New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-15
TIE PRAJRIES.
Correspondent. Of TIE n Y. froune.

FIVE miles further was asked on her arrival II she
came BY the cars ave came little ways in the
cars. and then all the rest of the way in car
rage" In similar manner, reached this place
from Chicago. The frs. twenty-five miles of the
Journey were, practically considered, but n very
small part of the distance. The last few miles
were the difficulty. SO great the difference
between steam and borses-bctween an iron track
ard the common roads of the country. The dis
tance accomplished by ral seemed the more aston.
;shnoly brief when remembered travelling the same
q Jew years before with an OK team. Once long
DAYS iourney-now an hours ride
This Western land is well adapted for railroads.
Tn no country are they more easily constructed.
There are no rocks to tunnel no mountains to grade
ar emf AWAY no lofty entertainments to rear, no
yawninp chasms to bridge. Far back from the lake
:nreads the prairie, upon the verge ct which Chi
caoo stands. almost as level "a the lake itself Nine
miles from the city, upon the Galena hoad, We
reached Cottage Hill. Cottages we saw oot where
was the Hill Any slight undolatlon mere nl1,,
and any modest hill is mountain. But leu no one
suppose that the praires are all one dead lever;
There are two kinds of prairie-the low prairie ana
the biqh prairie. the flat and the rolling. The low
nroiries are bottom lands, which border the lakes
and streams or mark the spot where water, still or
flowing. once has been. The edges OF these
lands are usually frnged with groves;
irregular lines of timber or thrkets, be-
yond which rolls up the high prairie, IN gentle
;;ndul,tions. Sometimes you find an ACTIVITY Of
unusual abruptness and altitude, like the tenth wave
NJ sea. from the summit of which many miles OF
country can be seen | have assembled elevations
commanding views Of uncOmputed distances, inter-
r,pted by not single grove; prairie beyond prairie,
wave after wave beautiful green, mono.onous, only
now and then dim white spech, perhaps house,
appearing like a sail near the horizon. IL is pleas
ant 10 watch, OH a Summer day, the shadows oil
great clouds sweep across the eXpanse. lonter
dark, scattered objects are cattle feeding. ihose
prav broken. Iow.moying masses are tiocks oil
Sheep the little dots are shepherds. On each side are
groves winding by hidden streams-groves beyond
Groves and ghmpses of prairie between. ANA 10,
another object, a swift dark monster, emerging from
the east unfolding long, surgng stream OF smoke,
rafting and changing as 1t approaches, then utterhg
its fierce shr snort of salutatlon, and passing on
TO startle the buffalo and the wild turkey in the
wilderness luther west.
1t is a country, you would say, ready made to
mans hand. So far has nature carried her work, u
seems by an oversight she mas oihI!led
the houses Here the pioneer finds NIGH
~ clearngs before him, meadows awaiting
the scythe and fallows prepared for the plough lie
has but to turn over the turf and drop little seed,
TO produce gigantic maize. Here are endless pas
ures for his cattle and plenty of wild poultry for
the shooting. The soil is Ct prOdlgal richness BUT
here also the great law OF compensation hocis'
For every favor in one particular there Is deprlva
tion in another The scarcity of wood and water
cr.mps human progress Civilization, like the
oroUfhs oftimber, is confined to the neighborhood
If streams. There are stretches of prairie which
shall long remain as deserts, until WOO and water
can be supplied by the device OF man. Ii
reouired sturdy labor to NOW away Eastern for
ess it shall require no less toll and patience to plans
with Indispensable trees these natural cearlnss OF
the West. Rich as is the SOIL it is not reliable Tor
certain grains. Its very exuoefance proves m;n,
Wheat WATERFALLS; or if it arrives near maturity
n Summer rain, succeeded by warm, steaming al
ternoons. sends the mounting juices too impetuousiy
tbrnupb tbe tender stalk, which bursts Win tnelr
abundance. and suffers them to waste through
opening pores, ia what the farmer cals
rust. Fruits are no more fortunate. FROST
or mice. or abbits, or insects or some I'M
Inoun disease destroy the trees; or if they sur
yiye. it seems by some rare chance that ever they
hear fruit Il will tax your invention, your pa
" tience and your love-" Nature seems TO cay, or
no fruit shall be secure to you" have no more
doubt of the fact that apples and peaches VIII some
dsy be sure crop even here, than that corn vii
continue to be raised. But with deeper insight than
has vet been applied, man must study the climate
and fbe genus of trees Then let him, if necessary,
build walls high as the Tower of Babel to protect
his orchards from deadly winds. If he is favored
here in other matters he shall show his gratitude
by using all his energy and ingenuity in this.
1t is a great grazing country Year by year the
wild grass Of the prairie is growing inner aud
sveeter. The eye of beauty regrets the disappear
snce of the tribes of flowers that carpeted with
gorgeous colors these uudulatng floors. But tho
savage ornament was destined to fade. iOnder are
fields where have seen the deer stand antler-deeP
in Grass. Now oxen feed there: or the farmers
scyJ shaves the sward.
Wool has OF late years enriched many farmers.
Those who have not convenient pasturage on their
own lands, unite their several hocks and employ
shepherd 10 tend them on the unfenced pralres:
cheap pen receives them at night-keePs tue sneeP
in and the wolves out. Now is the shearing time,
and sheep-bes tinke daily along the road between
tLe pasture-grounds and farm-yards. The sight OF
wolves is still Of frequent occurrence. Whey are
cowardly pack: but hunger often overcomes tneii
fear. A few DAYS ago one of these animals entered
a flock which boy wac watching, ana refused 70
retire until he had inundated tat lamb. Inc boy
ran and gave the alarm; his mother came WIN
broom and the wolf was tnaIy iorceo 70 ae,ita lilo
SentembeI-windy and chill. All the crops are
late. Lat Winter, farmers tell me, was excessively
severe. Scarce and sparse the Fall gram that mas
survived. Large spots of grass from which the snow
was blown. were Winter killed. Fodder became
short. farmers fed out the roofs OF their thatched
sheds. Many cattle died of Starvation and OUT Of
many focks one.half the sheep lost tteir anlos.
n nro e.p Ample reward, certain though ate
follows early enterprise and long suffering Men
rbo came here q few years ago with hardly slifi-
ciept means to purchase yoke Of oxen, now stand
upon the threshold of independence. Land, tor
which ten shillings an acre was originally paid, is
now worth from 500 to $40. The price OF some
lands has doubled within four years. Kauroads
bring us near market ard create an interest ana ac
tiyity through all the regions they intersect.
en,aIl fo,vp ithout auV Draat nat