New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-07-20
EW-YURk TRIBUNE.
TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 20.
,cis-The Prairies--Their Fertility and
Beauty -Drawbacks, &c.

a orisl Correspondence.
M KANE Co m July 10, ls47..
Il LIMOS THE MAGSiFICEST for the last three
- have wandered at will over her vast areas
alive meadow through her intervening belts OF
Der and Of timbered openings the last most
*1ghtful to my eye. though the intimate combi-
on OF them all is requisite 10 satisfy the highest
&, 4. of utility or beauty. Were Illinois all Prairie
z.eh iDconc eivably fertile, it would be uninhsbit
9 s. by man by reason Of the lack Of fuel, fencing
~ building materials were 1t all timbered there
uld be slender temptation to desert in It's iavor
~ more accessible new lands OF Ohio and west
~ New York but this natural intermingIing o.
ain field and pasture meadow and grove 10 more
.giting than any aspect worn by Nature elsewhere.
81 who trsverses the region / have seen during
zee three days will never again wonder al the
ehty tide Of emigration which sets with resist
IS. ever.incressing volume from the Atlantic
eastward
The extreme difficulty Of realizing that this
. agitation is indeed the work Of Nature has al
adv been dwelt on by travellers Before and
side you rolls an inland sea Of verdure and
.uriaDce-hundreds Of acres Of Wheat. Corn,
ats. dsrkly waving in the emerald glory Of early
ummer. while behind them stretch the immeas
Y rsble meadows coeval with Eden, their untold
yeslth Of heritage and flowers undolating IN the
-esh breezes like a gently troubled ocean and
ftill behind these, at points not very lar distant
l.pd again far as the eye can reach or farther,
a we'll. the graceful outline Of the nearest woods,
marking the winding way Of some sluggish water
,our.e or more commonly, crowning some scanty
elevation with the glossy foliage Of the scattered
Oaks. beneath whose protecting shade thick
growth of clustering sbrubbery, mainly Oak also,
commipgled with Hazel repels the grass and
vitb,tsnds the FIRE Of the Prairie, maintaining a
precsrious and stationary existence The little
Man has yet done here blends so naturally and
easily with the work Of Nature that the forest out
line seems the limit Of bis translormatlons-the
open Prairie often dotted with extensive herds OF
Cattle or Sheep and everywhere inviting their
pre.euce-everywhere proGeriDg harvest to the
mowers sythe-seems, alike with the neighboring
exnsnse of Corn aud Wheat too bOunteous, too
beneficent 20 have waved there spontaneously
through Summer after Summer since the Deluge
The New and the Old do not pspably wrestle
here as in the forest clearings, where the narrow
field of Mans victory stands out in scathed and
blsckened contrast with the verdure and state
illness surrounding it, but all seems peaceful.
genial and bounteous The Prsiries are the Capus
OF Nature-may they not lure into Incidence and
the Hannibals OF our Continent, the
hardy Pioneer race whose rapid and mighty con-
quests have been more truly wondrous and far
more benefcent than those of any warrior
The traveller directly across the country, no
matter whether toward Springfield or Galena,
seems TO me unlikely to obtain an idea OF this
country so favorable as justice warrants. At least,
have found not only the best natural dispositions
OF prairie aud timber but the most tasteful improve
ment- w. ,0e cross roads and by-ways, quite
aside from the three or io~s s.~~s roads leading
West from Chicago which are mainly Travelled.
These routes are largely cursed with the blight OF
Land Speculation aud non resident ownership
they traverse immense breadths OF treeless prairie
threaded by narrow ridges OF scattered and scaniy
timber; while in crossing directly or diagonally
from one West road to another, especially in
the valley Of the Fox, the Sycamore or the Black
oo"Js -. not there only, have generally found
the country better timberod. better improved and
,~ys y taare inviting. ! presume il is so far
ther " est az well
Daring this flying visit 4 have traversed gen
orally on two or more lines the Counties OF Cook
DuPage, Kane and DeKalb making a circuit Of
1875 miles My iarthest westerly point was Syca-
more the County seat of Dekalb. some so miles
West of Chicago Perhaps should regret that
could not spare time to extend my journey to the val
lev OF Rock River. which is Wanted by its inhab-
a.. q a..
fact, have been earnestly assured that without
seeing Rock River, ! cannot now deal Justly by
Illinois and her prairies. But more fertile than
this no region can well be while will cheeriully
believe that the valley of Rock River Is better
timbered and better watered than that of the Fox
To offset these there are its greater distance from
market and from pine Lumber loi which countless
loads for building and even fencing are slowly ma
King their way over the Praires in every direction
some OF them to destinations even beyond Rock
River.D the cost Of Transporting goods, &c. Let
those especially interested strike such balance as
to them shall seem good Mahomet declined visit
ing Damascus during his hie, saying he chose to
have his Paradise IN the next world IL is some.
thing having seen the valley OF the Fox TO believe
that there is better beyond itW eastward of
course. but great deal this side OF California or
Oregon. Let those who will take down Words
worth aud read with me Nauow Unyisited: =
will quote for those who have It not at hand on in
memory the closing stanzss
BE lsrrow stream unseen. unknown
IL must or W. shsil rue IL
We have vision Ot our
An why should We undo uf
The treasured dreams OF umes long past
W.. keep them, wiusoue Marrow
FOR when ~o re thVrc. although I is tsir
fwili be another NarrO~
+" II Care with freezing years should come
Add wandering seem but folly
should We be iuIh 10 stir from home.
Aud Yet Dc melancholy
should nic be duli and splrilslow,
4 VIII sOothc US la our sOrros,
That esIIh has something Yet 10 show
Ihs benny hUlms Vi arrow
No extrsyag snoe OF description can give an al.
equate idea OF the fertility and productive ospaci-
hes OF this Prairie region To be even family APP
prvclated. m must be intimately known. The Win
ter Wheat was mainly killed by the snowless Sc
verify OF las, Wintcr bat It's place is nearly or
quite supplied by Spring Wheat which now GOV.
sfs the ground as thIckiy and thrtlly Ms could well
be, and rs just beginning 10 rpen. The grain may
De somewhat inferior IA quality. but can hardly iall
-,