Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1858-05-07
ror The oNord Democrat.
E,ELvnLE. Ia Sale County, !
IlLln0ls, March -. ISIS.

-
tern resources and Western prosperity, and
careful neglect to present the wants, dis
advantages aud offsets, which make up a
true picture. cannot better correct this
tendency, and any false impressions, or
Western fevers" cugendercd thereby, than
to gi,e you true description OF the eircum-
stances, aud appearance OF an Eastern fam
ily. three years after their advent upon
their quarter section Of Illinois prairie. For
convenience sake we will suppose Mr..
Smith. or Mr.. Brown from Oxford County,
arrived at EArlvile, with Mrs. Smith. or
Mn. Brown. and Eve little Smiths or
Browns, as tho case may be, on the Gnt
DAY ol March, \. D., 1855.
suppose that Mr.. Smith, on counting up
his change, finds that he has lef $1,000, az.
ter paying the passage Of his family to this
place (Which is more than the average pos.
session Of new comers,) besides bedding and
household furniture on the way thither,
which has not yet arrived. We will not,
stop 10 hear Mr.. Smith'ssior abou, delays,
collisions, explosions, extor,ions, swindlincs,
tricks OF runners, baggage masters, cahmen,
traymen, hotel keepers, &c, but suffice II,
20 say that Mr.. Smith and family arrived
at our station on the c. b. y =. Il. r., on
the 6r,i day OF April, \. H., 1854, with
one thousand dollars in his pocket. After
finding quarters for himself and family in
one ol our hotels. which I will no, stop IN
describe out OF respect TO the fco.ing' OF my
ncishbJss, Mrs. smith can give YOU a very
graphic account Of her four weeks elpcri.
encc .hcrcin. II YOU will call on her,) Mr..
Smith takes a look about town, makes sun
dry enquiries about the prices OF lands, &c,
AMI particularly with an expression OF coun.
tenance painful @ behold, be wants - know
It." this awful mud j. 70 last all the year,"
The mud alluded 70 Is in the street. and
everywhere, from twelve 70 twenty inches
deep. o. the consistency OF mortar, anl
black a, the S,ysiau lake. Mr.. Smith and
the Eve hiile smiths, htv, no, vet venturcl
out OF doors, f5r fear thcy would no, be abb
70 s,i back again. \ fortnight pisso, by,
and what with the terrible mud, th, dis
su.tins fare a, the hotel, the frishtiul bill.
Of the landlord, the inportlnitic' Of land
sharks, his or the fever and asue, and the
breaking cut Of the small poS in the family.
caught on the why. our Smith Z. getting
pretty much shut" a, the Holsters ny.
Of his enthusiasm ior the West. M.intime.
however, he has contracted for loo acres Of
prairie Land. situated s1ms SIX mile, IRON
timber, forty mile, iron s,1n5 quarry,
thrce miles from liyin; water, ton miles
from a railroad station and a sris, mill. four
miles from a school hou'', twenty. five miles
from a coal bel, and mile and half from
the nearest aeichbor. lie agreed 70 pay : 1000
for bis quarter section OF prairie. or ten
dollars per acre, Eve hundred dollars cash
down. AMI the balance in one, two. and
three years, with aHHlll mierrs a, ten per
cent. thus making his average annual pay.
ment Tor his land about $40 Tor three
wears. lie receives contract with for
i,i,ur,, on the par, Of the lAudshark who
slli the land, for deed when the last dol.
lar /, pad prrcisriy az Yoaifei, otherwise,
the contract is 70 b. " forfeited" at the op.
ton Of the seller. Smith next buys par
OF horses aud wagon, for Eve hundred dol.
lars, be pays one hundred and fifty cash,
gives his note payable IN one year with chat
tel mortgage Of the said team and wagon.
flE security, for the balance Of $3.50 lle
then purchases six VI. feet Of lumber at so
per thousand for house, conveys it to his
land. aud in about i've or six weeks from
bis arrival, hs has house bull, and his
family quartercl therein, Ia paradise Mrs.
Smith Shinks, to living m that NASTY ho-
TEL. y After paying freight on household
furniture. hotel bills, aud buying cooking
stove aud .undry other articles Tor the com-
fort Of his family. aud paying for nails,
glass, &c. rr his house, Smith finds that he
has City dollars LEFT Of the thousand before
mentioned. The house just completed iss,H-
teen by twenty.iour feet, story aud half
high, has three windows below, bu, none IN
the half story. 1t stand. upon blocks about
three feet long, sawed from a white oak los.
and 80 IN the ground abOu, Is inches, aud
covered roof and all, with rough siding or
elapb0ards nailed to balloon frame. The
doors are Of rough pine boards, land down
loose above. There is neither chimney, or
lathed, or plastercd walls in the house.
There are just three rooms, one above, and
two below, divided by a partition Of old
quilts One room serves tor kitchen, pam
Try, sitting room and parlor. and the other
two, for sleeping rooms, closets, &c.
The stove pipe runs straish. up through
the root. the hole being large enough to
kecp the pipe a respectable distance from
the roofing. A ladder furnishes facilities
Tor .' getting up stairs" aud few shelves
Of rough boards on one end Of the kitchen,
supports the crockery, which Mrs. Smsh
packed - carefully between the feather
beds Tor transportation. No, having time
IA favori,e phrase in the wesi,) to dig and
stone a we'll, Mr.. Smith digs hole in the
loves, place. within twenty rods Of the
house. some six or sigh, feet deep, which
supplies the family with surface ,raicr, and
fever and ague.