Year: 1859

Squatter Life in the West.


If the Southern slave driving Senator's
could have but made up their minds to al


low the Homestead bill to pass, what com


fort-they might have afforded to many a
struggling family among our Western pio-


neers who, at this moment, sadly need ii.


surely, IN the hardships and privations


which these settlers undergo, they pay for


their land five times over without having
70 De Obliged to pay for it over again at the


Land Office, and perhaps in order to do
that, to put themselves in the hands of usu-
rers who, and not they, become by that pro-
cess the owners of the land for which they


have struggled and labored in vain. In


this business of squatting on the public


lands. there is deal of delusion. The set


tiers are too apt to think that, having got a
claim to 160 acres of land, they have got
farm; whereas all they have got is part
of the raw material out of which, with la


Dor and expense, patient waiting and the


investment of capital, farm may be made


We give below private letter. which des-


crlbes the position we fear but too truly
not OF one family only but of many thou
sands that left the East four or five years
ago under the deIusive idea that a farm


might be had in the fertile West merely bv
squatting upon it. This letter is written


from Minnesota, and from the best part of
the State, too. There are different ideas
about what constitutes distress in the West,
as some recent discussions in our columns
have shown. We do not quote the letter


below as going to show distress, nor even
as tending to raise suspicion that the
whole West is not the perfect paradise
which those who have land to sell there are
apt to represent it, but merely as the ac-
count, confdentially given by an intelligent
and hard working emigrant from New Eng


land, of his own position and experience
and the estimate which he has formed of
the condition of his neighbors. It NAV,
perhaps, serve as useful lesson to others
who may be disposed to start as farmers in
the West, as so many do, without any cap
ital TO start upon. But, to the letter:


81 am now, like Mr.. Micawber, waiting
for something to turn up, fully assured
that, if something does not turn up soon,
must turn down or round. I have farm
almost-I only lack a little to it. Perhaps
the United States Senate may take pity on
me and vote the Homestead bill. In that
case, should get title and have a farm
in reality, but not the means to work it,
It is now nearly FIVE years since left the
East-4tearing myself from home, relatives
and friends-hoping in few years of pa
tient industry to earn a home for my fami-
ly. had my choice in claims in circle
of five miles, there being but two taken in
town when came; nor was my selection
bad one. The land around has since all
been taken, and some of it changed hands
two or three times. Farms in this place
are, or rather were, valued at from two to
three thousand dollars. Having selected
my land, l commenced building log house,
where l passed the long, dreary Winter
like hermit, that l might comply with
the very letter of the law, and be the better
prepared to receive my wife and children in
the Spring. Their arrival made me happy,
for hoped to be able, from the proceeds of
my crop, at least to feed and elothe them re-
specially. One who has never experience
ed life in a new settlement can form no
idea of the trials and hardships that must
be encountered, even with all the aid that
money can purchase; but to commence
farm with large family of small children,
without team or other stock, or even the
most common tools to work farm with, it
is a struggle for dear life. Such was my
commencement. By paying my last $50
toward a yoke of oxen, they trusted me for
the remaining. $50. When the children
came on bought two COWS on credit, and,
by fattening one and selling both calves
and some hay. paid the note ard saved
one of the cows. / have managed to get
seventeen acres broke, which cost eight dol
lars the acre, beside clearing some of the
xrifhot1fs srIo = hove ,,
discoursging crops ever sincew came here,
taken as whole, though the fault was not
in the quality of the soil, but other acci=
dental causes, such as crows, blaekbirds,
squirrels. hogs, unruly cattle, &c. The
last season, as whole, was the best for a
crop of any since we have been here, yet 1t
is the hardestto get along. as the abundance
has reduced the prices so much that the
amount it will bring is less than that of
smaller crops the previous years. We are
seantiiy clothed and poorly fed With the
assistance of WelI-furnished wardrobe
when we came; and Margaret's skill in ma
king over, we got along very we'll for year
ar two; but she has made over and patched
as long as the old clothes and patches lasted,
and now the children are nearly out Of
clothes. and ragged withal. bought pair
of shoes for each of them in September,
but have been unable to get any since. and
they are nearly all barefoot now. Nv log
house, which I built for temporary babi-
tation. expecting to build better one in two
years at most, we have lived In since, and
may be obliged to it for shelter for some
time to come. Before the last crop came
in, we were without meat for FIVE months,
and without bread for days, with only the
garden vegetables to live upon. Since my
corn was ripe. We have lived principally on
corn-meal food. with just pork enough to
grease it. and few potatoes for variety.
Butter we lave not seen for four months.
Last Spring, had team sufficient to plow
my land. My oxen were taken from me