Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1857-08-06

LETTER From WISCONSIN.

Tht Three Principal Inland Cities, Watertoirp,
Madison and .JanesrNe- Their Present and
FuiweProspecis, and Surrounding Country.
Spring emigration is over. The waves have
for long time been tossed but now are calm,
and the tide Is temporarily checked in its
maddoning career. Many, from Eastern fire.
sides and European homes, have endured the
hardships of travel. and are now settled in
their western cabins, to experience all the
vcssitudcs Of which they have heard SO much
in the east. But in a few weeks tho clumsy
baggage wagon of the new settler viii pass
as before, and the waves of this living ocean
will lash and foam with all their accustomed
fury. lt is my design, therefore, in this let
ter, to speak Of the three principal cities of
Wisconsin, and their surrounding country,
thinking this subject would interest those
readers of the lYotcimam who intend coming
West this fall, or who have friends and rela-
tives on our prairies. SO many false reports
have been sent out to the world from those
living in gas cities, puGed and blown into
notice by this "magic western gas. that it
is necessary that the emigrant should have
some statistical proof from which to form his
opinion and direct his course. BY keeping
within the limits of actual facts. hope to give
N'AA lNNA'l0 70 ltAliuit NNAltNltnl lNt Nutl
consideration, and not a mere polished mis-
representation, such as issue from some of the
principal and trivial cities of the West
wArERrowN.
This city lies forty-fve miles west Of Mil
wanke. and one hundred and thirty east of the
Mississippi. in the northern part of the old
county of jefferson, but is now the shire
town of newly formed county. In 1896,
Mr.. Timothy Johnson, in company with two
associate pioneers, sought out, amid the for
ests which then bounded this portion of Rock
River. the site Of this city, to which he
brought his family in 1887. At that period
Watertown was a dense forest and the echo
Of its falls fell upon the settler ear like those
among the peaks of the Green Mountains,
with monotonous subEmity. That year the
first cabin was erected. and the laborious task
of clearing away the forest commenced. In
1910 the little village had increased to 2ls
inhabitants Year after year the forests MELT
ed away, and the settlement increased until
at the present time it numbers eleven thou
sand souls. The cause Of this steady increase
is readily traced to the many natural advan-
tages with which the place is favored. having
within the city limits three water powers, of
thirty feet fall, and but three-fourths of a mile
apart. These falls are now but partially inn
proved. or occupied, and many fattering in
ducements are offered to manufacturers to To-
cate at this point, being as it is the terminus
of two Railroads. and having one direct from
Chicago through to Fon Du Lac, and from
thence TO st. Pauls, and another from Mil
waukee to Watcrtown and thence to the Mis-
sissppi. At the completion of the Chicago,
Fon Du Lac q st. Pauls Road. all the travel
coming from Minnesota and Northern Wis.
consin will have to pass over this route, anC
cannot but make the rich farming country il
Jefferson, Dodge and a portion OF Columhi
Counties, tributary to this city. By thi
Railroad interest. Watertown has a direc
market in Chicago and another in Milwau
kee has an air line connection with the Mis-
sissippi, and great route penetrating th
territories North-West of her Not only thu
advantage of water power and Railroad in
/ duence, but she has surrounding her one o
the heaviest forests in the State, from whicl
the Southern portion of Wisconsin and al
Illinois are supplied with timber. One -thir,
of her population is German. which has prov
ed deleterious to its growth. but the position
and natural advantages of the place have tri
umphed over the strong opposition from Ger
man emis grafton, and also the Milwaukee
Janesvile and Madison influence, with which
it has had to contend.
The farming country around Watertown il
of a fine quality, though not as rich as il
some other portions Of the State, being com
posed of about one-half marsh. but the events
of the past year have rendered this more val
liable than the best of prairie lands. The
soil is rich, deep, yielding heavy crop, and
is POSSESSED Of two important advantages ovei
the majority of the State-good water ant
timber. By the receipts of grain at one
/ Railroad Office alone, and shipments, for ter
months, an Eastern farmer can judge Of tn;
fertility of the soil