Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-11-16
Life on the Peninsula.

A44E O14 liIS IGQlcSalG.
1t Will surprise very many even of our
own people when we state tia, Kewaunee
county and the southern portion of Door
county are as denSely populated as any
other section of the same extent in the
state-thatis, Of strictly farming ceuntry.
The people are mostly Belgians, and are
seized compactly toeether-each family
upon forty or eighiy-rarely upon a
larger tract. They are beginning to hew
openings enough among the trees TO raise
what they need for their own consump-
iucn. We can scarcely expect any sur
plus from them for some years, but il will
come by and by; aud we are contiden,
that the Peninsula Will be one Of the gar
dens Of Wisconsin.
Probably 10 olher race on this conti-
nent could have gone into the woods and
combated the priyatons of forest life
with the patience, industry and success
winch these have. They were poor. with
few exceptions, reaching here with ex-
hausied purses after running the Eauni-
let OF emigrant swindlers between New
! ork and the West The purchase of
forty or eighty acres of land generally
took all that was left-and after throwing
up rough block house, the first question
which presented itself 10 the head of The
tamily 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 or the earth. Shlngle making has
generally heen the resort IN such cases;
but the hard times OF last wear and the
general crash IN everything reached even
the shInGle trade, so that none bat Bel
gian pioneer could have faced the task of
making living for has family by manu-
featuring 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 loss. Another
thing. Some Of them manufactured lum
Der by hand. The statement viii hardly
be- credited, but IL is no less fact that the
Belgians have, with common ..vhip-
saw" manufactured the best pine lumber
al less price than II could be made for
with all the appliances Of steam engines,
nuley saws and the most improved STYLES
of mills. As handsome lumber as we
ever saw has been made by them and sold
, at $3.50 and S6 per 900 feet! Ia such
ways as this-by hard and persistent abor
they gathered together the means of
Obtaining their daily bread aud little else
they needed; for some dry bread and
potatoes formed the bill of fare fer SIX
days ia the week, and the seventh a little
coffee, mixed with chicory for economy's
sake, made a sort of holiday of Sunday.
Butter and milk and eggs there were none,
for there were no cows nor hens
Last week we were III the mill which
=, does the grinding for probably half the
. county. II is the rudest structure imacin-
, able. An overshOt wheel turns one stone
slowly, and the boiling apparatus is pro-
! PEELED by woman. Sc stood there pa
tlentiy the day long, turning the crank
! with one hand and with the other supplying
the screen with the unbolted -four. The
mill was threnged with customers, n.elI,
women and children, who brought the
> grain on their heads, and waited for il to
, be ground. Some of them come five,
six and eight miles, bringing each load
Of from fifty TO one hundred pounds
Among hundrds Of families, their are but
. two or three pairs Of oxen, aud we did
; not hear Of but one horse in the whole
settlement. The roads, indeed, do not
permit Of the use Of wheeled vehicles to
any extent. They are nothing bat trails.
Il a
boy hached TO a wooden drag preparing
the ground for next seasons crops. Most
OF tie uiiing is done by means Of d grub
hoe; though lately the more fortunate
ones manage 10 get some plowing done.
We met woman and her son on the
way TO Green Bay with basket Of chick
eas and some other liule produce They
had already walked eight miles and had
fourteen more to go, making twenty-five
miles. Their marketing would bring
them in town, perhaps, one dollar and a
half At one house where we stopped Ia
the field hands were At dinaer, Loaf OF
black bread and a kettle Of coffee were
all that we saw on the table. They dip2-
"a the bread IN the coffee and seemed 10
be making a comfortable neal. Atan-
other house we found man cutting IN
q rig. So marked ali instance of extray-
agance surprised Us. until we were told
that bear had killed il the night before
and they had rescued it from his clutches
The bears are very troublesome, carry
ing OF pigs and calves. Sonle OF thern
ere killed occasionaiy-
We have already noticed the beginning
Of town on the Bay shore-Dycksilie
which ls likely to be their principal post
on the western side.
Years hence, when another generation
shall have grown up and taken the place of
the present one, the solid and plospero,,s
men Of the Peninsula ~.ih ren.eraser the
stories OF their fathers ha:dships in tie
new country With wonder The !" gentle
slopes and groves between" viii bloom
and blossom wtth all lhe wealth Of rich
country and kewauDee County viii rank
with the first IL the STATE. e.C-Green Eay
Advocate
E'z5 II As impossible 10 love those Sec
h.. 4