Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-05-29
IN PIONEER DAYS.
Memories of Gentleman Who Travel
Through the Northwest In 1887.

put up at clearinghouse and tavern
kept by Cannon. The landlady
seemed to run the whole business-the
kitchen. dining-room and office. Here
we rested up for day or two. and
made a sale Of our ponies and wagon
to Colonel Hampstead. believe. Our
make returns. while the boys would
skip on foot via Chicago back to their
homes in Michigan.
AT Fulton we put up with a man who
was having his house fitted up for q
grocery store-residence above and
store below. The lower room was
unfinished. A carpenters bench and
tools. with plenty of shavings upon
the floor. little box stove and some
green wood constituted the furniture
Pointing to the floor around the stove.
he sail: Here, boys. this is all can
do for you; be careful about the fire. J"
We took lodging and put in goo !
gifts rest. At daylight in the
morning he came in and told us he
could give us no breakfast. He d
not expect another boat up the river
/ tiutf St't anu no supp VA HiONho-
ions was SC INT; he was afraid he would
not have enough to carry his family
through. But If we took that cattle
trail five or six miles we would find a
settler who had lately come in. and he
guessed he had brought provision,
with him. Accordingly we struc'
out. After some two hours brsk
travel VIC arrived at the house, ordere
breakfast. and it was furnished. Til,
bill of fare was hot corn-bread. fres
pork. wild honey and coffee. good
wholesome meal for footmen to travel
on. The next day we called for break
fast at settlers near Sterling. The
woman of tho house said she coul
| give us breakfast, ''but what kind o
money are you going to pay IMP" Oar
cashier produced some bills upon
New York safety fund bank. Sh
gazed Mt the bills and called to hcl
son, n young man. and told him: &C
and tell Harry to come here" an Older
son. He came staring at us suspicious
ly. and closely scrutinized our money
| questioned us as to who we were an
what was our destination. and final :,
told his mother that he guessed all wa
| right. And soon we were served witt
the best meal we had partaken of TO,
many day.
Oar next point Of interest was at thu
Widow Barry's tavern. about ten miles
west of Chicago. where we were toll,
that we could not get to Chicago as
there had been no communication for
four days. Recent heavy rains had
flooded nearly all Of that big, fat
prairie Immediately west of the city.
and the barl cold had frozen ice too
tender for teams or footmen and not
strong enough to bear up either. We
told tho folks that surveyors had no
such word rs cant in their diction-
AIRY, and we struck out for the little
town over the tender ice The habit
OF running lines caused us to take a
bee line, which soon led us into trouble.
Where the water was but few inches
deep the ice was strong enough to bear
us up, but as soon rs we came where
the water was considerably deeper the
ice broke and let us down. sometimes
to our waists. Sometimes we had to lay
down and slide to keep from break.
ing through We finally reached the
sandy beach of the lake. fatigued and
heated in tho upper half but chilled
and benumbed below. We hurriedly
made our way homeward. which we
finally reached the day before Christ
mas We brushed tho dust of the
great prairie from our garments. and
proceeded to celebrate our safe re-
turn by taking in the holidays. The
young people seemed to fairly lionize
us on account of the journey we had
made ''away to that river and upon
tho boundless praires inhabited onl y
by Wild beasts and savage Indians
close To the setting sum-"
Few of the younger people of lowe
and Illinois can now realize the won.
derful change that has taken place
since 1887. Michigan was bit sparse
" settled ut that date, and Noriherp
Illinois was only surveyed into town.
ships. and as for Iowa. the Indians
held sway over all except the Black
Hawk franchise. and l believe that
was only a strip along the river about
fifty miles wide. Seeing such a vast
amount of vacant country we natur.
ally thought it impossible for it
TO become settled and fully in.
habited In our day and gen.
GRAFTON. Whore could the people come
from to fill up this immense void OF
three great Territoriesp Those were
reasonable conclusions then, but the
experience Of the last forty years holds
up to our vision very different his.
terry. In thi, connection we are led to
inquire where he territory is that shall
supply the Westward bound emigra-
ton for the next half century, il emf.
grafton continues any thing like it ha.
been for the last fifty years? l would
hero further say that Indians wera
numerous upon that part of Iowa AT
the time we were surveying. We met
with detached parties of Wtnnebagnes.
Menominces. Cherokecs, Sacs. Foxes.
Osages and Sioux. They appeared 10
be hunting in small parties. The
game was plentiful especially in III
vicinity of tho Turkey timber w
saw deer. elk. geese. ducks, brant and
prairie chickens in f1cks too numcr.
Gus to mention.-E G. Cole, tn Du.