New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-10-02
The Mayor, on the front seat.
jus. opposite, II r. II the Prince Of Wales.

After an essential leave-takiugs the Prince, with the
greater part of bis suite took the specsl train Tor
Dwight, smart young village seventy miles dls'ant
from Chicago where he arrived just at duck Earl 81
Germans and a few othss tarried until Monday and
then proceeded directly to St. Louie.
The village of wight is one of those local phenom-
era whose unexpected BIRTH sudden growth, and active
prosperity have united to make the progress OF tms
portion of the West famous. Six years ago 1t had
no existence and it did not get name until some what
later. Six years ago Col Richard Morgan, an engineer
employed in laying out the hOe Of the St, Louis,
Alton and Chicago Railroad broke the first ground.
There were then not two families within circuit OF
twenty miles. Now Dwight stands at the head OF the
Grand Prairie as thriving village as any in the State
The bsst evidence Of it's advancement s that the lots
whsh we're then purchased at the easy rate Of 80 cents
for the acre. have long been seog at an average OF
40 or as for the acre. while some, which have TIE
advantages Of central position have risen to even four
times that value. OF this undoubted prosperity Col
Morgan is the anthor; and although, with modest
reserve he RETAINED from giving the place the name of
its Esural parent, applying instead that Of senior
member of bis profession he seems TO be the &C
knowldee6 head and vital power of the community
the embodied Constitution and possibly the by laws.
an cure there could not be finer representative
of the vigorous sIirit Of this region. Col Morgan
comes Fl Massachusetts, think the Bay Sea
never yields bad shCots-abd brings all the quick saga
city, the strong sense, and The hearty genial temper
which are the best productions Of his native place to
gsr upon the fert, strength ofthe prareland. don't
know bu. that am rskng the friendship, which, as
stranger here has come to my share with the rest, in
telling 90 much truth as this, for am sure that Col
=. A.
ton anything ike public compliment. But when see
young man who has created and reared to wn the
healthy iofaucy of which gives sure prom
Use of a healthier future, winning the sud
den and delighted esteem of all who now have
fallen in with him for the first time, by frank
hospitality, a kind sincerity of MANNER aud free
hearted gayety which nobody who gets fairly within
its influence can re.st-all which declare never be-
fore raw so well uni ed in any personI can't help
pressing my undisguissd admiration. And though /
have not al any time before slipped aside to make
personal acknowledgment Of the KIDD, must now
thank this gentleman for others well for mysel
for the unusual enjoyment with which he has actually
blocked our way, 30 that we could not have svoded
IT, if We had tried ever 60 hard-and shal remark in
Justice 10 ourselves that showed disposition
attempt any such avoidance. There Col. Morgan if
you ever this, you may take it Ill if you choose
chow can help it ?)--and secure yourself immunity
from future publicity by sbOwerng less good nature
upon your guests hereafter-if you cam which, after
all, don't believe.
great prairie, as we saw it with its uttermost
solitude relieved by the thrift Of men, is one of
tie noblest not of the most beautiful, sights in
nature. The eye accustomed TO scenic variations of
river and forest and broad lake and sharp activity like
those which break the wild Canadian landscapes into
endless changes falls aDguidly at first upon the vast
level monotone which meets it here. The novelty is
30 sudden, and 30 extreme that for while, you long
for the plash Of the waterfall again and the picturesque
rise and droop of the mountain ranges you have left
behind. For as you stand now the Grand Prairie
ard look around you only the horizon stretching in
prodigous circle with single intervening object to
iuier upt its regular and distant outline. Not hill,
nor even mound, nor the merest clupp Of trees IN
any spot; always an eternal land-calm, with barely
here and there an undulAiipg wave TO mark shadow
upon the plain Nothing but the horizon, because in
the eage ess for bold relief the gaze wanders fa
the infinite intermediate space, resting only at the
furtbeet verge where the earth and the armament
ioned 1t may he this that gives travellers their first
impression of dreary dissatisfaction with tee prares
But liule watching few hours Of close companion
ship and the charms Of the scene begin TO be devel
Oped. The broad squares Of thick growing wheat,
shiveIng in the light breezfs the long straight rows
of corn ranged Ike stiff battalions about the plain,
rigid as grenade rs and than ice lofty, with
tassels turning brown and plumes now gray, aud ears
petpiDg from their husks yellow gold the bright
green troops Of sorghum plants the uncleared acres
spEkled with thousand dehcsCe flowers, aud weeds
of curious forms and properties-the cOmpass-weed,
with fat leaves pointing always, they say, TO the
north and sOuh natural goide 10 Indians, the resin
weed, eXudiDg big drops Of white gum, the rattle
snake weed, believed TO mitigate the terrors Of all
rsJ tes as well as that from which i, special takes its
name and others u supposed virtue and certain beauty
all these minging in the most luxuriant pro-
fusion, and covering the great platform, with a
carpet Of the enderest texture and color. The calm
becomes less oppressive aud new sense, of grand
md stately serenity, spreads over the seems. The
ugRedness Of nature seems abandoned, leaving only
measuIeless tranquility. And by aud by,
he stiffness, which seemed at fret stagna.
ion, is lightly broken by the chipping Of the
ricketts, which settle everywhere about in prodigous
warns, by the swift prairie birds dsshing from the
tubbe and By the rising wind, which means over the
nan plain and whistles through the grain in restless
Melancholy cadence But the sentiment OF grand pla.
idy and repose Is, at or ALL that which mostprevails
o soft 90 gracious 30 full Of bounties are these swell
% fields, that one might say that Nature had here
jede6 her bosom 10 the world for al who would 70
ONE and rest upon, and take thereffG~ tne en0Ve''
Iessipgs che could give.