New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-12-16
HOW THEY PAY IN THE WEST.

Extracts from Letters Of Nsw.York Merchant
CHICAGO, H., Dec. l, 1857.
Nv mission In this Western region h, Like that Of
Dioesnss with his lantern, ito find an honest man"
If you are surprised that merchant should know any
thing Of IN ancient philosopher il viii b sufficient TO
say that have read Plutarch's Lives" Though am
not sure but got the incident above alluded to from
the spelling book IN which most bat not I'll, Of our
metropolitan merchants have been instructed. Ny
search is not quite ffstess that Of Diogenss;
but have Travelled over Q much hrgW e1tsnt Of
country than he could afford to Witt.
Since my last-written on board HisiaGppi steam
tag opposite the City Of Nsuvoo-I have been through
the interior Of Iowa and Illinois, and am nov on ny
honswArd route.
At Keokuh, / took q stage on my journey through
the towns west Of the Yiver and never before did
ahzs 20 fully the immense advantage to busnsss aad
convenience to travellers afforded by rs1rosds I had
10 do now with tho realities Of the primitive mode Of
travelling the West and have no desire 10 repeat the
experiment. The country u all new. Fine brick
stores AID dwellings and snowy hotels disappear when
you leave the towns on the river. There nothing Of
The pleasing variety Of scenery that you meet With in
the eastern part Of country; sth there Is some
hrg impressive In the vast eIpsase OF perfectly level
prairie. Now and then, We passed feids Of corn and
whest where these grains had been harvssted Of
miles In extent The soil far richer thea u 20 be found
on the finest farms in the Eat Dwelling houses become
sparse and much the e far a. the eye can reach
nothing is to be but the prairie IL it, as;ve
state, inter- ected only BY the rosd; then yos viii
brig I'D at log cabin, where the stage stops, sld
where you may b Induced by severe hunger 70 pSs.
take OF such fare it afords-pcrk and homny, ssns
vegetables, Sans dessert, everything psisiabe-
for which having paid ely cents, you may depart With
the sa,rfacion q least Of being safe from starvation
win End that the rough specimen Of humanity Who
still xvites 700 TO "try more pork" u one Of the
original soua.tsrs who located there when Iowa vss
vel Territory and before the aboriginal inhasitA.ts
lao Aed ffom lie approach Of civiisssion He s the
undppu,ed owner Of al the wild lands you caa see
srorrd him. and csD count his acres BY the thousand.
Pursuing then your journey, you viii meet some signs
Of civilized life betokesiAg the vicinity Of Q village,
perhaps the county sest, or city, - they call place
here when Is contains thousand nhabit&nta or even
less.
M.ua, Pleosas. was the frst stopped It. A do.
scrpton Of enc viii sppy 10 the whole, for they are
ali Alike. There u the square with the courthouse
N one corner. four streets surrounding it, r which are
the few stores that trsnssf ali the buzness Of the
place with the adjacent Countrywide hcsel church,
q hooI-ksuse and blacksmith shoP, sad . few dwell.
fngs scattered rould them.
Assn We take the kAse fer niskt,ide sometimes
ei,ehi,g slghs nap then ~ 3acnly avskrg 70 End
ou,sslyse n he hot.cr of The ccseh, ard keas TIE
g,uf voiss Of Toe driver srvisg yen scmevhat I'M
feissSys ,vitai,on tc GET %: and y s&h n sJeA,
sc vsvs ssat u had tis0".' &c We 20: te;, srta-