Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-04-06

Reid, now iiictu ''i1 AZ ( '''1j "h''" 'hN
plow has never touched. 1t was piece of
rough bog lowland, given over to weeds
and brush. 1t was drought to- by clear
ing the surface, smoothing it down, and
being trod co,apactly together by an i'm
mensc drove of cattle Since then it Yields
al the grass scythe can go through, and
at this time is peppercd all over with hay
stacks. All TIE corn is tcd on the 'ond.
\ common manner of raising it is to fur
nish the land to a laborer, and have the
corn grown and put into stocks at a cost to
Mr.. S. of eight cents the bashel. One
man will tend field of 40 acres. We
were shown a field Of half scction--or
go aercs-which will now yield not much
less than so bushels per acre, bad as the
season has been. This half section, by
the way, is favorite size for field On
III farm
Alr 9. makes i condition with all
who cultivate i4ul tor lin, that no weeds
are to be tolerated. lie will anywhere
on his farm, get off his horse to pull up
weed and in his own words, ga hat full
Of cookie burr or sour dock could not be
found on the premises" In truth, the
extent Of his possessions forms no occasion
for sloycnliness Ct culture. Neater, clea-
ncr lands can not be found in the State.
Tie enclosures are almost exclusively Of
Virginia rail fence, staked and ridcrei,
such as no civilized bullock will think Of
attempting. The usual practice of good
farmers in this paI of the State is here
followed, of cutting up and putting in
stock all the corn. At this work, the sons
Of Mr. s, in striped overalls, were oa-
gagged on the day Of our visit. A. tAa
stocks are wanted fgr feed, they are lau'..
into lot adjoining, and fed upon .ae
grass stalks, ears, and all. Hog l.thev
run with the cattle or are turned in after
them, and thus clean work is made Of
feeding.
The question may arise, where such
number Of steers can be found, as are here
. annually fcd and turned of. This is per-
haps no difficult question to answer now,
for cattle are plenty at present III Illinois;
, and instead Of increasing his business, Mr
s, owing to the slight pressure Of years
and iufrmity, has rather decreased it of
L., L., h. l.,
newer and the country was wilder, the
business Of finding and driving cattle on
r such scale was one Of enormous labor,
and furnished a field for the genius Of
, such 4 man as Mr.. Strawn. 1t was his
custom to scour all Southern and Central
f Illinois, Missouri, and the settled parts of
, Iowa riding by day and by night, across
prairies and through timber, by the road
or without road, as the case might be, in
q manner fairly emitting the story of it to
, he pages of romance. Sleep was of no
consequence to him. To ride 4 week, day
and night, without wink Of sleep, except
= what he got upon his horse, was no un-
common occurrence and this has been
r followed for eight and nine days together
, more than once,as we have it from his own
o story. When the country was particular
c ly wild and difficult, pilots were employed,
t and men were ready here and there to
e heed the call Of Jacob Strawn, at what
, ever hour Of the night he happened to
make his appearance. Yet he would cross
; a new section of territory almost as if by
5 instinct the quick and accurate apprc.
5 bension Of the features Of territory, which
: habit and keen observation had given him,
t seldom left him a; loss while there were
: daylight Or stars.
Perhaps some may suppose that there
; is no chance for art and skill in driving
c cattle. Ii any have such a notion, triaI
{ or two with drove of wild bulocks would
extract the conceit Mr. Strawn can drive
: any bull ck apyrhcre. Wo to the wild
, steer breaking from the drove TO escape
t him. On his trained horse, Mr.. s. is along
: side of him, and the youngster feels the
5 whack Of that terrible cattle whip, fairly
: cracking through all his interior in repea
: ted strokes, til lie roars with pain. II
{ this does not suffice, the story is told US,
$ that, in his prime, be could ride along
, side the animal, aud, without dismountina
5 seize him by the horn with cne hand, and
by the nose with the other, and tumble
5 him upon his side before he could "know
t what made his head SWIM" How far thl;
f is true We do not know, but have reason
t to think it has been done. OF course, one
l or the other must "give in and so far II
r has always been the bullock.
0 A constant service Of twenty cr thirty
. years of this kind, could not fail to dcvel
S op personal hcrosm, none the loss roa
; on account of its peaceful ends. For year:
/ together the becf-market of St. Louis wa
It either supplied or controlled by Mr.. S
r TIL his business had reached s25 600 Pc
:. annum, be kept no books whatever,ail hi