The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-06-16

The following extract Is from the settlement
and Early History Of La sale County" 10y FL.
mer Baldwin 10 be published this season, 1t is |
from an article en- the tolls, pr!yations and
achievements of the pioneers. II is taken at ran
dom as an indication Of The style aud character
of thu work-a tribute to those who changed a !
wilderness 70 Tie happy abode Of civilized men;
visitor from the eastern states has often
tainted the tol.ing pioneers with such remarks
as these why DO you stack out your hay and
grain: why don't you have barns, comfortable
houses, stables for your cattle and other conNe-
nienceS as we haycg He should have been an
wered: You are enjoying the fruits OF the labor
OF generations OF your ancestors, while we have to
create all we have We have made necessarily
rude and cheap shelter for ourselves and animals
and have fenced our farms and dug our wells.
We have 20 made our roads, bridge our streams,
build our school houses, churches, court houses
and jails, and when one improvement was com
pleted another want stared us in the face, All
thcse have taxed the energies OF the new settler
te.the extent Of human endurance, and many fell
by the way, unable 10 meet the demands upon
their energies
The only wonder is that SO mach has been &C
compiished, that so many comforts, conNen!ences
and Injuries have crowned Tic efforts of our
people, that we have reached point for which
a century Of effort might well have been allow
ed. Political and financisl theorists have taunt
ngly told the farmers e. Illinois that they know
nothing Of finance, except what wiser heads have
told them, that they have made nothing by farm
ing, and would re poor except for the advance
in the price OF farms.
These solors should be told that it is.the toll
Of those Ia. ners that hHs made the farms Increase
in price; this toll has clothed them with valua-
ble improvements, planted orchards and fruit
gardens, made roads and bridges, and converted
a wilderness into q land OF beauty, and made il
the happy aboGe Of intelligent men. All this
had to he done 10 make the farms advance in
price and those who have done this, raised and
educated their families, have done well, and if
the advance in the price OF their farms has Civ
en- them a competence, IL is what they antcIpat-
ed, and nothing but the most perseyering indus.
try and frugGlity would have accomplished 1t.
In addition TO the labUrs and multitude Of
cares that besei the new conner, he had il all to
accomplish under disadvantages and TO cncoun-
ter dangers that Of themselves were sufficient To
discourage men not OF stern resolve-trayeling
roads UnwOrked and crossing streams without
bridges was often pcr.ioIs adventure. Many
were the hair brcacth escapes which most OF liz"
early settlers can recall and which in late years
were never referred 10 without thrill Of emo
ton. - 70 the time Of building the first bridge
over The Nermil.iUn the writer had record Of
/ TWENTY-FIVE persons drowned in that tTcachcrOuS
stream, within a distance Of ten miles each way
from that locality. all drowned in attempting 70
/ ford the stream. II was a common remark that
when man left home in the morning IL was
very uncertain whether his Wlic'- next dress
would be q black one or % some other color.
Crossing the wide prairie ~ night with not
/ even the wind or stars for guides was very I'M
certain adventure and often the wayfarer travelled
lliN exhausted; and encamped TIL the morning
, light should guide him on his way. In warm
weather, although an unpleasant exposure, this
was not dangerous one; and although the sen
satlOn Of being Lost is more irksome and the
] LONELY silence in the middle Of prairie, broken
only ~ The howl Of the wolves, i more unpleas-
ant than one Inexperienced would imagine, and
the guawing Of a stomach innocent uf supper
adds much to the discomfort, u all passes with
/ lie night aud a brighter view ana happier feel
4 iuGs dawn with the breaking morn. But cross
7 ing the trackless prairie when covered with a
drea.y eXpanse Of snow, with the fierce, unbrok-
en- wiLtry blast sweeping over IL glistening sur
face penetrating to the very marrow, was some
times fearful and dangerous experience. No
condition could inspire q more perfect idea Of
loosely deso!ation. Of eutire discomfort, OF help
lessness and Of dismal fOrbOdings, Than 20 find
ones self lost on the suow-COycred prairie with
no object In sight in any direction Jut tie cold,
uuduatinC snow wreatls aud q dark and tcm-
. vestUoGs winter night fast closing around his
chilled and exhausted frame His saEacious horse
d hv spasmodic efforts and continuous neigting
shows that with his master he appreciate the
danger and shares his fearful autr!pations. With
what longing the lost reflects ou The cosy Ere
ste o. BE warm cabin, surrounded ~ lie loved
ores which lie fears be may never see, aud when
-tle dark shadow q nigh; A2s eiosel around