Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-01-26
THE HERALD.
Communicated
Notes by the Way.

we nave Just returned from visit
to the light house { which ia situated
in an old fortification of Gen Tay lor's
Ito me great curiosity. 1t is one
hundred feet high and the lamps and
refectofs cost thirty thousand dol
lars. Here let us pause a moment
while we revisit the harbor and
climb that tower Of iron to make the
acquaintance OF lis keeper We find
him AS required by the rules-a
strictly temperance man, the very
soul of fidelity, under somewhat
rough exterior, but by his sense of
responsibility rendered man of dig
nifty. Through the Iiveong night,
from his upper story window, his eye
is upon tho light, while he makes FREE
quent visits to trim and readiust it.
The light is made by single Ar
gand lamp, withtwo concentric wicks
which are III the focus Of "a cylinder
OF glass reHectors, which magnify the
fame one hundred and fifty times
and throw it out to the sailors ey,
from fifteen TO twenty miles.
realise Us never before the benif.
icence of the light, house system
warning the commerce Of the world
of from hidden shoals and reefs
marking hoadiands, indicating diff
cult channels. and the entrance t,
harhors the location OF stations be
ing such that the sailor passing from
the view of one hight, comes in sigh
OF the next.
| wake up to the fostering care of oul
own government, which through III
Light House Board, maintains fiv,
hundred light stations at an annua
expense OF o million dollars. Shed
ding its friendly light free Of charge
not only upon our own shipping, bu
upon the craft of all other nations
i while we in all countries abroad, ii
common with the native sailors, pay
a tax (in England till recently $500
on every trip for the use of the ligh
we pass. And so our nation itsei
becomes lighthouse TO the world
casting over il, in this respect as wei
as others, the light Of example in lib
eral spirit and noble principle.
We also visited the soldiers quar-
ters. They We're having u genera
cleaning up preparatory to Gen
Thomas visit on his return fron
Brownsville. Point Isabella befnr
the war was a place Of som
fifteen hundred inhabitants, but tn
rebels and union troops completed,
destroyed it, and there are now per
haps one hundred inhabitants.
We are now stopping at roughe
specimen Of q hotel than prob hi,
you ever saw The bar room is th
dining room, and the drinking am
corousing at the bar alternate witt
the Blessings at the table. The land
ford is very poIte and sets an excel
lent table, even induiging US in th
luxury OF napkins.
But | must close this long lette
hoping it will reach you il saasol
to wish you A Happy New Year
BEowxsvIlLr, Dec 60 1855.
BY date you perceive bave reach
ed my destination saie,aud sourd
after a journey Of nearly fourteen
days. God has prospered Us on on
way, and with the exception Of al
unn ecesSary detention al Point Isa
bella we have had q lex passage.
The ~'de of forty miles by ambu
lance, was over one 0. the stranges
countries ! ever beheld, resemhiin.
somewhat the Illinois prairieS, ant
abounding in huge cacti, palmetto
musdite and chaperell. The only
vegetable production | have seer
That looked natural was pig weet
at Point Isabella We passed over h,
battle field Of Palo Alto, which vii
always be memorable in history a,
the scene Of one Of Gen. Taylor
conflicts with the Mexicans. We saw
no house-nnly one miserable Mex
ican hut-between PIT Isabella an.
Brownsville. BY the way, the Missct
Grant had varied experience com
ing through with Gen. Thomas. /
being night. they were nearly upser
IN the lagoons, and though they hac
Il military escort. they lost Their way
and were obliged to hire a guide.
These prairies are very wet and af
ford pastnrage for vast herds o
horses and cattle. Here let me Civ.
You an item for Mr. Humphrey, who
you up there think, is largely cngag
ed IN stock raising A man here il
Brownsville, this year braudee
twenty Thousand calves Of his own, ant
sells annually fifteen thousand beeves
He has mules and horses in pro
portion, and his annual income from
stock OF his own raising IS aquarter o
q million. A person any where on the
Rio Grande, could coin money, By
going into either COTTON or sugar
raising The only trouble abouI
stock is that ono can raise SO much
aud 50 easily, that he hardly know
what disposition to make OF it. Tht
great want is d good market Beet
Is excellent and very cheap boarc
ia private, family yet our "bil ot
fare comprises beef, mutton, kid
ducks, pork, ham, &c, white hominy
sweet and Irish potatoes and vegeta
bles Of various kinds, not to say any
thing of desert nicely prepared by
Mr.. DIS negro man cook.
C. r. n.
aa5- What . queer people these
Sandwich Islanders are. You wonder
10 hy how GRO no lnn.rar nnrniunrnu.