Smyrna times., 1860-04-05
One of the Pioneers.

Tom Homes. of the far West--no town or
Stale IN particular-is one of tho pioneers
Decidedly he IS one Of them. Tom has faced
more wild lands, fever aud sgne, aud Indians,
than almost any man now on the borders of
civilization towards the setting sun, and still
westward the course OF his empire takes its
way. When the writer saw Thomas in SAako.
pee, Minnesota, III the fall OF 1854, he had ne.
yer seen railroad car, or telegraph wire in his
life. He has since paid a visit to Chicago, q
city which be laid out and pre-ompled when
there was nobody in Chicago except Tom
Holmes and the fese er aud sgue, and be de-
scrlbes bis first ride in railroad car, from Mis-.
slssippi to Illinois, two years ago, as having
been fearful experience. Tom says tha; the
tarnal thing skittered along so fast that he was
skeered," aud he didn't care 10 deny il. He
sat with his legs drawn up under the seat, and
his trepidaion was so apparent that he attrsc.
ted the attention of all the passengers in the
car. Tom says he had rather meet three hun
dred Indians full of whiskey, than ride in one
ofthem swift sliding concerns .5s-
Tom was the original settler of Chicago,
where be pre-empted tract Of land and laid
out a town-no easy thing TO do in The West.
He then laid out Janesville, Wisconsin, and he
with tive or three others, laid out the city Of
Milwaukee. The rapid growth. and present
size and Importance of these places, attest the
Judgment of this pioneer in locating towns
After all these towns had been startled, Tom
went up into the country of the Winnebago In
diane oa trading tour, for he has been vet
ersn Indian trader. He nad not seen his prop
erty 10 Chicago for six years, when one day
gentleman arrived at the trading post where he
Was stopping, and entered into conversation
wiih him. The stranger was we'll dressed,
wearing broad cloth, and sbiled shirt" as
Tom 10 wont TO call that garment <hen il is
composed ct white cotton or linen material
I The gentleman asked Tom if be was not the
owner of some land at Chicago, and what he
would take for il! Tom didn't exactly know.
What would the gentleman gIvel The gen.
tleman was about to build some mills at that
point, and as il happened that Toms land lay
right on the spot where he would like to build
be was disposed TO offer him more than the real
(, value Of the property-he would give him siz
thousand dollars
Tom pricked up his ears and set op violent
thinking. Ii the stranger had offered three
thousand dollars he would have snapped at il
Immediately. Bot so large an offer led him 10
suspect that there had been something going OF
4 down there 10 Chicago thai he was Rot awar,
OF TO raise the price of mud. Tom therefore
hesitated. aud told the stranger he hadn't sect
the property for six years--goessed he'd q,
: down and take look at it. Stranger said he
had but little time TO wait--mus, star. for hom'
that same afternoon, and would give Tom on,
hour TO make up his mind. The pionee
"chswed tobacker" an hour and told ths
stranger who wore a % billed Shirt that n
! might have The land for ten thousand dollars
Ssrangsr drew his pocket book with smazn
alscrity and paid the amount. Tom afterwsrd
ascerteined that the land even at that time wa
worth one hundred thousand dollars, and b
!. !, had been picked up as /" fat" a..s 4
Tom Holmes assisted in laying out and dc
yeloping the fiourishing town Of Shakol,ee, o
: The Minnesota river, about thirty miles fror
! ST. Paul, but civilization begins 10 bore hin
!. and be is new purchasing cattle and an QUIT
! for great stock farm at Buffalo City, thre
!, hundred miles northwest Of St Paul. Sue
( pioneers as Holmes are the men who open D
= new regions to the productive industry of II
: world Boston Herald .t