The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-12-25

had to go for -four, salt pork and mo
lasses-the staples of every day life
The horses had to pull their loads
through numerous sluices and streams
had to be forded. There were no roads
or bridges. But there was an abund.
ance of game and fish easily secured
by gun and rod, which was fortunate
for the pioneers and formed a con
siderable part of their living. The
first flour manufactured here was
ground in lap coffee mill. Whea
was IN this way ground for the family
supply every day. The very coarse
parts were sifted out with a han6
sieve. Here was whole wheat flour al
cost for which we now pay fancy
price. But wheat for pancakes was
ground and sifted in the same way and
families maintained themselves fol
months in this primitive manner.
Orrin Stevens imported into the
town of Pleasant Frairie hundred
bushels of potatoes from the state OF
Illinois. Some enterprising man
brought in drove of fat hogs from
that state which were bought by the
settlers and butchered while you wait.
Word came that schooner load of
flour had arrived in Racine. Mr..
Stevens hitched up his team right
away and drove there. When he ar
rived there were just three barrels. of
the cargo left, which he bought. In
three days he had one baking of flour
left for his whole family. His last
customer was a woman whose family
had subsisted wholly on fresh fish for
two weeks.
Why They Came.
The lands of the eastern and middle
states we're Originally covered with a
heavy growth of forest. To subdue a
farm to cultivation the trees must be
fe11ed with the ak, cut into lengths
and burned. Cultivation had to be
done among the stumps for many
years until they decayed. The soil
generally was hard clay and very
stony. I have often heard it loosely
| asserted by settlers from New England
that in pasturing sheep they had to be
taken by the hind legs and let down be.
tween the stones to reach for the few
blades of grass. The fertility of the
surface oil resulting from the decay of
forest leaves was soon exhausted and
fertilizers must be applied to secure
adequate returns. These conditions
impelled immeasura bic hard work. To
get along in the world required un-
remitting industry and unyielding
economy. / will repeat here story
which originated in Vermont and was
told to me by pioneer of that state.
The exaggerations and ludicrous
statements but serve to indicate the
hardness of New England soil:
A Vermonter and New Hampshireite
met and were having conversation.
The New Hampshire man said to the
other. "You have got some pretty
poor land in your state" The Yer
monter retorted: "Well, I don't know.
What makes you think so?' "I'l1 tell
you," said the Han1pshireite; 81 was
over in your state awhile ago and I
saw squirrel sitting on stone. There
did not seem to be anything else in the
world for him to sit on and he was
crying for keeps. stopped nd aasked
him what was the matter. The squir-
rel looked up at me through his tears
and replied, We'll, have got this
whole township, six miles square, TO
live on and I am likely to starve to
death. You haven't got few old nuts
in your pocket, have your" The
Vermonter retorted: 'We1l, New
Hampshire amt got nothin' to brag
about. Twas over in your state to see
a cousin ofsmine. There was a fun
eral that day and in the procession was
one horse load of manure. I thought
it singular but said nothing. The
next day there was another funeral
and there was another load of manure
in the procession. When / got back to
my cousins I asked him about it.
"Oh," he said, "that is a regular
thing. We have to do it. Why the
land is SO dreadful poor that if we
didn't put load of manure into the
grave they never could rise at the day
of Judgment"
Here in Southern Wisconsin was soil
of surprising richness covered with a
great growth of grasses tall enough in
places to conceal horse standing in
it. Flowers of many hues grew thick
1y in the grass, making it more beauti-
full than carpet. There were great
prairies extending as far as the eye
could reach. The streams were
bordered with forests that would sup
ply lumber for building. There were
numerous hocks of quail and prairie
chickens, and in their season wild
turkeys, geese aud duck. The streams
and lakes abounded with fish. Herds
of deer, numbering from half dozen
to dozen, were daily seen. The
beauty of Southern Wisconsin, the ex-
ceeding fertility of the soil and the
fneness of the climate surpassed be-
lief and those who told their story
were credited with drawing largely on
their .imaginations. But that these
d