The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-04-23
WHOLE NO. ae9.
A LETTER FROM THE WOODS.

A LETTER FROM The WOODS,
We have read with much interest letter
under the above title in tile Springfield Re-
public, written from jennings Prairie, Van
Vert Co., Ohio. Itgives graphic account
heretofore so little knewn---but which 10 now
rapidly growing into importance, and unfold
ling its hidden riches and resources. We
laval ourselves of few extracts:
SUGAR RIDGE.-"One of the most remark
able features in Northern Ohio and Indiana,
isanarrow st.ip ofland called " Sugar Ridge"
The ridge commences on the Maumee river,
near Fort Wayne, and taking Southeast
direction, sweeps through the Northeast
corner of Indiana, and entering Ohio in Put
nam county, it continues 10 bear South for
few miles, and then taking northwardly
course, intersects Lake Erie, as have been
informed, somewhere near Cleveland, having
n the form of an irregular half circle. Sugar,
| Ridge is generally from quarter to half
mile in width, but in mauy places it is NOT
more than wide enough for the road, which
passes along it from Fort Wayne to Bucyrus.
Its elevation above the lowlands on either
side varies, should say from FIVE to twenty
feet. The Ridge soil is dry and sandy, and
was purchased at an early day in the settle
ment of this part of the country, by specu-
ators and settlers, and it is now much more,
densely populated than most other parts of
this wild region. Tie farms along the ridge
present rather singular appearance. The
improvements, owing te the wetness of the
soil off the ridge, are generally long and mar
row, and confined almost entirely TO the
ridge, and most probably run the entire
length of the tracts on which they have been
made. | saw some farms about half mile
in length ach, which were not more than
three hundred yards in width, consisting of
strings of narrow fields along both sides Of
the road. This ridge is vsriously named,
according to the timber found on it in diff
ferent sections. In Indiana, and for many
miles in Ohio, it is called Sugar RIDGE
Some parts of it are called Poplar RIDGE"
Limestone RIDGE" &C.; but persons who
have traced it from one end TO the other, say
that its course is unbroken, except whore it
has been Gu, through by streams, and thut
the various names, some of which | have
given above. apply TO the same ridge
The cause of this strange formation must
certainly be an enteresting subject for geolo-
gcal investigation and speculation hereafter.
This it was an ancient shore of Lake Erie, /
think quite probable, Though it is now fully
a hundred miles, at some points, from that
Lake"
ADVANTAGES OF THE CANAL TO THIS RE-
GIoN.-" greater temporal blessing could
not well have been conferred on the people
of ofNorth-western Ohio, than has been bestow-
ed upon them by the state, in the construc-
ten of the Miami Extension Canal. 1t is.
almost as indispensable 10 The posperity of
this county, as old Nile is to Egypt. Owing
to the remoteness Of market, and the
badness of the roads, it formerly cost nearly
as much as the farmers surplus produce was
worth, to get il to market; and bulky; indis-
pensble articles, as salt, for instance, cost
them two or three prices, and owing to tho
lack Of good water power, hand mills were
resorted to, which required the constant labor
of an able-bodied man, for an entire day, to-
grind a bushel or two of corn. But since
the completion of the canal, matters have
changed, vastly. New,a The surplus produce,
even down to few heads of cabbage, or a
pound of butter, finds ready market and
good prices at the shops of the produce
dealers, along the line of the canal; and dry
goods and groceries can be bought at as low
rates as in older and more favored settle
ments. The canal furnishes an abundance
of water power-enough, if am correctly
informed, to supply the wants of all the
country that has been heretofore in mea-
sure, destitute, and some saw mills are al
ready in operation, and some grist mills are
either in the course of construction or in
contemplation"
Coon HUNTING.-This week has been a
powerful tine for coon!'' TO use back
wood phrase. The snow has been excellent
for tracking--the " coon run" nearly every
highland "desperate sight' of them
have been "treed" and taken. One man
who lives in sight of where | am staying,
made terrible good hunt" on Monday.
He caught ten coons, and didn't try hard a,
that. Most of the men here have been en-
gagged in the business. Two schools in the
neighborhood have been adjourned ever to-
give the scholars and the teacher chance
to coen hunt. One teacher caught twelve 3
coons during the week, which, at rs cents
apiece, amounts, to nine dollars, nearly equal
TO months wages at teaching He (" finds
HIMSELF" and teaches for twelve dollars
month. This, though it might not have been
considered dreadful fine hunt" still, 10
quote the language Of the settlers, was doing
g miserably weh' for the master. Coon
hunting although it may be advantage to
seme lucky individuals. must in the, end,