Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-08-29
Missouri correspondence.


heated season was over for the present,
But, alas, the mistake. The mercury
located so long among the 90s refuses to
come down, and even manifests an up
ward tendency Atthls writing 6 clock
7. N } it stands 81 in the shade and 100
in the sun How will that do for high
People with n natural aversion to labor,
like large portion of the natives Of the
sunny South, are certainly justified in
lying in the shade on such day as this
Business Of all kinds is exceedingly
dull. There is very little money in the
country, and aside from the lead raised
in the neighborhood, little or nothing to
bring it here. Fruit Is plenty, but there
is no market outside Of what is required
for home consumption, The distiilerv
to which | alluded in my last, is so far
| advanced that they expect to commence
the manufacture Of peach brandy next
week, and are already engaging peaches
at p cents bushel A, this price they
will be hauled for fifty miles around, and
large quantities will he worked up. The
surplus corn will also find market in
the same direction. Since have been
here the products Of the country, aside
from corn, have not been sufficient to
supply the home demand Last spring
several car loads OF potatoes from Hi
nois found n ready market here for seed
at from 81 so 10 s. 90 a bushel. Should
the farmers the coming fall do as they
did las year let them freeze up in the
ground) the same demand will occur
next spring This country will produce
just well az Wisconsin with proper
cultivation. But the ambition Of the
| Suutherner goes no further than to raise
enough to do him, and that consists OF
/ plenty of corn and bacon for his family,
and u surplus sufficient for the purchase
Of his coffee and tobacco, and few
pounds Of butter and dozens Of es9s to
pay for dry goods, | had heard much
said OF the manner in which these peo-
| pie hive, but could no, realize il unnl, in
company with gentleman of the bar,
! took a ride in the country where he had
to attend law suit We stopped at Il
farm. house "a 7,,9 log cabin, the owner
Of which had q good farm with from
forty TO fifty acres in cultivation, for
dinner. The bill Of fare consisted OF
cold corndodges, tried bacon, and hard
fried eggs with II cup OF tea, which latter
article was an extra for the occasion
( Being detained over night, we went "A
! couple of miles out CT our road in she
morning to well.to.do farmers for
breakfast, where we found the same bin
Of fare minus the eggs. Ia neither case
had they milk, sugar or butter on the
table Such IS country life in Southwest
Missouri and they are perfectly con
tented, and appear to desire nothing
more.
There is considerable land in thi,
/ ncirhhorhood similar to the brush land
around Mineral Point The Wisconsin
farmer who desired 20 put such land in
cultivation, would first proceed to grub
it and fit it for he pillow Here shcy cut
the brush and small underground from
one to two feet from the ground, and
then with what they call bull tongue
pillow, Gan implement similar To common
pillow, with very narrow moul1hoard and
point extending nearly to the end o.
the BEAM with a pair of ponies or
mules that look rs though they might
have been wintered upon the fog arising
from dismal swamp, they root around
among the gruhs, leaving it in about
the condition that rail splitting hog
wonid leave it after roofing for "a lest
acorn, and wait the SOW process of rot
ting among the roots to ut 1t tor the
plow. Your readers must not under
stand that al the farmers in this coun-
try clear their land in this way, for we
have some good farmers in Southwest
Missouri. who are literally rewarded for
their toll 10y abundant crops but a As
the way the real Southerner proceeds to
mt his land IN a condition for cultsa-
tou. | have written this much TO 1--WE
your readers an idea Of the difference
between northern aud southern people