Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1866-10-27

-
es, and may be relied upon by our friends
and others who are seeking homes in
this part of the Northwest They are
an answer to the first inquiry naturally
made by those who propose TO emigrato
to strange country, viz What is the
soil. and what are the productions
Next to The soil, aud even Of greater
concern to the emigrant, is the kind Of
climate. A change Of climate is very
apt 10 work a change in the human con-
stl on. Thousands of emigrants to
some sections of our country fall victims
10 climatic diseases. In the warmer sec
tons, where the land is low, level and
damp, where vegetation grows rapidly
and luxuriantIy. where the rivers run
suggisbly, and stagnant pools Of water
and decaying vegetation send up their
foul exhalations, the whole atmosphere
is tainted with masma, and disease is in
hailed in every breath. In such places,
strong and robust health is an exception
to the general condition. Agues and fe-
yer rack the constitution, and often com
pei to a removal or TO an early grave,
With emphasis it can be said that no
part of the Great Central Valley excels
this in the salubrity Of its climate or in
the healthiness of its population. The
surface is sufficiently rolling and elevated
to give current to the streams and drain
age to the land, aud early frosts assist the
decomposition of vegetable matter with
out often doing serious injury TO the
crops. The water in the springs and
wells, and also in the ponds and lakes, is
pure and wholesome.
1t is said, and truly said, that our win
tiers are long and severe, but it may be
added that the atmosphere in winter here
is dry, and that the same degree of cold
here is endured with less suffering and
far less discomfort than in places where
the air is charged with moisture. Those
of us who have passed the winter sea-
son in any of The Northern States will
bear witness to this fact. If Winter here
fingers long, and holds dalliance with
the early plants and flowers, when he
once departs, Spring forthwith assumes
her sway, unlocks the letters in which
the land is bound, calls to her aid the
sunshine and gentle rain, and sool clothes
the fields with beauty. It'll seldom that
storms and sweeping floods announce, in
this latitude, the departure Of Winter
They sometimes come, but seldom leave
irreparable desolation and material dam
age in their track. The ground scarcely
heaves with frost, and so readily yields
its moisture, that tho yexation, o0struc-
ton and discomfort caused by mud in
lower ATTITUDES, are never experienced in
our open land. Let those who croak
about our winters bear in mind that win
ter in every latitude north of 40 degrees,
is an unwelcome visitor: and that in
most southern ATTITUDES, summer, with
its sweltering, facilitating heat, is equal
ly abhorred and dreaded, for there
-.' The hoary fire
In putrid streams, emits the living cloud
Of pestilence."
In Northern climes, the bracirg air of
Winter is almost a sure protection
against disease, while in the Summer of
the South, the pestilonce walketh in
darkness, and destruction wosteth at
MONDAY"
There, the sun beats down with unre
hitting fury, and compels the sufferer to
endure the fiery torment until be is rea-
dy to excaim
All conquering heat, oh inteunit thy wrath,
And OF nv thrObbing temples potent thus
Beam not so fierce Incessant still you flow.
And still another iCryent flood succeeds
Poured on the head profuse. In vain | sigh
And restless turn and look around for night.
Night is far off, and hotter hours approach"
On the other hand, the approach of
the summer season at the North is hail
Cd with delight. 1t is short but genial.
It's heat is sometimes intense but not en-
ervating. 1t is long enough with us to
bring to maturity the crops which are
necessary for the support of man and
beast. 1t is remarkable with what ra
pidity vegetation, in our climate, hastens
to maturity. In ninety days from the
time Of sowing, our crops are ready for
the harvest. The variety of corn, which
we can raise on our prairies. indicates
the temperature Of our summers. The
dent is nowhere raised in the New Eng
land States, nor within my knowledge,
in the State of New York. Our mean
annual temperature varies not much, nc
ccrding to our isothermal charts, from
that of the Northern part of Pennsylya-
MIA. As our winters are colder than in
that latitude, so our summers must be
correspondingly warmer.
As it respects the state Of society, it
may be sufficient to say that our popula
ton is of mixed character. Nearly
every New England, Middle and Yves
tern State is here represented. We have
the Hoosiers," the " Succors," the
+" Buckeyes" and the Badgers" and
every description of yankees" We
have also the Scotch, the Canadian, the
German, the Swede, the Norwegian, and
hare and there a son of the Emerald
Isle. All these different classes are har-
moniously comingled together in this lit
tie Valley. Each has brought with him
a little of his native dialect and bit of
his mother tongue And although some
peculiar notions, prejudices, and little
native deprayity may still cling to each
of us, we believe that when well simmer
ed together, we shall make a homoge-
neous body. and that we shall all unite,
heart aud soul, in all enterprises that