autici-
patton Of the purchase ; during that time,
singly and by companies, they have travelled
over the whole tract, each selecting for him.
self { claim according to his fancy.
j H5 IllISbkt II AouiiiyI hhtbtbH Hhtt""
loes, last June, and saw with some surprise
that even there, on beth sides Of the Desnroi-
mes from the line to Raccoon Forks, a dis
lance Of ninety miles, settlers had been before
me and Claimed every eligible tract Of land.
The sign adopted to signify 10 others that any
individual had claimed d particular tractsva-
ried according to The claimant. In some in
stances, a simple blaze on the trees was the
u,i.. .,,.a 4. ~ rthnrg The aatflar had pfIt hiM
initials in the bark, while the more warlike
had decorated the blaze with The figures of a
bowie knife and pistol crossed, signlfylng, |
suppose, that the gentleman who had put that
mark there would, with a strong hand and
outstretched arm, maintain his right against
the world. The knowing ones have a sign
preferable to either of the above they stake
out their claim driving the stakes, With the
date of their visit cut in them, so deep in the
earth rs not to be visible, the object being, in
case Of a dispute, to refer to the stakes for evil
dence of the priority Of their claim.
You must know, Cor perhaps you do,) but
your readers must know, that the laws forbid
any white man, except licensed traders to
settle or hunt ON the Indian lands,' or to be on
them for any purpose except to pass ana re-
pass. You mist know farther, that after the
Indian title is extinguished and possession
yielded up, the first person whe builds on, or
in any other way improves a particular tract
not exceeding three hundred and forty acres,
has a pre-erption fight to the same, at the
minimum price of one dollar and twenty-five
cents per acre. These presumption rights are,
in the language of the country, called claims
They are often quite valuable the holder
sometimes selling a mere claim on a choice
fract as high as one or W thousand dollars.
The settlers are go eager to get on and Sc
49,. ,Lo;r f,vorirn seIection. that even before