New-York tribune., 1872-12-02
FIRST YEAR ON a PRAIRIE
AN EARLY SETTLES EXPERIENCE.


,ppoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THB TRIBuNBI
MApIsoN'Wis., Nov. 2l.-The settlers wagons
,pste freeA trails across tho grass, the West
ern preiries grow green in late Spring. Many of
the taces turned westward for new homes wonder
vita, welcome these viii bring The experience Ia
sre case repeats that OF all others. Tho men 80 thmk
ing OF hundreds OF waiting arable the women
are f Of regret the homes they leave. and desire
TO see the boundlcss howery lawns, or ruddy plum
orchards aud strawberry fields, stocked for them Dy
nature beforehand. Those whose feet have uod the
same green shining trails and gone through the same
experiences hope enthusiasm and encounter can 'ei
them Of the reality
WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T NEEp
Eighteen years ago when the lands this side OF the
Mssssipp; were as wild those beyond II, our fanny
made new home in the braoing air of Wisconsin Inc
yather went TO prospect" in summer vacation fell Z
IN love with the idea Of owning land and bought 500
acres Of Government and about 20 mikes north OF inc
capital Like most, n not all OF the NorthNestern
country these Wisconsin prslries were not level pu'
wore of lovely rolling green, between belts ana san
N, vood she oak openings socaed suppose, because
they closed the prospect or every sde May OF these
slones we're bold enough TO be called hss and were
known in tae SETTER phrase as bluns
name which belied their smooth outline Our
prairie was seven niles FROM oakwoea to oaS|oou' Z
north and sonth by Is miles and west its loS asy
rises descerdng into basins where water wss iouhu
most Of t season, beside rsvnes OF seams when car
ried Oft tho melting SHOWS n Spring There were pouus
streams in The timber Whlch vas sure 10 uo az
home OF eauny Scotch aBd Irish farmers who Kept heFs
al catt,e on the snug shetered Teadows American
owners took up aUarta, section Or two of open prrle
and raised wheat at she rate Of 40 bushels an tere
winch sold anywhere between 8 and ~ ousnSl oy
carving a days journey to railroah. Eyery man
held 20 acres wood and to sUfny his iSmy WIN ue
drawing the wood Rom three nine miles. 80 this
place we ramo, slender. nervsus Hooers' toV inbred
over-studcus lothro part wth church and SCHOOL, oue
koacing ourselves with the Sdea Of gaining Rath ana
easy comfort in farming LIE Everything Dnt DOCKS
and clothing was sold before we oaue Inc precious
collection of mir erals and ouriosues made by an ANA
teur during 20 gears search among the fossils oil 'o
wabashValley 'sent TO the museumof young college,
maps and pct1res, few prints ana portIuls
luckily uufraussd, were disposed Of; the monthly roses
IN pots were gwen away, and the household ware pas
elai brushrs baskets. Jars an that collects IN years
swept on upeparngly; Il was MT worth while TO pay
freight on such comnioa things; they could be easily
rerIaced p,ut the Hebrew books, in maroon binding,
ana scarlet edges Ing volumes Of transactions"
and hound pamphlets the es OF Missionary Heraids.
and TIE TRIBUNE for . years al went beside ease OF
school ana college textbooks which might be useful
There was no pickug preserving done that season
woua not do TO carry irui. 80 far We could buy the
first year
,srovfsuIyG srrI,rlrg.s or WISCONSIN FARMFRs.
PEOPLE told MS alternately Of the prairie swells
covered with brilliant flowers and Of the Winter drifts
burriuc orchards and fences and We listened with an
equally hazy idea Of either The in the rich Ohio
valleys was the hight OF o when we left aud be-
fore eutetnher would hide both horse and rider in It's
giant growth. How stuuted and backward the yard.
brb corn Of the Wisconsin fields looked; how cold the
July ar was after our ardent Summer as we rode
the ast miles the place where life and labor
were 20 be1ni There was house our land and the
pru,na man the place, one0f the oldest settlers did
what he did for all new comers and gave us the
use Of t,s0 rooms III mis- own house mile away. lie
owned tle best house u town, stOry-anda-half frame
cottage with blinds and piazza We had the parlor and
spare bedroom tho piazza for china closet. save
the mark! The mother examination Of the " store"
three miles Off back with scant supply Of blue
edged def aud iron forks, which were bestowed in
dry goods box the porchland regularly got wet aud
rusty every time t lancd. 10 tie room IA feet square
were two beds cOOkstOve, and tables, b0ardedup
books gazing the pork frying and breadmagng that
consumed time, while our boxes were piled in every
high as they would stand We were crowded
Gisrusted and tired at once. and there help but
20 live straight through II all Help was not to be had
or thought Of The went straight to work planting
sud finishing fence the place mile away from which
they drove down 70 dinner and supper. We women
had nothing TO do but fall 10 the bust
ness Of supplying those furnishing Wisconsinlappe-
ut,5 which every settler ayerred for the
fret two three years never could be
Falated. TIE crisp healthy air stimulates hunger 70
degree tlati humiauug 70 look back on 1t was ike
ho devouriug appetite Henry Ward Beecher cOnfesses
OF bis bcysh days. People eat enormous meals, yet al
ready 10 eat more. To show you what Imean,
would take eight large potatoes and four broad
srd pie 10 match, and very well remember two girls
who had been estTay in corn-6ed and pumpkngrouud,
over and hll, bright day in August, coming
eat fresh bread ana butter such only Wis
consiu know how to make, NJ the rate often
noble slices apiece, and then paungS because neither
wanted 20 take the slice first. But whatever people
etc days they worked enough to makeup for it
How the abouudng fruits OF the OhiOs country were
Ei.sedtheui The fare pork and potatoes with
dried apples and crauberIies by OF luxury. Gran
Iu
scarcity OF a that good that indicates Therewas alb
foiutey nothing else 10 be had Orchards were not in
bearug, small fruits had been neglected wild strawber
Tcs exhausted and the time Of pums was not We
would have gwen anything for TWO years supply Of
canned fruit and fine vegetables when were living
steweG Zantc crauts ut 3j cents pound the only
salt food Ice uo.saved, ,.and idid not pay
20 kin beef in the warm weather Chickens scarce,
and peope had brought Eastern idea that poultry
was luxury when 70 not nuisance in gardens aud
cornAeds on, but that cooking question aew burden
10 the women before the first years Of settlers life
over. The garden almost always neglected By the
men, who were in hurry to their sixty acres OF
wheat and pow in the Spring aud IT well
n potatoes were planted in Father was
nearly swept by current Of set in next
year, but early training had some influence, and he
made garden that something to take pleasure in
IMITATION ArPLK PIES.
The first Autumn dreafy enough without fruit, no
rpening orchards, ruddy peaches, brown pears
neither quRoe medar for preserving, but the seaD
Wild grapes from the EOps of high trees, and
few blackberres picked the river banks, dozen
miles away People ate the turDps fne-grained
and delicate OF favor, for want f "other fruit" In
deed, they were nckuamed WiscOI sin apples those
days. Forthe sake OF variety made pies Of every