New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-18
FROM THE VEST.

Al. 6rst colonists north of the Ohio landed
:. w,r;etts on the 9TH of April, 1857. The diff
.',,,;s. Of the Ohio settlers were vastly greater
,,,u those of the colonists of Wisconsin and
minnesota, for two reasons the immense labor
Of Transporting the ordinary necessaries OF me-
and immense forests TO be removed IN order 10
he in readiness for raising grain and grass lot
man and beast. There are few parts OF LIMOS,
Ioua and Wisconsin in which the pioneer could
mo. begin TO pillow the soil the day he arrived;
I'm, in Ohio and large parts of lndisna and Mich
So, the great work to be done WAS to remove
~ forests as but few this side OF the
Ansoanies ever saw. The clearing and fencing
of a farm, even imperfectly, was the work OF
.s.rs and very often completely broke down the
yorImsn. Well do remember, many years ago,
The sstonishment with which saw grain growing
In the midst of grdled trees, some of which were
not dead enough to prevent their putting out
leaves The ogrollings of the West have given
us a cant-phrase in politics only the real log
rolling was more honest and honorable business
than Congressional log-rolllng These Ohio log
fOngs Of former years were jolly seasons, but
fearfully wearing on the men engaged in them.
Let me tell you the process: The wOodman girdles
the green woods usually in the Summer. About
three years after, he has dead forest on which to
work and in the Winter he fells these trees in
every direction across each other and early in the
Spring begins the work Of lingering them into
logs that is, he kindles fires at the points where
the trees have fallen on each other. He also kin
dies fires so as to burn the logs in two at several
other places so as to have the logs of convenient
length. He lays large limbs on these fires, and in
this way he can have fire at the same time burn
ing in hundred different spots while he also uses
up the brush. In due time Ak and hire have got
the logs ready for rolling a messenger tells the
neigbbors within reach of several miles, and on a
specified day fifty hundred men are ready to as
sist in rolling the logs into heaps Often the
psny is divided into two, each of which takes half
OF the field, and then commences strife in which
all prudence is laid aside. / have seen such
strites, and often wondered how the human frame
could endure it, Huge logs are rolled or lifted as
If they were nothing. and ever and anon the ami
mating shout Of the competitors rings through the
forest. Every nerve and muscle is strained,
and as the job nears its completion the excitement
increases; and as the victorious party rolls up its
last log and hastens ON to help its crest-fallen
competitors, a shout of exultation goes up as
cheerily as ever rang out on more bloody field OF
conflict In olden times rum was freely used, and
the labor wound up with the best supper our land
lady could provide "Well, we have helped you
"log-roll to-day you must lend US hand to-mor-
"row" This is literal log-rolling; and it is
These logrolliDgs in Ohio Indiana, and parts of
Michigan, have made foul work with the sturdy
colonists; and many men have i seen there rs old
At fifty, apparently as men in easier life at sew
enty Considering how prodigious the labor is of
removing the forests, it is marvel that Ohio has
almost ten millions of acres ready for the pillow
and under fence, which is about One-half of its
surface Indiana FIVE millions of acres cleared, and
Michigan two millions of cleared acres. That is,
since the first tree north of the Ohio was cut in
1857, sixty-eght years ago, seventeen millions OF
acres of heavily wooded land in these three States
alone have been cleared by just such labor as l
have above described. At the West log-rollng
has been the right arm OF advancing civilization;
and therefore / say, honor 10 the men whose tolls
have given such vast at such vast expense to
the pillow and to the human family.
Nv the way, not long since L met an old pioneer
of Indiana who told me that it took him six weeks
to reach the new country many years ago, and,
said he, Z" My son performed that journey short
"tme since in less than forty hours IL Is
astounding isn't it
Rpt the growth of towns and cities at the West
ia not less marvellous than the clesring sway OF
the forests In 1876 Cleveland received It's hrst
white family. and the progress OF TINS Deau'nul
CITY is seen in the following list in lI96 1t had
Inhabitants: in 1898, IL; in 1875, 5OO IN ISL
hoo; in 1885, $3.50; in 1916, 10, 1856 and in
1850. Il OIL Many of the streets are beautiful
and Euclid St near the Lake. is one OF the finest
in the Union. The growth of the city is now very
r,p;d since the stream of railroad-trayel OF neces
,ity pours through it and it has become great
center in the trade between the East and West.
In 1877 a small settlement was made at Frank
linton Oh the west bank Of the Scota opposite Co
iumbus. This continued the principal settlementfor
fifteen Years; and here the venerable DR.. James
Hoge began his labors. In February, lcl2, the site
Of Columbus was an untouched forest when the
Legislature resolved TO fix the capital there. Ihls
last was not done in fact until October 1916
Here we have the facts: in 1912 Columbus was
forest: in 1915 it had 200 inhabitants; in lS2O,
400; in 1880, $500; in 1910, 5000; In 1876, III
600; and in 1850 almost $4,000.
Such cities as GAINESVILLE Dayton, Hamilton
have improved in about this ratio; and consider
ing that they are so far inland, their growth IS
wonderful, and is but fair sample OF general
progress in the State.
The settlement of Cincinnati was begun in De
cember, l7ss. BY a small party under the lead OF
Matthias DeDman of Springfield, New-Jersey
This enterprising pioneer purchased OF Judge
John Cleyes Symmes eight hundred scres-the
original plot of Cincnnati--for five shillings an
acre. that is, five hundred dollars for the whole
The same year another party settled at Columbia,
short distance above Cincinnati, and for time
bade fair TO take the palm of superiority, In
January. 1899, Judge Symmes-the purchaser
Of q vast tract of land from Congress- leading
Jerseyman in Sussex Co, \. j., during the
reyolution-led a third party to what is now
known as the North Bend, and put his proprietary
influence to work TO make that THE City OF the
West For while il seemed as if he would carry
his point but Lamartine declares woman ls
connected with every great enterprise; and the
officer Of the garrison sent to protect the settlers
from the Indians eaptiysted by black-eyed
A..utx into hulding a hlork -house at Cincinnati