, 1859-04-02

tion, expressed the; belief that fever and ngue
in this State nre on the decline, though from
epecial causes there had this year been an ex-
ceptonal preyalenee Of both
visited also the State House. where the two
sittings, md in which arc the rbnreaux Of the
various State ofieers- The Secretary Of State
very politely showed me over the building; the
State Auditor supplied NE with documents show
ing the raluss:on md taxation Of the State and
the Treasurer, who loeks up the money and dis
'burses it e1actly ike the clerk in bank, for
which lie is paid salary Of 44oo . year, e14
planned to rne The rate Of taxation in tue State.
the desire they oil had to pay of their debt, the
present increased rate to which they submitted
Tor thut object, tue probability Of q future de-
crease in expense, and the general frngality Of
the management. There ia total absence OF
form and ceremony about these gentlemen, "ho
are high officers Of State, The Secretary Of
State acts also III librarian. He and bis clerk
conduct the public correspondence andbuslness.
While l WIS there u1nn, about thirty. with his
hat on und bis hands in his pockets. came 1oung-
iug In, and, ntter listening to oar conversation
for while, asked if this was tue Secretary. be-
cause he wanted to get some information about
m old county road Of which no record could be
found in his county, but which be "reckoucd"
would be posted up at the capital in the books
Of the State. The Secretary Immediately went
off to "iix'' him about the road. In the same
way the auditor was at eyerybody's call, and the
Treasurer also. The officers Of State are not
above doing their own work here.
If there is not much official ceremony, there ID
total absence Of it in the manners Of tho bulk
of the people. The nasty habit Of chewing to-
baeco; and spitting, not only gis;e;s them dirty
They eat so fast, md are 50 silent, and run Of
SO soon when they have finished their meals,
that really eating1 in this country is more like
the feeding Of wild animals than men. The
food is both various and plentiful, but it is gem
orally badly cooked nud served.
Violent thunder storms are not ntre4uent'
Every house on the prairie is fitted with light
ming conductor, but did not hear that accidents
from lightning were very common.
Again taking the railway, l proceeded to De-
catur, station about thirty miles east Of
Springfield, and drove for whole day through
tile prairie country in that neighborhood. After
driving few miles through the inclosed farms
which surround the town, we reached the open
unbrokcn prarie. and turning short Oft the track
On which We hadhtherto been driving, VIC stood
across the greatspiaiu which stretched out be.
fore u.s. The horses struck without hesitation
into the long coarte grass. through which they
pushed On with very little inconyenience, al
though if Was in many places higher than their
heads. 1t was not thick, and parted easily be-
fore them; then sweeping under the bottom Of
our wagon it rose 4 continuous wave behind us
| IN WE PiSsGu 1ltHn. lit SHEIIce VI luc EIDuu0
was firm and smooth. We had fixed our eye m
grove Of timber on tho horizon as Our guide,
| and drove on 1or about an hour in struigilt
| liue, as we believed, toward it, But stopping
now and then 10 look ut the soil and vegetation,
we found that the grove had disappeared. With
| out knowing it we must have got into hollow,
/ 20 we pressed on. But after Two hours steady
driving we could see nothing but tile long grass
aud the endless prairie, which seemed to rise
| slightly vi: round us. l advised the driver 10
| tix his eye upon cloud right ahead If us, tll.
day being calm, and to drive straight for it..
| Proceeding thus in about half an hour we again
caught sight Of The grove, still very distant, and
the smart Young American driver "owned up F"
that he had lost his way. Wehad got into Fat
| prairie ah"u. Eve miles square; one Of tie
horses stepped little quicker than the other,
and We had been diligently driving q circle fur
| the last two hours. We soon struck upon Il
truck which led tls toward tfe rising ground and
among SOME new settlements.
One man here had entered an eighty acrc
lot lust Spring, had built bis house, broken
about ten acres and sowel it with wheat, and
had his little crop Of "sod" corn gathered and
stacked out Of harm's way, close to his dwelling.
The first care of in American settler on the
prairie is to provide for the first Winter. 1fhe
starts in May he PlowR 4 few acres up. and re
~ co1nmenlv plants the ludian corn On it BY
milking 4 slit With his axe On the tough upsuri
| cd sod, into which be drops the SEED. Ruht
though tlIis preparation appears, it is general!
followed BY crup, sometimes u very gooo one
Having thus Started t'1s 500 corn ne eon
sirncts his house, and spends inc rest Of M
Summer in 'brcaktnS tht prairie IN pFepara
'ion for wheat crop, and in cutting and ma
king some prairie hay for the Winter prorcndc
| Of Ills life stuck. lie also plants few culinar,
vegetables anil potatoes. In the end Of Angus
he SONS his wheat, and, when that is completed
he harsests his ''soa' corn: This keeps lin OIL
Of thr market fiie very fifst inter, as II Is Ut
ten made to suffice for the food both Of the fam
lily and the live stock. Hug anu honony !:
MT intrcYucntly the only food that 'he settle
':!s 10 sci before his guest during tue 1irSt yea
Of his possession. AND though h9mely It J
| wholesome. When the crop Ut ind.ah corn
secured, there II time to begin making fence.
| Thc ne1hbors hive mutual interest Ill thl'
. and assist each other. 1hc fencts are made
| posts and sawn pine timber : the posts Of ccta
>eErn feet long. Gust ~ each. ami b"ft posi-
and rails are prepared in the torcs, 50 that til
: settler bnHs them reauy tof ms purpose, At t
tLcr the nearest rallwny station Or grove Of tin
; Der, whichever lappens to be the most conv'
nient. The holes for the posts ART not dug o!
is with us, but are bored With an auger mat
| for the purInse, aud the Work OF fcnclng thl
goes on with much ncatncss and regularity, an
l. the fences, being I'll made IN the same mannt
and VIII. tinsbsr Q! tue same Dimensions, are y
ry uniform and substantial. Al TINS se'tlrme'
: W i"un.l the owner w'tn fnur Of his neighoo
+, Ill busy IN the Work ot 1cncln@. one borln
une driving i'll the posts, and the others sortin
t aud nalltnE on tue rails
! The SNAKE teicc. which Is common IN
u the tnnbcrcd parts Of America. IL seldom NJ
= with on the prairie, and there only III the tlc1.
borliood of = timber grove It Is u very sn
= >tantl1l ard excellent fcnce, but consumes Il