Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-04-06
FROM THE WEST.
PORTAGE, Wis, March Is, 1864.

and will note down some of the results OF
my observations, which may be Of suffi-
cient interest to your readers, TO warrant
publication in your valuable paper.
This is thriving village Tor city, as
they style it hcre) Of some thee or four
thous nj inhabitants, situated on sandy
ridge of land, extending from the Wiscon-.
sin to the Fox river distance of some
thing more than one mile
The soil is too sandy for cultivation in
the town. hut understand there are good
farming lands in all directions, except to
the north, where the sand prevails to such
an extent as to render the lands Of small
value for farming purposes.
rne Milwaukee and ST. Paul Railroad
passes near the place running to Lacrosse
on the Mississippi, one hundred and If
teen miles fromAerc. Another railroad
is soon to be opened from here to Colum-
bus. then to connect with road to Mil
waukee, thus opening another and nearer
route to that city. Still another road is
talkcd Of, to Madison, to open another
route to Chicago. but it will probably not
be built very socn.
There is ono circumstance connected
with the place, quite interesting to me,
and that is-the singular situation of the
Fox and Wisconsin rivers; the former
running in northeast direction and en-
tying into Green Bay, and the latter in
a southwest course aud discharging its
waters into the Mississippi, near Prairie
Du Chen. At this poht they pass with
in about one mile of each other, 80 that
| in high water the waters of one stream
would mingle with those Of the other ;
and in early days the Indians could easily
transport their canoes from one stream to
the other. which circumstance gave'name
to the place.
A cauul has been dug from one river to
the other. thus affording water communi-
cation with the Mississippi aud the great
lakes The water of the Wisconsin fills
the canal, and coursing through the Fox
River, the lakes. and St Lawrence, min
giles with the waters of the northern in.
stead of the southern gulf, and at dis
lance of thousands of miles from it.
Thus it is with human life. How often
some tritling circumstance in our early
life causes us to change the whole current
of our lives. and to take direction di.
rectly contrary to the one wo were before
pursuing
The weather is warm and spring like to-
dav. but has been cold and backward for
the season. for two or three weeks past.
There is some snow here yet. of which an
abundant supply was had through the
winter-say, an average of three feet,
with much cold weather.
Two grain elevators here appear to be
doing IL good business-one on the rail-
road and the other on the canal. the
price to-day is s. a s Oh for No. ! wheat,
S5 cts for rye and 60 cts for corn and
oats
! The horses here arc generally in good
condition. but the cattle, especially the
working oxen, are very poor mean looking
animals. The difference in condition
think is accounted for from the fact that
the horses are stabbed and fed on good
hay and grain. while the cattle are left to
shivc, and freeze in the cold winds around
"a straw stack or curled up under shed
made of poles Or rails and poorly covered
over with straw.
find. however, in this portion of the
state, better barns and out-buildings
than in the southern part of this state
and northern Illinois.
On the east bank of the Fox River arc
the remains Of Fort Winncbago, consis.
ting of barracks, block houses, NC. The
fort was built under the direction of Gen.
Scott, some 40 years ago. to guard agains,
the inroads Of the Indians; and is still
ful ther noted as having been at one time
under the command of the arch traitor
JEFF. Davis.
While in the hotel to-day, there came
into the Office three specimens of aborig