, 1881-02-27

Mazur!1a." 10. Ch[ue Not MY deart, Aua
:. Heartsease Waltz by William S1nall"ooo.
EARLY CHICAGO.
rr1a1x and TribulNttonx Endured by
the Inlu bfta.ltx Forty Years Ago.
10 the Editor Of The Chtcaao Tribune.
CHICAGO, Feb. 2G.-As some Of your readers
NAV have no i.ica OF tho hat;!snlps encountered
by the first settlers on reuchlng our city In carly
times, wilt make II few extracts from notes
n,nde some twenty yenrs since, which trust
will be found interesting: 10 commence, just
fancy yourself Standing Oh the road leading
from the Gust into: Michigan City, ono cold. raw,
wet afternoon about the middle OF October, and
there you would have seen two covered wagons,
one drawn by two horses, the other Dy one
vending their slow and tedious way a1ong tho
muddy, miry roau leAdtng from LII Porte, shcfs
called Door Prairie. tho place from which they
hud started that morning. and though only 1our-
teen miles distant it had taken them the whole
dny to accomplish tho distance, and hnrd work
at that, occasloncd by the viliainons roads over
which they had passed, or, to speak
more literally, through which the tired
horses had dragged thom, tor it mad been out OF
Que mu1hoIc into another tho whole distance.
and the poor beasts looked pretty well fagSea
out from their day work and the previous gu
miles they had already come I'LL their journey.
Some OF the party were walking, and from thc'r
appcarancc-nud-b bcspattcred clothcs-looked
as il thoy had put their shoulders to the wheel
more than once that day. Walk with them to
the 1uvern, to which they are evidently bending
their steps, and, while standing there, let us
take look at the occupants as they a'iRht from
their vehicles. 1t IL very evident from their up
pearance that they are not rough iUosicrs from
Indiana, or Buckeyes from the hackwoods of
Ohio Tor there is. Notwithstanding their travel
worn appearance and the circumstances in
which they are placed. something III thc1r
looks and manners which stnmps them as
fur superior in mental culture and clvilizatf ton
to the rough, uncouth persons usuusly scen
tumbliug out of movers w,tGon.-thoughp prob
ably not SO well calculated TO get nlong III Il new
country or to endure the priynHons experienced
for the past few weeks, or tho truvcl and hard
ships of the next few days, rs the other classes
would have been. Their very wagons look us II
taste and neatucss were not wholly forgotten.
They are u large family, tho heads OF which are
gentleman aud lady past the meridian Of life,
al elderly lady accompanying them, nine chill
drcn. the eldest young MAN just approaching
manhood, and his four brothers. three young
girls not yet in their teens, and one Just enter
Ing that important eru. Two young men, friends
OF tho fntnily, who accompany them, complete
the party. Taken together, they comprise IL
group not often seen su fur West In those early
days when Chicago WIS On the very confines OF
civilization. .....-
BUT they are now quietly seated in tho tavern.
description Of which will answer for nineteen
out Of twenty of AL they have stopped at dur,ng
their Journey. The outer door opens into q
large room used as Il sttting-rooln for tho men
folks and also us II burroonl, for In one corner,
with two or three shelves. Oh which arc arsnnye1
IL bottles, the different co!ored liquors, for
suppose the color is about all the difference you
could have found i'll them. Us the brandy. gsn,
pr6 1rh
iu Ohio. with tho addition OF burnt sugar ana
juniper berries to suit the tastes Of their c1so~
ful,,iiy sitting room. also used us dinins-room
for travellers. and out OF that usunlly kitchen
md small family Tne 1pRef tNo roos story
rangcd rum d. along the sides. Once ~
drawlng @ across the further end of tho room, af
fordinE 4 little privacy to the female pornon OF
! the occupants, but often not even that, the bcd
come tirst- served principle. Meals usually con-
sisted or bread. butter, potatoes. and fried pork
now u1ld theu you might get a few eggs, bn1 not
rs far Vest ,,s our travellers now find themselves.
| Such were the accommodations travellers hud to
ptlt up with in thpse carly times. II they could
| lind n tin wash-basin and clean towel. for tho
| whole party to use. generally used on !. bench
| outside tho back dour, they considered them
| selves fortunate. Nine times out OF ten tne
beds were ni occupied or at least bespokc1l, but
our travellers were well prepared for such &C, &C,
| cl,rrcnccs, lis tho orc-horse wagon was liled
with mattresses. blankets, pillows, cloaks, and
other articles to make up comfortable oeds o1
| tho floor, which was done according to cir,
| cumstauces, sometimes in the bnr-rooE, nnd
| sometimes in the dinng-roon The titnespokcn
Of in Michigan City it WIS in the inner room,
where, at lU O'clock, VIC will leave them 1or It1e
night, the female portion of the family OH the
mattresses the Male OH tho sOftcst ptMrd tncy
could pick out, wrapped up III blunket and
| cluAk. ..-, .
They were early astir the next morning, not
that they need have been had not the room been
| fD3 Tor
| mined tn spend the day where they were 10 rest
| the horses before ycntur'ng on the forty-two
| them and the Cnluulct Riycr. During the day
| they woul. have tonnd ample time to have seen
ail there WIS to oe seen ln thc emoryo, g. elty'
| hab,lnnts. The buildings consisted OF one small
t brick tavern. frn1ne one opposit Il o'acASiniln-
shop store und hai aozen nduses , ous t-ii, ~,
place Of sand, being locnted on lar more SAINT
hills than ever nncient Rome was GU hills. IT
Michigan. 4 small creek cmptied itself into tho
| luke. though apparently much too small Tor any
/ harbor ever to be formed there. Altogether It
was one Of the most dreary- looking places inng-
| Unable, nothing inviting nbout it. Our party
were milking what preparations they could for
Source. a c. Ail they could get was i sucking pig,
two small pieces of pork, and halt u busnci Ut
| potatoes: no butter Or milk wns to be hal for
honeg Sf in the So hey s"s @
| provisions would last thnul through. From all
| tho Information they could EGt tney HaQ 1nuue
| up their minds to spend one night
| on the lake-sh0rc, either In tho wagon
| or under the broad canopy of heaven. 1t Is very
| evident from their conversation that they dread
tho Journey, for two Of their horses ure nbout
| used up, and their loads nrc heavy, but VIC will
again leave them for the night The next m orl~
iug found them up bright n1ld cnrly for start,
| and after getting breakfast and rrpAckfng the
WAGONS, they made it by putting the three horses
| to the smallest wagon a11d huuitng it over the
! hills to tho shore, when the lady und children
started on their tosoMc Journey. while the men
| folks took span Of the horses back for tho
| double wagon. They soon found the depth Of
the sand ,ld the difficulties of the way had not
| been exaggerated, for it was nll they could do to
| reach the heach, un which they had barely
| travelled hnf-u-1nile when the horses came to u
| duuii stop, which delayed tht1n suite till,c and
| they: concluded the only way Of making any
| progress ut nll was by travelling In the
| water on tho edge of the lake. Even
there they found the sand 50 heavy
| that they had to stop every now and then to
breathe the horses. which made it very tedious
| travelling. Il WIS ; UCiuck before they over
| took tho first wagon th,tt stur,cd. The fnInily
| complained uf great fatigue. hut there was no
help for 1t, they could not ride. the SINGLE hnrie
was completely used up; all their urging could
not move him. To aud to these troubles 9c
| wind and waves began to rise, driving them fur
ther up tho beach, 1t hccarnc evident 1hat Z
| heavy storm WIS blowing up. After deal of
! useless trouble and eNcrtion, it WIS decided tut
| the twG-borse wagon should proceed with the
family until they could tind some sheltered spot
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