New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-08-10
Things and Thoughts at the West.

Correspondence Of Tho Tribune
No. I'LL CHICAGO. July. 1874.
Let man buy a load of wood and u hal
score of these fellows will gather about him, like
hes about cream-not however with impcrtipept
and boisterous clamor but in 70 subdued and
modest way, that he will only wish for a load
of vegetables for the city, they defy all attempts
to underbid or undersell. Nor do they fail TO
make money. Their wants are not regulated
upon an American, but upon a Scandinavian
scale. Their religion is Lutheran which frees
them from the cxaction which most of the I'M
have never seen one Of them intoxicated, and
believe they make little or no use Of liquors,
Still it is painful to witness the lrudgcry of
their women. These cultivate the gardens, sell
the vegetables and share, equally with their
masculine fellows, the burden of hcwing the
wood and drawing the water. Their dress cor
responds to that of the other sex-h4nne of
coarse sort, scanty, and substantial. In the
primitive plainness of unbustcd womanhood they
90 about their employ; without thought or care
III.
Occasionally you will see woman surrounded
by two or three children conrsing along the gut
ters, performing a sort of Chiffoniery in gather
ing up such old boots, hats, rags, other cast
away commodities as enterprsing poverty can
use These you would at first think belonged TO
them, but believe the honor of their parentage
must be claimed by their neighbors, the Hollan.
ders or the French.
&c ify no nf nh
acter, most remarkable, and not without It's bene.
fits. Amid all the whirl of foam and fury into
which the noisy part of society works itself, it is
refreshing to think that here is sort of charac.
ter staunch enough to give them two or three
tugs ut any rate. For The middle Of the curren;
of society they have no relish. They are content
to fin il along the shoals, and rest IN the eddies
that lie nearer shore, and if they do not make as
much progress, nor cause as much boiling in the
stream, they will get along more quietly, and with
less wear and tear Of mortality as they go.
A lew days since, saw about score of them
fresh from Norway, gregariously, in voclferous
bargaining with fellow countryman, of older
residence, for pair of oxen. Their women stood
round in their wooden shoes, execrablc white tur-
bans, white cotton sleeves, flannel jackets, and
pettcoats fastened close under their arms, putting
in word in u higher key, as seemed necessary
for confirmation or doubt. The bargain, after
great expense of Gothic consonants, was struck,
and the oxen delivered. The thing was now 10
take possession of and appropriate the purchase.
Here occurred difficulty. The new owners
could utter no English, and the cattle knew no
Scandinavian. BESIDES, the purchasers had evil
IDENTIFY never undertaken any such difficulty MS
navigating with tho bovine breed IN American
fashion. One Of them, however, seized the near
bullock by the horn, 10 act as conservative force
in there should DC any disposition for radical
ism, displayed IN running away; while another
stepped around, with short stick, upon the other
side, to put the ANIMALS under motion. The fist
demonstration was Il kick and u lump; while the
fellow at the horn, never having accommodated
his organs to any such sound US whoa practisod
an octave OF his best limitations, ranging from i
cultural ugh. ugh" To 6 sharper but more me
iodious hoo" 'hoo!' at the same time doing his
best in the way OF clog. The animals soon
brought up against post, where left them, with
the two fellows, aided By reinforcement of men
and women, giving all sorts OF Norwegian advice
among which could distinguish the voice OF the
one at the horn. venting such coaXing intmatons
of command, addressed 80 his lntractable subjects,
us 'hahn 'hahn How they finally accommo-
dated their words to bovine ears or whether the
oxen waived the right of understanding what was
wanted; or whether the men carried the poin; BY
some nolsns uoieas process, with the use of siren
uous measuws,' am uncertain. These people
however, understand thing or two from the
start. They buy oxen instead OF horses vas,
economy for those OF small means; and get them
cook.stoves at oncc-a thing they could not have
learned at home.
JERRY A. WEST.