The Indianapolis journal., 1885-01-05
EARLY INDIANA.
A Sketch of Life in the Clearings-The
Problem Of River Drainage

Extract from Prof John Cam mpbeis paper before the
Indiana College Association.
The pioneers of seventy years ago numbered
only $4,000 in the entire Territory. They had
come, heterogeneous mass, from Ohio, Penn
sylvania, New York and New England-from
Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas
from Ireland, Germany, England and France.
Attracted by the glowing reports Of this Ell Do
rado, they came, vast army of settlers-the "a
600 of 1910 swelling to $4,000 in 1920, and to
343 900 in $780, In 1910 the population in
creased to 6s5Ooo in 1850 to $4,000; in 1860 to
1850 900; in 1870 to 1885, 000 in 1880 to 1873
00O and at present it is over 100000.
The early settlers came under all the Difficult
ties incident to slow travel, with heavy wagons,
over roads well-nigh impossible, hindered by
bottomless mud and unbridged rivers, exposed
to all the hardships connected with camp life in
wilderness; yet they came, mighty host of
heroic men and more heroic women, and made
this wilderness home.
stranger riding through the West,
BY chance did find Hoosers nest;
In other words a Buckeye cabin,
just large enough to hold Queen Nab In.
The pioneers first work was TO cut out leca-
tion and with the logs construct cabin-wholly
unpretentions yet yithal comfortable. Game
and fish were abundant and in their season ber-
ries and wild plums were added to the bill OF
fare, which usually consisted Of pork corn bread
and hominy. The great work of the first set
tiers was to get rid of the thick timber growth
that they might cultivate the land
Life in the Clearings," is a subject of itself.
The trees were cut down, then made into work
able lengths, then rolled together and burnt.
Amid the stumps, charred logs and ashes of the
clearing, the pioneer planted his first crop of
corn, potatoes and tobacco, happy in the thought
that he was now 'sgetting settled in
the world. This was spring time, and he
worked and waited for the needed harvest.
This harvest came but before wheat-sowing
time another unwelcome experience awaited
him. the luxurant growth of vegetables and
weeds with the newly disturbed soil, developed
malarial diseases of malignant type. Mud, tim
Der and ague constituted the trinity of trouble IN
the early development of this State
1t was easy enough to raise 100 bushels of corn
to the acre, but the difficulty was to get the acre
cleared. Then, after the corn was produced, 1T
was more difficult to to take it to the distant
market over the bad roads, and it was most diff
cult to DO compelled to spend goodly portion of
the proceeds of his crop for barks and whisky,
or quinine straight, to stop his chattering, and
shivering, and burning, as illustrated In the
Wabash shakes; and to crown this misery with
out particle of that best of sauces, a good ap-
petite to enjoy the remnant Of the results OF his
toll This was pioneer life.
This trinity of troubles has ceased to trouble
u.s. It is no longer a question how to get rid OF
our forests. bat how to preserve them lie who
plants tree now is a better citizen than he who
needlessly destroys even sappling. The mud
difficulty exists chiefly of the thoroughfares,
and, although there are and must be bad roads,
where they are not artifcially improved, In
AM las Uaff 10 iudici0uS farmer
may so adjust the times for the short hauls nee
eessary for the marketing of his crops that the
mud trouble may be said to be no longer serious.
The ague also has largely diminished, and in
great portion of the State has almost wholly dis
appeared. This is due to improved drainage,
destruction of weeds, better food better houses
and better living. The log cabin is now only
reminiscence, and with it has gone large part of
the pestilent fevers which quarter of a century
ago gave this State and its neighboring States
not desirable notoriety.
INDIANA RIVER DRAINAGE
In nothing has the physical improvement OF
the State produced more marked results than
the changes wrought in out interior and border
rivers and smaller streams White river and
the Wabash, fifty years ago, were about twice
the average size Of the present streams The
drainage Of the extensive table lands at the
sources of these streams has permanently dimin-
iShed their average value. But the tile drain,
bitches and other improved channels have also
increased the danger Of excessive overfows dur
ing unusual wet seasons. 1t is proper to recog
nize this danger and provide against it. The
common suggestion in reference to floods is to
straighten the channels, in order to provide
more ready outlet for the water. This sugges-
ton is correct if the primary object is drainage,
but is incorrect if the main thing is to provide
against floods
If the channels of the chief tributaries of the
Ohio like the Miami Kentucky, Whitewater
and Wabash were materially Strengthened the
danger from floods in the Ohio would be greatly
increased The same is true of the Ohio itself
as tributary of the Mississippi. IF the straight
ening process is adopted it should be begun at
the mouth of the Mississippi and extended up
ward to the different tributaries
The present channels of our rivers are the re-
suits of natural forces and are adequate for all
ordinary changes; and the better plan for further
protection is to increase the capacity of these
natural channels without materially changing
their length or location Ample flood channels
should be provided outside of the ordinary
banks, yet confined within reasonable limits.
The boundaries of these flood channels would in
clude considerable bottom or plow land and
some towns. This land possibly might still be
cultivated at venture but the'towns should be
abandoned for better sites.
Beatrice's Proposed Husband.
i1od oil nhi