404 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



erly from Chicago, and containing about 1,500 inhabi- 

 tants, many of whom, are to all appearance, "hanging 

 on" to the long deferred hope that the Illinois canal that 

 follows the bank of the river, and divides this wide 

 spread straggling village, will soon be recommenced, and 

 restore them to that prosperity that originally built up 

 the place, and in fancy made many rich, and in reality 

 made more poor. The village is situated upon a most 

 sterile limestone rock, covered with barely soil enough 

 to sustain a little grass, and every thing around shows 

 evident signs, that through this mile wide valley, once 

 rolled Niagara's mighty flood, at that period of long past 

 time before the waters had passed the northern boundary 

 at the heights of Queenston, and the thunders of the 

 great falls were as yet unheard and unknown. 



One of the most creditable things that I can say of 

 Juliet, or of her half and half dead and alive population, 

 is that during the last summer one of her enterprising 

 citizens, (the Hon. J. A. Mattison, 1 ) has put in operation 

 a small woolen manufactory, containing at present four 

 sattinet and one broadcloth loom and other machinery, 

 all finished and operated in the best manner. By the way, 

 I would here say to you that this good firm, fine home- 

 spun suit that you see I am dressed in, was colored and 

 dressed at this establishment. As such manufactories 

 are real blessings to this "to be" great wool country, I 

 hope the proprietor will be greatly blessed in his under- 

 taking. 



After finishing some business that detained me 24 

 hours here, I set off in the afternoon of the 3d, to visit 

 one of the largest farms that I know of in this part of 

 the State, situated about 14 miles westerly, most of the 

 way across open prairie. Unlike the two previous pleas- 

 ant days, this was one that would give us an idea of what 

 a "gentle prairie breeze" was like. The first two or three 



1 Joel Aldrich Matteson, born August 2, 1808, at Watertown, New 

 York; died January 31, 1873. Governor of Illinois, 1853-1857. 

 Dictionary of American Biography, 12:410-11. 



