The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-07-23
WALK IN THE COUNTRY.

A WALK IN THE COUNTRY.
One day last week we were taken with
desire~to see the waving fields of grain,
and taste the pleasures of romp amid
the new mown hay, so in the afternoon
we started with nothing to assist US on
our journey save stout stick. Those
who live in the country from year to year
may perhaps become so accustomed to
the beautiful things in Nature as to
hardly see them after a time, but take
one of that class and shut him up in town
where day after day he sees nothing but
the grim walls which line the dusty streets,
where he can hear no birds, where no
forests gracefully bend their leafy heads
as they extend welcome to their CRATE
full shade, but instead visit him with
lassitude and an effeminate form, and
then see if he will not appreciate country
life. We have spent years on farm,
and we believe it to be the pleasantest
life, IL many respects, man eyer lived.
True, there is hard work to do, so there
is in any occupation man may choose,
and it is much harder to work with the
brain all the time than it is to labor with
the hands.
1t was oppressively hot the day we
started out and we soon ascertained the
fact. While the lake breeze continued
it was very comfortable, but outside of
town mile or two we lost that and then
we had to take it. We found it very
convenient to stop when we reached the
residence of our old friend Harvey Hub
bard Here under the trees, refreshed
by his cherries, currants and raspberries,
we had long chat in regard to business
and the future of our county. One idea
OF his strikes us as being important to
the farmer, yet often lost sight of entirely.
He thinks the farmer should not give his
whole time to the culture of wheat nor
of any other one farm product In this
country there is a market for almost any
crop the farm can produce, and it often
happens that when wheat does not pay
for raising, beef cattle are very high, and
when beef is low a good colt will sell to
advantage. Last winter wheat was high,
SO this spring every farmer went into
wheat heavily and the chances are that
the prices will go down. IF it don't it
will be the greatest piece of luck in the
world. But even with the high prices of
wheat it would have been better to raise
pork, which is now enormously high. 1t
was low last fall, but when a thing is l0,o
is the safest time, generally speaking, to
commence, for by the time one gets fairly
started the market is ready. We babe
adieu to the shady haunts of our friend
and started on. The sight of the wheat
fields was glorious. We forgot the heat
in admiration of those waving heads of
grain, and never have we seen so many
good fields of wheat and so little that was
poor In almost every field the grain
stands as thick as the ground will bear
and not a single case of lodged grain was
visible. At the time of which we write
the farmers were little fearful lest the
excessive heat would keep it from filing
But since then we have had nice
shower and cool weather, so that the
prospects for an immense crop were never
better We called at Lyon & Co.'S. mill
formerly Murphy s-for the first time
since the reconstruction. The old mill
was torn down and new one, 3Sx5O two /
stories, put up about year ago. The
power at this place is one of the best on
the river, there being full twelve feet fall.
The mill is at present calculated only for
saving such lumber as is needed in the
vicinity, and for cutting long ship timber
1t has one upright and two circular saws,
all of which run as smooth and quietly as
any we haye ever seen. Mr. E. N Evans
of the firm of Lyon g. Co., Is the builder,
and his work speaks volumes in his praise
as master mechanic. There is plenty
of power to spare at this place and the
proprietors contemplate putting in other
machinery. We hope it will be done,
for after all we need manufactures to
make farming profitable. The firm have
also erected large boarding house, some
22x42, two stories, and wing lSx24. 1t
will soon be one of the finest places on
the road to
CJARKS MILLS,
Where we arrived Friday morning in a
good state of preservation, although the
mercury indicated l2s in the sun and 9S
in the shade. We dropped in on our
friend Mr.. D. 3. Knapp and found him
doing lively trade with the farmers of
his locality. Not long ago he bought
Singer Manufacturing Machine for leather
work, which he informs us gives excellent
satisfaction, and is now being used by Mr..
p. D. Malone, formerly of this place, but
now fairly located there and doing good
business for himself His shop adjoins
the store of Mr.. Knapp, and as he adver-
tises of course is crowded with work.
We went down to the p. o and had
chat with the Post Master about the
army, where he, unfortunately, lost his
right arm close to the shoulder Mr.
Spencer Clark we also found at his store,
as good natured as ever. Mr. Clark in
forms us that the business of the town is
rapidly improving that farmers, since
they became assured of good crops, have
boor GboroI ~ tbo;r ,,urob,cos onJ tb,t