A pictorial description of the United States; embracing the history, geographical position, agricultural and mineral resources .. . dergrowth of bushes—though here termed barrens—arereally only less fertile than the produce abundantly when brokenup and planted. And now let us look at the other sideof the picture, and see what are the dis-advantages of settlement and life on theprairies. Deficiency of timber is the first tostrike the eye of one familiar with ruralor pioneer life at the east. The den-izen of a log cabin in western NewYork or Ohio may at times be short ofmeal or of
A pictorial description of the United States; embracing the history, geographical position, agricultural and mineral resources .. . dergrowth of bushes—though here termed barrens—arereally only less fertile than the produce abundantly when brokenup and planted. And now let us look at the other sideof the picture, and see what are the dis-advantages of settlement and life on theprairies. Deficiency of timber is the first tostrike the eye of one familiar with ruralor pioneer life at the east. The den-izen of a log cabin in western NewYork or Ohio may at times be short ofmeal or of meat, but he has always goodfuel in abundance within a stones throwof his door, fencing stuff as near, andbuilding timber not much less so. Buthere he finds the accessible sections,embracing portions of timber and prai-rie, all clutched by speculators, or ap-propriated by earlier immigrants, andhe can obtain land at government priceonly by pitching his tent on the broad,treeless prairie, where not even an arm-ful of wood can be picked up within amile. Hither he must haul his buildingmaterials (pine) from Chicago, his fuel. 548 DESCRIPTION OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. and fencing from some adjacent groveor barren, after buying or stealingthem ; so that the time saved to him inhaving no timber nor stumps betweenhim and a crop, is nearly all required tocut or haul timber and fuel. As toeligibility and comfort, a little rudepioneers cabin looks better, and is morehabitable, in an opening of the forestthan in the glaring sunshine of an un-shaded prairie. Ill health is another draviback on thecharms of prairie life. The settler hashardly erected his cabin, and begun tobreak up the earth around it, when thedetested ague jumps upon him, justwhen his time is most precious—whenhis winter wheat should be got in. Hisfamily, one after another, are takendown with bilious disease, and a hardseason they have of it—in a sti-angeland, with means and neighbors scanty,and the nearest physicia
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidpictorialdes, bookyear1860
