Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-06
EARLY SURVEYS IN IOWA.
Return to Civilization After Four
Months in the Wilderness.
HARD TIMES FOR EARLY SETTLERS
Difference Between the West and
East-Thcn and Now -Marvels
Gus Changes In Half
u Century.

| Dubuque Herald: Now for Dubuque,
and then for home. The first settler s
house we came to, after our cold bath
| in the Turkey river, mad been occupied
during the summer, but abandoned for
the winter 1t being evening, we took
| possession for night quarters. We found
| potatoes and onions in a little pit be-
meath trap door in the floor. These
were the first vegetables we had seen in
four months, and, of course, soldior-like,
we "foraged Off the country" The
| next place was the Hewits, mt the big
spring. We found them at home. The
| ground had been frozen and there had
been a little snow, but it had thawed
some that day. We pitched tent, and as
usual spread our blankets for sleeping,
and built fire. Mr.. Hewitt, seeing our
tent, came down and gave us warm
greeting. Soon after he and Mrs
Hewitt came down, bringing some fresh
| beef. pan of honey and bottle of
whisky-new luxuries to us, indeed.
| The next day we arrived at Dubuque.
| We put up at boarding house and tav-
ern kept by Cannon. The landlady
seemed to run the whole business, the
kitchen, dining-room and Office. Here
we rested up for a day or two, made a
sale of our ponies and wagon, to Colonel
| Hampstead. | believe. Our boss was
destined to Cincinnati to make returns,
while the boys would skip on foot via
Chicago back to their home in Michi-
gan.
| While in Dubuque there arrived a
steamer from below, and would soon re-
turn. We engaged passage to Fulton.
The captain of the boat was II young
man. and we were told he had gone to
Mineral Point to see his girl, but would
be back in the evenidg, and
the boat would leave on his ar
| rival. SO we took berths; but
10! in the morning were yet tied up to
the wharf. We waited that day and at
evening the captain arrived and we
were soon on our way. Arriving oppo-
site Fulton halt was made and yawl
10 yered, manned by two boatmen, and
we were soon at the landing. The
| waves were running high, and we were
told to Jump. Part of us did Jump and
made out to get clear of the swells, but
one was a little slow and when he
| jumped he broke down and a big swell
dashed over him. The river steamers
did not make regular trips at that time,
| | believe. They came up when they
1
ready.
While in Dubuque we learned of Il
tragic affair WHICH happened Il short
| time before our arrival. ltappears that
the men who worked in the mines were
getting their supplies on credit i'll pay
day, which was once week. A man
had run an account at Dan Downs sa-
loon, and on calling to settle up he dis
puted Downs account, whereupon
4 L. o.. l..
with billet of wood, which may prove
fatal. We did not learn that there had
been any legal proceedings instituted
in the case. The most we heard said
was that Dan would probably lose con-
siderable of his custom. That was
thought to be punishment enough for u
crime of the kind at that day.
AT Fulton we put up with man who
was having his house fitted up for u
| grocery stOre-residence above and store
below. The lower room was furnished.
A carpenters bench and tools, with
plenty of shavings upon the t1Oor,a little
box stove and some green wood consti-
tuted the furniture. Pointing to the
floor around the stove he said: "Here,
boys, this is all can do for you; be care
full about the fire." We took lodging
and put in u good nights rest. AT day
light in the morning he came in and
told US he could give us no breakfast.
He did not expect another boat up the
river until spring, and his supply pro-
visions was scant; 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 provi-
sions with him, and we would probably
get breakfast with him. Accordingly,
we struck out.
After some two hours brisk travel we
arrived at the house, ordered breakfast
and it was furnished. The bill of fare
was hot corn bread, fresh pork, wild
honey and coffee, a good wholesome
meal for footmcn to travel on. The next
day we called for breakfast at settler s
near Sterling. The woman of the house
said she could give US breakfast, "but
what kind of money are you going to
pay in?' Our cashier produced some
bills upon New York Salty Fund bank.
She gaZcd at the bills and called to her
son, young man, and told him, go
and tell Harry to come here" an older
son. He came, staring at us suspiciously,
and closely scrutinized Our money, ques-
toned us as to who we were and what
was our destination, and finally told his
mother that he guessed all was right.
|
meal we had partaken of for many day.
Our next point of interest was at the
Widow Barry's tavern, about ten miles
west of Chicago, where we were told
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 flat prairie
Immediately west of the city, and the
hard cold had frozen ice too scrong for
teams or footmen and not strong enough
to bear up either. We told the folks
that surveyors had no such word as
"can't" in their dictionary, and we
struck out for the little town over the
tender ice. The habit of running lines
caused us to take bee line, which soon
led Is into troucle. Where the
water was but a few inches deep
the ice was strong enough to bear
us up, but as soon as 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 breaking through.
We finally reached the sandy beach OF
the lake, fatigued and heated in the
upper half, but chilled and benumbed
below We hurriedly made our way