The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-11-18
Life on the Peninsula.

own people when we state that Kewaunee
county aDd the southern portion of Door
County are as densely populated as any
Stste-that is. of strictly farming country.
The people there are mostly Belgians,
and are settled compactly togetber-each
family uponforty or eigbty-rarely upon
larger tract. They are just beginning to
hcw openings enough among the trees to
raise what they need for their own con.
sumption. We can scarcely expect any
surplus from them for some years, but it
will come by and by; and We are conf
dent that the Peninsula will be one of tho
gardens of Wisconsin.
Probably no other race on this CONT
nent could have gone into the woods and
combatted the privations of forest life
with the patience, industry, and success
which these people have. They were
poor, with few exceptions, reaching here
with the exhausted purses after running
the gauntlet of emigrant swindlers be-
tween New York and the West. The
purchase of forty or eli ght acres of land
generally took all that was left-and af-
ter throwing up rough block house, the
first question which presented itself to the
head of the family was how to get food
for his little ones until an opening could
be made in the trees, and the season roll
around with the fruits of the eartb.-
Shingle making has generally been the re-
.v,h o,soS. Lnf tho hard 4;nos &C
last year and the general crash in every
thing reached the shiDgle trade, SO that
none but a Belgian pioneer could have
faced the task of making living for his
family by manufacturing shingles at the
ruling prices. 1t was done. however
The very best quality of shaved shingles
were made in large quantities and sold
for one dollar per thousand, and even
less. Another thing. Some of them
manufactured lumber BY hand The
statement will hardly be credited. but it
is no less fact that the Belgians have
with a common "9bip saw" manufactur-
ed the best pine lumber at less price
than it could be made for with all the ap-
pliances of steam engines, muley saws
and the most improved styles of mills
As handsome lumber as We ever saw has
been made by them aud sold at $3.50
and s6 per 1000 feet! In such ways as
this-by hard and persistent labor-they
gathered together the means of obtaining
their daily bread, and little else they
needed; for some dry bread and potatoes
formed the bill of fare for six days in the
week, and the seventh little coffee, uix-
ed With chicory, for economy's sake, made
sort Of holiday Of Sunday. Butter and
milk and eggs, there were none, for there
were no cows nor hens.
! Last week wewere in the mill which does
the grinding for probably half the country.
1t is tbe rudcst structure immagiDable.
An oversbot wheel turns one stone slowly,
and the boiling apparatus is propelled BY
woman. She stood there patiently the
day lorg, turning the crank with one
hand, and with the other supplying the
screen with the unbolted -four. The mill
wos thronsed with customers, men, wo.
men, and children, who brought the grain
on their heads and waited for it to be
ground. Some of them come FIVE, six eight
miles bringing each load of from 6fty
to hundred pounds. Among hundreds
of antilles, there are but two or three
pairs of oxen, and we did not bear of but
one horse in the whole settlement. The
roads, indeed, do not permit of the use oi
wheeled vehicles to any extent. They are
nothing but trails.
We saw, in one clearing, man and g
boy hitched to wooden drag, preparing
the ground for next seasons crops. Mos
of the tilling is done by means Of sor
of grub hoe; though lately the more for
tunate manage to get some plowing done
i Wemet woman and her son on th,
way to Green Bay with basket of chick
ems and some other little produce. The!
had already walked eight miles, and bat
fourteen more to go-making twenty-five
miles. Their marketing would brinl
them in town perhaps one dollar and
} half
At one house where We stopped ip, tn
field hands were at dinner; loaf of blacl
bread and kettle of coffee were all tha
: we saw on the table. They dipped tb
bread in the coffee, and seemed to be ma
king comfortable meal. At anotbe
$ house we found nan cutting up pi&
I So marked an instance of extragaganc
surprised US, until We were told that
bear had killed it the night before, an
: they had rescued it from his clutches
The bears are very troublesome, carry
ing of pigs and calves. Some OF thel
), are killed occasionally.
We have already noticed the beginnin
of town on the Bay shore-Dycksvll
which is likely to be their prlnclp'
post on the western side. Here arc OF
or two taverns, or places where the tra'
n eler may find rest for the nigbt--and
'e very good store kept by Mr.. Van DSc
His establishment embraces almost ever
thing needed in new country ITO
wooden shoes to sacks of -four. Ana o
alone sooode,s shoes, for We noticed son
y e.. Sboas for women and boots for me