New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-23
NOTES or WESTERN TRAVEL.
THE ROCK RIVER COUETRY-MADISON-
A RIDE TO FOND DU LAC.
rssronds.ee q The n. Y. TribuDe

ssbed by the Rock River; of rich rolling prai-
RE which is fast being setted and farmed on all
sides; Of a fine building material in its quarries
OF soft yellow limestone resembling the Roman
travertine; and of an unusually enterprising and
intelligent population. Knowing all these adj
vantages was not surprised at the evidences of
growth since my first visit year ago. People
are fOcking in faster than room can be fur
nsLed and the foundations Of two new hotels
on large scale show the requirements Of the
place. was pleased to note that taste keeps
pace with prosperity here as elsewhere in the
Northwest. The new Unitarian Church is
simple but very neat Gothic evidence, and the
residences of Mr.. Holland and Mr.. Starr are
very fine specimens of home architecture. The
grounds of the former gentleman are admirably
laid out; there is nothing better Of the kind on
the Hudson.
Through the kindness of friend enjoyed
carriage ride up the river to Beloit IL miles
distant IL was a raw and cold I'd of April, al
though the sun shone and the roads were tolera-
bly, dry along the tops of the prairie ridges.
This is beautiful country, rising in gentle ac-
clyties from the river and sweeping away in
a storm. Here were miles on miles of open pra
RE never yet broken by the pillow, yet where the
the farmer may get back the cost of his land from
the crops Of three or four summers. The rise in
the value of property in tits part OF the West is
enormous. Farms which could be had last year
for SIS 10 $50 per acre now command $50 10 49,
and are still rising Truly, the West is the Para
disc Of farmers
Belot is just within the line of Wisconsin, on
the Rock River entered that State for the first
time last year on my head, having been pitched
out of buggy on the very frontier | was glad
to re6nter it in natural position and to view
things without inverted eyes. The situation of
the town is very picturesque-more so perhaps
than Rockford, but il is not so large and is not
growing so fast as the latter place. The College,
built on the top of bluff amid cluster of an
cient mounds, overlOOks wide hemisphere of
country and furnishes good educational landmark
From BelOit went southwark to Belvidere in
Illinois, another growing place and "center of
"creatoD." The COurt-House Ia tasty building
but awkwardly placed stands on the top of
mound, which was long known as the burial place
Of big Thunder not the Anti Renter, but the
original POttawattamie Chief
In order to reach Madison in season on the fol-
lowing day, was obliged to hire a conveyance for
GAINESVILLE ga miles distant) and leave Belvidere
the same evening The night was clear and bright,
the temperature about 4Uo, and the air raw. The
the melting of which created heavy quagmires.
Wejourneyed along at the rate Olive miles an hour
through rolling country t0lerably well wooded
to the town Of Roscoe, beyond which we entered
the open prairie. The spring fires were burning
in all directions, enliyening but not warming the
raw atmosphere Of the night Last year on my
way from Beoit 10 GAINESVILLE saw a line of fire
four miles in length sweeping over the prairie-a
waving, snake-like line which in the hoows resem-
bled riyulet Of famd AS il reached the base of
bill the fire leaned fat against the soil, rushed up
the slope with incredible rapldity, and danced in
long scarlet streams on the summit as ifin exulta-
ton The roar of the cracking grass was as loud
that OF the sea, but far more savage and terrible
The fires the other night were scattered and
they burned slowly, as there was no wind but some
Of the effects were very fine. In some OF the inca
dows the scattered tufts of grass were lit up one
after the other like row of windows at a city
illumination. watched them for some time, but
somewhere between Beloit and GAINESVILLE fell
asleep from sheer WEAKNESS, and remained unc0n
scious until | was aroused by the stopping of
the buggy. The driver walked up at the same in
slant, for he too had been in the same condition
We found the horses standing very composedy
with their heads over barn-yard fence. After re-
gaining the road we were somewhat puzzled
what course to take, as the sky had become
cloudy and the fires burning in all directions
fused us. was not certain that we were not
travelling ON the return track until we reached a
suspended" railroad excavation which remem
bered as being in the neghborhood of Janesville
II was nearly daylight when we reached the town,
but / managed to get three hours sleep before
taking the cars for this place.
Leaving the road TO Milwaukee at place called
Milton we were carried in northwestern direc-
tion to the Rock River again, passed through an
uneven, moderately wooded and sparsely settled
country. We soon afterward reached the first OF
that chain of lakes which surrounds Madison, and
about noon arrived at eur destination. The day
was bright aud mild but not blade of green grass
was TO be seen anywhere and the lakes were still
hard frozen. In fact, only two days ago some
teams ventured across the ice.
For natural beauty of situation Madison sur
passes any Western town have seen. 1t is built
on a narrow isthmus between the third and fourth
lakes, on q natural mound which Overlooks both.
On the summit of this mound stands the State
House, in the center Of handsome square II fosr-
teen acres, from which broad, smooth streets di-
verge with gradual descent on all sides To the
west, and about mile distant stands the Uniyer-
sity, on the summit of hill or MOUND of about
equal hight. The Madisonians count ssren hills
but could not make them all out distinctly nor do
think it necessary to the beauty OF the place that
Il should have forced resemblance Of Rome In
respect il is equal-in a soft, beautiful cream
coloTed stone which furnishes the no5lest building
material Many Of the business blocks and pri-
waite houses display some architectural taste
remark which cannot be applied either to the
State House the University. helaiter Aistitg-
ton resembles pair Of penitentisries. being mere
" huge parallelograms of stone, without the least
relief to their blank monotony The simple ad-
dition Of heavy pedments to the windows and a
betting corncc would have made them really
handsome and imposing Add to this that they
face the main avenue leading 10 the Capitol but