Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-04-09
Plum City--M.,den rock, Etc.

ping over the pebbles. As we descend
ed the stream we found more breadth of
bottom land which was quite generally
improved. We found thriving Dutch
farmers. with very fine oxen, cows, sheep.
and swine, in larger numbers than are
already found among the Yankees
Three miles from the Post Office We
found neat, tidy and capaeious flame
school house, well finished and painted
white. Friend John discoursed well
and truly upon the importance Of schools
and education, and it appears to be n
fact that this settlement of foreigners
better, far better appreciate and improve
these advantages than many Yankee SET
Elements. We called on some of the
farmers, from whom | could learn little
save through my interpreter, and having
gained the information | sought, l parted
with my interpreter, and hurried eff
down Plum Creek again. When fan
enough to satisfy my curiosity, / took
my course westward up the first ravine,
for there are roads running up and down
nearly Ill of them. And here | wan
dered, making all sorts of angles, acute
angles, obtuse angles, right angles and
wrong angles, finding settlements here
and there till reached the highlands.
As you proceed north-westerly from
North Pepin, you cross n large tract OF
wild, unimproved land, held. doubtless,
BY spectators. 1t is, in The main, rol-
ling prairie, with some excellent and
some decidedly poor soil But whether
good or poor, it is quite time it was i'm
proved, that some profit might be OBJ
tanned from it.
Pursuing the even tenor Of my way.
l at length reached the O'Brien neigh.
borhood, where we found good farms
opened. and tho lands generally i'm.
proved. But further west aud south is
found another blank, if not bleak region.
Some venturesome wight has started the
plow, however, and handsome field is
in prospect. Here are several hundred
acres Of beautiful land, equal in quality
of soil to any in the county, doubtless,
which, for some unaccountable reason, is
lying idle. But l trust that five years
more will not elapse before plowsbureS
and Framing hooks will have transformed
this now wild waste into the most pro-
ductive and beautiful farms.
Leaving this we descend crazy ra-
vine aud come suddenly upon the village
of Maiden Rock, long since celebrated
in song, romance and history. The
village contains about thirty dwelling
houses. and not much hess than two hun
ui'd IbhHhit"hiS' 1HO HI"iu puftioh OI
the old settlers there are from the State
Of Maine, and hang upon those cliffs and
rocks as naturally rs though they had
been born there. Their business depart.
ments are quite well balanced, and me
chanics and other laborers are found
ready and willing TO meet all emergen-
cies. This place will soon command a
large amount of business. The towns
of Unica, Salem aud Maiden Rock must
find an outlet for their surplus products
Mt this point, while Eock Elm. Martel
and FL Paso must, ut least, divide their
trade with this place.
Next homewari by way of Warren
town, and scaling tho hills westward, we
reach Peter Sherman's, Nm. Ridge
mans, and finally whole neghborhood
up here in the woods where we little ex-
pected to find anybody. Here, too, is
another fine section Of country, where
the forest is rapidly yielding to the
woodman's axe, AMI where health and
strength abound. And this is Isabel,
where they are all " as mad as March
hare because they have become part
of Hdrtland. The old town embraced
nearly ten sections, and how sad thing
il is that their identity rs Il town is hero
ter TO be lost The reunion of these
two small towns ought to be hailed with
the same eagorness the compliment Of
the traveller to the landIady's butter and
cheese, when spreading the one upon the
other he earnestly exclaimed, "Comc
together agsin, l tell We,
and cuss the one that separated We !"
al REFLECTIONS.
Pierce county is rapidly growing in
wealth and intelligence
Where, but few years since, we found
but two Touring mills and thrice as many
saw mills, we now find twenty two saw
mills eleven Touring mills, with nm aver
age capacity Of three times that of the
first. We also find fine little villages