Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1869-07-23
Iowa Correspondence.
Polk Co., Iowa, July IL, 1869.


gladly accept your invitation to report
myself occasionally to your paper, and
thereby TO friends we have left behind.
Already we have been long enough
out in camp life to take away its novelty,
and let us down on the real facts in the
case. It's not all fun, nor is it all gloom
but, as much as any other manner of
life perhaps, combines the two, sufficient
Iy to give variety and full scope for the
exercise of patience and endurance.
To be camped out on broad prairie
with night at hand, the storm cloud
stretching up the sky, the winds threat
ening to bear away the fragile tent, with
thoughts of his snakeship crawling over
your feet and about your head ere morn
ing; is little trying to the nerves, but
one soon becomes accustomed to il, so
that sleep comes for all, and the morning
freshness sweetens it all.
The prairie breezes even under the
noon day sun, are more pleasant than
the shaded wood land, in the heated day
The meal cooked by the camp fire
tastes sweeter than the most delicious
fare of hotel life. Indeed, such have
been our improvement in the eating line,
that the staples of life are relished as
only rarities of life were before. If this
continues, Kansas had better be laying
up in store for time to come.
Truly we have passed through some
delightful country already. The broad
acres of Minnesota and Iowa stretching
out their surface as if to invite settlers to
make their homes, if not their fortunes
by cultivating them, lay in abundance in
our rout.
But alas, as we make inquiry we find
that years ago spectators bought them
aud now hold them so high that men
pass on "out west" where land can be
gotten cheaper.
Through southern MINI. and northern
Iowa we found the roads bad, from the
recent heavy rains that had fallen IN
these parts, so that had we not a spry
team, and light load, we might have been
in some of those sloughs yet. for aught
| we know.
We are now in grasshopper region.
Last year they devoured oats, and
wheat through this part of the state in a
fearful manner, and yet farmers seem to
have plenty. The present crop, which
is almost ready for the reaper, is very
heavy one. and will in part at least, COM
pensate for the failure of last year.
We are spending this, our second Sab
bath out, nine miles north of Des Moines
in Quaker settlement. This A. NJ. we
went to a Quaker Sabbath school where
were 25 or 80 children. and goodly
number of parents. 1t occurred to me
that the cheerful little ones would like to
sing some of those beautiful songs that
other Sabbath school children delight so
much in, but not song was heard dur
irg the session. A lengthy chapter was
read in which the children manifested
but little interest. few papers dis
trituted and the little ones were dismiss.
ed.
We thought, wba. pity for their own
good, even, that these honest, sincere,
and devoted people, do not modernize a
little more, and thus give to themselves
greater permanency by keeping up with
the demands Of the times.
Public worship came, the fathers and
mothers met for their hour of devotion
and passed it in silence excepting five
or ten minutes speech from one of the
elderly ladies' After all we were fully
convinced that many true worshipers
were there, who worshiped the Father
in spirit and in truth"
So far my health seems to be improv-
ing andsI am hopeful that the out doors
life will help me upon my feet again
with usual health.
To my friends in Prescott I am greatly
indebted, and wherever 1 90. remem-
brance of them will linger with me.
For the church that impaired health
alone caused me to leave so soon-I send
greeting-my best wishes, and highest
hopes of their success.
III. CHADEAYNE.
NEWSPAPER NOTICES The last issue