Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1855-05-17

and undivided, and bed-quilts served for doors ;
the lower floor was only half laid down. and
that was of oak slabs, the only flooring that
could be obtained at the mill, Our house was
Il framed one, and had windOws and good roof ;,
and venture to assert that the Territory of
Wisconsin contained no happier family than
ours
Half mile to the northeast appears the pal
ings Of our burying- ground;
I" I saw the FIRST interment there,
When first the sexton's spade
Broke the green sward within the yard,
Then the first grave made"
A young man from the State of Ncw-York
was the first tenant of that lovely, but at that
time lonely, spot. Yes,
"'Twas a lonely spot-but methought the breast
Der which the earthly mound cast,
Would have chosen place like that to rest,
When life with all its cares was past"
The winds of autumn sighed mournfully
around the little group who gathered beside tina t
grave. We felt sad at the thought that stern,
relentless death had so soon removed one from
our midst, but we little thought that the first
snow of winter would fall on the graves of four
of our friends But so it was.
Seven years have passed since then, and we
have often met to shed the tear of sympathy,
as the tender infant, the youth, the middle-aged
and the way-worn pilgrim of four-score have
there found a resting place.
Last year man came out from your State
with large quantity of grave-stones, and we
now see the names of our deceased friends en-
craven on the beautiful marble of Vermont.
A little beyond the burying ground is a
mound on which stood the frames of several
wigwams, made by placing poles in the ground
and tying them together overhead with strips of
bark but the frail fabrics have leng since dis
appeared like their architects. But am "spin-
ming long yarn" and so will desist.
Western life abounds in exciting incidents and
the early settlers had their share. Living in
covered wagons, or perhaps turf-covered cabins,
fording bridgeless streams, benighted on the
"ocean prairie" or "stalled in slue," are so
interviewer in the first settlements of this coun-
try that we consider those who come here now
as wholly uninitiated Memory, ever faithful
to her trust, treasures upmany things to relate
to friend by our side, that would be uninter.
estng if written. But often think that facts
enough for an interesting volume might be col
lected from the experience of the first settlers ii
this country.
/ But wish to give few more items before
close Husband says that his first crop o
wheat was raised on II acres of breaking, ant
yielded 400 bushels, which, at the price thel
prevailing, would have paid for 40 acres of gov
ernment land-$50; fencing it with rails $50
breaking IL acres $24, and leave surplus o
$54. Wheat then brought 50 cents per bushel
Our folks farm on small scale. They onl,
intend sowing 40 acres with wheat, 20 with oats
and plant 10 to corn. A neighbor cultivates II
or Is acres on shares.
A large quantity of wheat will be sown thi
i SpIlI6. Nc 1Ou uiU dNtiC uildu ~ CUiuhdhuo
good price, and probably will continue to do SO
In whatever direction look sec the faithful
horse ploughing thcstubble of last year, Or har
rowing iu the already sown wheat. That frs
sown is up two inches high.
In reference to religious privilege S, we ar
highly favored. We have preaching half tn
tim in our own neighborbood, as well as a
Fall River, three miles east of us, and also q
Ostego, miles west, there is preaching ever
Sabbath At the former place there is Bar
tist and Methodist church organized, and a
the latter Baptist church. Sabbath School
are sustained, and general interest taken i
the moral advancement of society
Various periodicals are taken around US, bu
| know of no copy of your excellent paper bt
ing taken, save the one furnished us by the klnc
ness of my dear father We take three week
lies, beside the Freeman, and four monthlies.
Your prairie friend,
!, M.U.
P. Son perusing the hastily written artcl
which send you i find that | omitted mentionin
the presentseondition Of the the place. coul
sec twenty-nine dwelling houses from the bluff
and two school-houses. and there are two NOR
within two miles north of us in fact schoo
t houses are springing us thick as in Vermont
Q and there are plenty of Badgers to fill then
Our roads are excellent, and the rude cabins hav,
in most places, been exchanged for comfortabl
f houses Several barns have been built, and MOI
y are in preparation. People arc turning the
attention to setting out fruit trees, and alread
begin to get repaid for it. Several had quite
respectable crop Of apples last year. Our O
chard furnished three large Greenings. NJ.
!. Among all other virtues, humili ty, thou oh
be lowest, yet is pre-eminent. 1t is the safes
n because it is always at anchor and that mt
may be truly said to live most content in h
= calling that strives to live within the limi